‘This Is Us’ Final Season Gets Premiere Date as NBC Unveils Midseason Schedule

The final season of This Is Us and the return of one of NBC’s iconic shows, Law & Order, highlight the network’s midseason slate.

The network will have a dual rollout in the early part of 2022, with several shows premiering in early January and others holding until late February and March, after the Winter Olympics. NBC also has the Super Bowl on Feb. 13, but rather than air an entertainment program afterward, it will roll into live Olympics coverage.

“We’re excited to really pull back the curtain in January with big swings across genres that provide something for everyone,” said Susan Rovner, chairman entertainment content at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “Over the past year, our programming team has been vigorously chasing down the best content out there, and it’s really exciting to start to see some early fruits of our labor join the longtime fan favorites on the NBC schedule.

This Is Us will premiere in its usual 9 p.m. Tuesday spot on Jan. 4, airing for a month prior to the Olympics and then returning in late February. First-year comedies American Auto and Grand Crew — which will have one-off premieres in December — will lead into This Is Us on Tuesdays, while New Amsterdam keeps its 10 p.m. berth.

Kenan Thompson’s second-year comedy Kenan will air two episodes weekly on Mondays starting Jan. 3, leading into Jimmy Fallon’s unscripted series That’s My Jam and Ordinary Joe. The doubling up of Kenan will let the show complete its full season prior to the Olympics.

Following the Olympics, the Monday lineup will feature American Song Contest — a U.S. version of the annual Eurovision contest (which runs on Peacock in the states) — and new drama The Endgame, starring Morena Baccarin and Ryan Michelle Bathe. The 21st season of the Law & Order mothership will premiere on Feb. 24, leading off an all L&O night with SVU and Organized Crime staying in place at 9 and 10 p.m.

Jeffrey Donovan will star as one of the detectives in the revival; the rest of the cast has yet to be announced. Law & Order joining the Thursday slate gives producer Dick Wolf two straight nights of filling out NBC’s entire primetime lineup; he also produces the three Chicago shows that air on Wednesdays.

With Law & Order set at 8 p.m. Thursdays, The Blacklist will move back to Fridays starting Feb. 25.

The six-episode limited series The Thing About Pam, starring Renee Zellweger and based on a true-crime story that’s been the subject of several Dateline installments, premieres March 8, giving New Amsterdam a break. Comedies Young Rock and Mr. Mayor open their second seasons on March 15 after American Auto and Grand Crew wrap their seasons.

The network’s Sunday slate remains open at the moment. Frances Berwick, chairman entertainment networks at NBCU Television and Streaming, said NBC is looking at several unscripted shows to fill the night after the Olympics but hasn’t settled on a lineup yet.

NBC’s midseason schedule is below. All times are ET/PT.

Monday, Dec. 13
10 p.m.: American Auto

Tuesday, Dec. 14
8 p.m.: Grand Crew

Monday, Jan. 3
8 p.m.: Kenan
9 p.m.: That’s My Jam

Tuesday, Jan. 4
8 p.m.: American Auto (time period premiere)
8:30 p.m.: Grand Crew (time period premiere)
9 p.m.: This Is Us

Monday, Feb. 21
8 p.m.: American Song Contest
10 p.m.: The Endgame

Thursday, Feb. 24
8 p.m.: Law & Order

Friday, Feb. 25
8 p.m.: The Blacklist (new time period)

Tuesday, March 8
10 p.m.: The Thing About Pam

Tuesday, March 15
8 p.m.: Young Rock
8:30 p.m.: Mr. Mayor