Ugh, 'This Is Us' Is Still On Pause — Here's When To Expect A New Episode

The 2020-2021 television season was never going to be an easy one in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Filming across the world was shut down starting in March 2020, ending seasons early and halting production of shows meant to arrive in the fall. For broadcast sitcoms and dramas, premieres were delayed, winter breaks were extended, and, now, filming schedules are once again on pause. Although fans hope to see their favorites return, it's not clear exactly when that will happen. For instance, This Is Us was expected to return to air on Feb. 2, 2021, but now, that's not happening.

This Is Us is one of those shows deeply upended by the scheduling shifts. NBC scheduled the season's holiday break from Thanksgiving to the first week of January. That meant the series only got to air four episodes in the fall before going on hiatus. Episode 5 was already in the can and ready to go when the show returned in January, giving the show a guaranteed installment for the return slot.

But Episode 6 was not. COVID concerns in Los Angeles caused NBC to put productions on pause at the start of 2021, meaning the filming of new episodes was once again halted. It caused an unexpected last-minute hiatus announcement from creator Dan Fogelman on Jan. 19, the day Episode 6 was supposed to air.

At the time, the official NBC This Is Us Twitter account put out a statement saying the series would return at the start of February. But that tweet has since been deleted. Moreover, Fogelman's original tweet only said more episodes will come "soon."

But things are looking up. The week of Feb. 2 may be the last delay for the time being. According to Fogelman, a new episode is expected to air on NBC on Feb. 9.

With the pandemic still ravaging Los Angeles, it's understandable the series has struggled to finish episodes. But it seems that, behind the scenes, things are getting back on track. Hopefully, this will be the last hiatus for the moment, and fans will get to find out more about Kevin's return from Canada as Madison enters the hospital for the early delivery of their twins.

Currently, fans hope to see This Is Us Season 5, Episode 6 return on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.