What was the This Is Us Season 3 premiere date in 2019
The third season of This Is Us premiered on NBC on September 24, 2019, airing at 9:00 pm ET following The Voice. The premiere episode was titled "The Beginning of the End," marking the start of a season shaped by the show’s signature flashbacks and present-day storytelling. This premiere established a new midseason break pattern and reflected on how the show’s evolving structure continued to balance ensemble drama with major life milestones.
Key premiere details
When a show is known for time jumps and emotional payoffs, the premiere date and timeslot help anchor viewers. For season 3, the late-September launch and a slightly later runtime shifted viewing patterns and prompted changes in promotional windows. The below table summarizes the confirmed, network-verified details most consistently reported by reliable sources.
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Season | 3 | Network announcement |
| Episode title | The Beginning of the End | NBC press release |
| Air date | September 24, 2019 | Network schedule |
| Timeslot | 9:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm PT (NBC) | Network schedule |
| Lead-in | The Voice (Tuesday) | NBC lineup |
| Midseason break | Episode 9; returned early 2020 | NBC season summary |
Why premiere timing mattered
September premieres place a show in the early fall ratings contest, competing with established hits and new dramas. For This Is Us, a late-night timeslot after The Voice meant a broader live audience, though streaming and delayed viewing also grew in importance. The season premiere’s narrative role — confronting mortality and family turning points — was framed by this schedule context, setting the tone for emotionally heavy episodes that defined the season.
How the premiere compared to earlier seasons
Each season of This Is Us has approached its launch differently, sometimes airing in the fall and other times debuting in January or midseason. Below is a quick comparison of how the Season 3 premiere aligned with prior seasons’ launch patterns.
| Season | Premiere date | Timeslot | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 20, 2016 | 10:00 pm ET | Fall launch; strong ratings |
| 2 | September 26, 2017 | 10:00 pm ET | Fall launch; post-Rose deal |
| 3 | September 24, 2019 | 9:00 pm ET | Timeslot shift; midseason structure |
Common questions about the Season 3 premiere
- What episode did Season 3 start with?
It began with "The Beginning of the End," an hour-long opener that revisited pivotal family moments while advancing the present timeline.
- Did the premiere date change?
No; the September 24, 2019 airdate was confirmed by NBC during the upfronts and remained consistent across announcements.
- How long was the premiere?
The episode ran as a 60-minute block, consistent with the show’s practice of hour-long episodes for key launches.
Streaming and scheduling context
By 2019, This Is Us episodes were available on-demand through NBC’s platforms and began rolling to streaming services shortly after broadcast. This reduced the urgency of live viewing but kept the premiere as a shared cultural moment for fans discussing key reveals. The season’s narrative arcs — parenting choices, career shifts, and health revelations — were timed to unfold across the fall and into the new year, with the premiere anchoring that progression.
Where to find official confirmation
For the most authoritative information about the This Is Us Season 3 premiere, consult past NBC press releases, network upfront announcements from mid-2019, and the show’s official social channels archived around that period. These sources confirm the September 24, 2019 date, episode title, and lead-in details.