Justin Hartley is grateful that viewers have been comparing his new series, "This Is Us," to the family drama "Parenthood." As the second episode of the freshman show airs this week on NBC, the former "Young and the Restless" actor also hints of what viewers can expect next.
Speaking with Parade, Justin Hartley admits he doesn't mind that "This Is Us" is lumped in the same breath as "Parenthood," which also ran on NBC from 2010 to 2015. "[That's] a good thing because that was the last, best family drama that was on," Justin Hartley said. "If you're being compared to a show that was successful and everybody liked, that's always a good thing," he added.
The actor is also aware that "This Is Us" has been compared to "Modern Family" and "Lost" -- the latter because of the time jump elements -- and he's totally fine with these as well. He believes that these shows have found an audience, which is always a good because it means people can be excited about the series.
Indeed, "This Is Us" is slowly forming its own niche in the small screen. According to TV By The Numbers, the Dan Fogelman created series saw an increase in viewers within the three days of its premiere via DVR use.
People seem to love the twist at the end of the pilot episode of "This Is Us," which revealed that Justin Hartley's character has a twin sister and an adopted black brother. They were born on the same birthday as their dad, played by Milo Ventimiglia.
Milo Ventimiglia and TV wife Mandy Moore are presented in the show as a young couple from the 80s, but this timeline wasn't evident until the later parts of the debut episode. According to Justin Hartley, there will be more twists -- both small and big -- in the upcoming episodes that will tie the stories together. "Some of them make sense later on... I mean, almost in every episode, there's one," the actor said, per TV Line.
