Variety - June 02, 2022

42 Pages·2022·14.1 MB·English

Drama
Series
MELANIE LYNSKEY isn’t having
a moment. She is the moment.
By Emily Longeretta

6 ● VARIETY 06.02.2022
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B I Z B U Z Z
‘This Is Us’
Wraps on
Emotional High
NBC’s tearjerker drama raises
longing for another broadcast drama
By Jennifer Maas
When Sterling K. Brown won lead came out of Oprah’s mouth, I think
actor in a drama series for play- my heart actually stopped, and I
ing Randall Pearson on the first felt like I was going to throw up.”
season of NBC’s “This Is Us” at the Fogelman had not been to the
2017 Emmys, it marked his second Emmys before that night, but the
win and the show’s first. Though unexpected acclaim for “This Is
Brown’s impassioned acceptance Us” would see him and his team
speech was cut off by Fox in a now return multiple times for the
infamous attempt to move along show’s to-date 38 nominations
the awards show, Brown’s spirits and four wins. “Sterling winning
remained high and for a few more at the beginning, those times were
minutes, “This Is Us” remained a so overwhelming and a source of
contender for best drama. pride for everybody — the entire
“Oprah announced the big cast, the entire crew,” Fogelman
award. And there was some talk says. “But anybody who said they
that we had a shot at it,” creator saw it all coming would be com-
Dan Fogelman tells Variety. “She pletely lying.”
kind of opened the envelope and Now, it’s all coming to an end.
squealed a little bit — and we knew “This Is Us” aired its series finale
that she liked our show — and she May 24, making this fall’s Emmys C
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said, ‘The Emmy goes to…’ And the final year in which the broad- e/N
she said the ‘Th,’ and it was ‘The cast drama is eligible. But whether es
gli
Handmaid’s Tale.’ I always joked or not it takes home more noms, or u
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that during the time that the ‘Th’ potentially its first and only best The core family of Pearsons and in-laws in “This Is Us”; during its run the show drew 38 noms and 4 Emmys. Joe

06.02.2022 VARIETY ● 9
forward,’” says Moore. “But once
I understood the breadth of what
this show could potentially be, I
was like, ‘OK, I will throw my name
in the ring and whatever I need to
do to be a part of this project, I will
do’ — obviously not understand-
ing what the story was really going
to be laying out on the line. In the
pilot, my character is just a small
cog in the wheel, and this very piv-
otal, monumental, life-changing
thing happens for the life of this
family and obviously the life of
this couple and this woman. But
I obviously had no idea that we
would be here today.”
“The show transcended this
whole idea of, there are the
streamers and then there’s broad-
casters” Hartley says. “Like, no, no,
there’s good TV and there’s really
fucking great TV. And we were
really fucking great.”
The use of the F-bomb is one
of only a handful of things that
Fogelman had to give up to make
drama win, is largely going to be who may be going through very ‘This Is Us” is a hasn’t been acknowledged. The “This Is Us” broadcast-friendly,
up to the TV Academy’s reaction real things, whether it’s personal show that only thing I can think of is that along with nudity and violence
to how the show concluded its ailment, family, divorce. Whatever unabashedly aims people take for granted how hard — a sacrifice he was more than
to provoke strong
Pearson family saga. the situation is, you’ll see, ‘Oh, it is to have a show [whose] sto- willing to make.
emotions among
“He didn’t play it safe,” says 20th these people are going through ries are so poignant, the way they “There were seven fucks, I think,
viewers. “Our show
Television president Karey Burke, it, too. I’m not weird or strange or is an opportunity tie the themes together and how in the pilot for ‘This Is Us,’ which
who was “weeping” in her office bad or flawed, just human. And I to lighten your the past informs the present and were not crucial to that pilot,” he
the first time she saw the “This Is get a chance to feel that, release it load,” says how every decision is so thought- says. “So, I took them out because
Sterling K. Brown
Us” trailer, at the time working and hopefully, walk through life a ful and deliberate. I just think it’s I felt it could live successfully on
(left).
as the chief of Freeform. “I think little bit lighter.’ So, I hope those storytelling at the highest level network television and play to a
it will go down in history as one folks who are overly critical rec- and it’s honestly baffling to me.” mass audience, but also, hope-
of the greatest final seasons and ognize there’s actually a point to But the ebb and flow of acco- fully, be high quality. There’s no
one of the greatest final episodes it, that it resonates with people for lades hasn’t stopped the “This reason something can’t be as won-
in broadcast history, I really do. a reason and it’s not something Is Us” team from making this for derful on network TV.
“Having seen many of them and that’s manipulative for the sake them — the fans. “I am a believer in the medium
been involved with some, I can of manipulation.” “We’re like the little network and the sheer amount of people
say this will stand with those,” she Pearson family members show that could and did, and con- it can reach. And this show has
adds. “I think he really delivered Brown, Mandy Moore, Milo Ven- tinues to really, truly, deeply affect taught me a network television
and honored this family. And timiglia and Chrissy Metz have all people,” Metz says. “And that really audience will go with you if you
it felt deeply consistent with received Emmy noms during the is the gift and the reward and the do something artfully. I think
everything he had set up from show’s first five seasons, as have accolade. We’re making a piece they can be underestimated and
the beginning.” several supporting actors and of art that’s going to change the the storytelling and the struc-
Six seasons of tearjerking guest stars, but Justin Hartley course of someone’s life.” ture of ‘This Is Us’ asks people to
has given “This Is Us” a bad rap has repeatedly been snubbed — As the star who has played a watch with intent. I think that the
among circles that see it as an as have the “This Is Us” writers. 16-year-old girl, an 80-some- audience is ready for stuff like
overly dramatic series that “It’s shocking to me the writing thing woman on her death bed that. The medium needs to con-
exists simply to make you cry. hasn’t been acknowledged,”says and everything in between, tinue to evolve. But I do believe,
But that’s a critical chord that Lisa Katz, NBCUniversal’s head Moore has likely the most unique strongly, that in a couple of years,
doesn’t sit right with Brown. of scripted content. “Part of it is example among the cast of how you will be asking the question
“There’s this idea sometimes that they make it look easy. And much “This Is Us” has changed to the next guy or gal, ‘How does
BC that, ‘Is it too sentimental? It is when you think about the fact that their lives. it feel to be the first broadcast
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Batz say, our show is an opportunity to 18 episodes a year for six seasons, put my heart on the line again Us’? Because I think there’s more
on lighten your load. It invites people it’s mind-blowing to me that it for a show and it doesn’t move of them out there.”
R
10 ● BIZ + BUZZ 06.02.2022
This Is ... Still Primetime
Milo Ventimiglia weighs
in on his successful career
on broadcast television
By Emily Longeretta
It’s no secret the TV landscape is adult situations on a streaming plat-
changing. In fact, it’s all TV journal- form or a cable network — it doesn’t
ists can talk about — the amount of mean because you can’t, the show’s
content and the endless way to con- any less than. Look at ‘This Is Us.’”
sume it. But sometimes, it’s about In fact, Ventimiglia’s next role is
going back to where it all started: also in broadcast, as he’ll star in and
broadcast TV. produce ABC’s “The Company You
“I think it’s about the accessibility. Keep,” playing a con man named
If you have rabbit ears on TV, you Charlie alongside Catherine Haena
can watch broadcast,” says Milo Kim and William Fitchner.
Ventimiglia, who has had great “Charlie is incredibly different
success through his career, most than Jack, which is exciting but also,
recently leading six seasons of “This he’s a good, strong, male lead who
Is Us,” which wrapped its final sea- has a complicated life and a great
son in May. woman that he has to figure things
“The good thing about broadcast out with,” he says.
TV is it’s literally for everybody. While Ventimiglia is sure that peo-
Maybe you can’t dive deep into ple will miss Jack Pearson, just as he
some real-life situations and sub- will, he didn’t feel pressure to find
ject matters that we all understand the perfect follow-up. Instead, he
are happening because of standards just found a good script with trust-
and practices, but at the same time, worthy people. (He had been looking
you can still tell great stories and the forward to working with executive
quality can still be high,” the actor producer Jon M. Chu for some time.)
told Variety. “Jack is a character and whatever
Ventimiglia knows it firsthand. I move on to next, that’s going to
He rose to fame in more than 30 be its individual thing. People may
episodes of the CW’s “Gilmore Girls” fall in love with that character, they
before landing the leading role of may be into it, they may go against
Peter Petrelli on NBC’s “Heroes,” it. And that’s OK. I’m in the middle
appearing on 70 of the drama’s 77 of my career, I’ve got a long way to
episodes. Then in 2016, he joined go. There’s going to be a lot of dif-
“This Is Us,” as Jack Pearson, a part ferent characters.”
that earned him three lead actor Although playing the role of
Emmy nominations. the “This Is Us” patriarch was an
“I’ve done well on broadcast sev- emotional roller coaster, he’s ready
eral times. I’m not afraid of it,” he for the future.
says. “It’s funny how many actors “I feel very much like a snake molt-
become afraid of a long contract or ing its skin,” hesays. “You’re ready to
a show that maybe they won’t be able try on something new, grow some- ki
to curse in or show nudity or other thing new. I think a lot of that is also erals
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adult subjects. I’m not afraid of it. I what we explored of the character. o
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think it’s good. I think it’s great to The first three seasons was a lot of an
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work. It’s great to have a job with sto- Jack discovery. I’m grateful for the by
h
rytelling of all different kinds. It also experience but I think I’m ready to p
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doesn’t diminish it because you can shed the skin of Jack and move onto ogr
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curse and show violence and show something else, respectfully.” h
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