This Is Us show-runners Isaac Aptaker and Dan Fogelman say they have already planned an ending for the popular US family drama.
Currently in its third season on Thursday nights on RTÉ One, the time-shifting show about the lives of various members of the Pearson family from Pittsburgh, will likely end after season six.
Speaking to Deadline, Aptaker said This is Us has a finale planned for "about three seasons in the future", adding that Fogelman had an ending in mind since before the beginning.
"From day one, Dan came in with his master plan for the big picture stuff of the show and said, ‘I think this is where we end up. I think this is what I know. Let’s figure out the rest together.’
"So all of the writers and the actors really know everything," Aptaker said. "We’re all pretty good at keeping secrets by now, it’s been three years, but it’s a total open book for everyone who works on the show, so there are no secrets from each other."
He also said that fans of the show will find the finale both "elegant" and "satisfying".
He said: "I would hope that when we reach our ending, people think it’s a really satisfying end place, that makes sense, and it feels like they’ve watched something that is a complete piece of work because that’s really how we’re trying to plan it."
Aptaker added that they would rather leave viewers wanting more from This is Us rather than feel that the show had gone on too long - which can often happen with a successful TV series.
"We’ve had this end in mind for a long time, so we’re able to plan for it, and try to make it feel like it’s a whole, as opposed to a series that’s going to go endlessly," he said.
