by Kambra Clifford

Posted Wednesday, September 28, 2016 11:36:12 AM

After receiving across-the-board praise after just one episode, NBC's This Is Us, which stars The Young and the Restless alum Justin Hartley (ex-Adam Newman; ex-Fox Crane, Passions), has been given a full 18-episode order.

"We are thrilled," series creator Dan Fogelman said in a statement about the network ordering an additional five episodes so early in the show's run. "This order for a complete first season of 18 episodes is exactly what we'd wanted and hoped for. We'd carefully mapped out an 18-chapter story for the first year of the show, and this allows us to follow through with our exact initial intent. And to get this order so early on is a tremendous show of confidence and a boost for our entire cast and crew."

Adds NBC president Jennifer Salke: "It's a rare moment in this business when a show so instantly delivers both critical acclaim and hit ratings, but This Is Us is just such an extraordinary achievement. Creator Dan Fogelman, along with the co-directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa and the gifted producers, cast and crew, has delivered the kind of heart and depth that resonates with every segment of the audience, and we're proud to extend its presence on our schedule."

This Is Us, which also stars Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Chrissy Metz, and recent Emmy winner Sterling K. Brown, has proven to be a can't-miss fall hit, its first episode bringing in 14.3 million viewers (including five days of DVR) and standing as NBC's highest-rated scripted program in six years.

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