Why isn’t This Is Us on tonight, January 29?

THIS IS US -- "Songbird Road: Part One" Episode 311 -- Pictured: Mandy Moore as Rebecca -- (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
THIS IS US -- "Songbird Road: Part One" Episode 311 -- Pictured: Mandy Moore as Rebecca -- (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC) /
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Fans expecting to see the dramatic conclusion of This Is Us’ two-part episode will be disappointed to learn it’s not on tonight.

Why isn’t This Is Us on tonight? TV fans will be asking that question Tuesday night, since the hit NBC series left audiences on a cliffhanger—only to disappear from the schedule this week.

This Is Us has had a wonky road of recent; the network brought it back from the winter break a full week later than their other primetime series. And now, after only two new installments (with one of them being the start of a two-parter!) it’s missing again. So what exactly is happening to one of NBC’s most beloved series?

The answer’s deceptively simple: it’s been pre-empted this week because Jan. 29 was the original date for President Donald Trump’s next State of the Union Address. TV primetime programming is always taken off the air whenever it’s time for the President to address the country.

When the State of the Union was canceled, the broadcast networks didn’t go back to their usual schedule. Instead, Ellen DeGeneres’s reality show Ellen’s Game of Games is once again using the 9 p.m. time slot. It will air two new episodes tonight.

This Is Us season 3 returns next Tuesday, Feb. 5 at its usual time with “Songbird Road: Part Two,” which will see Kevin (Justin Hartley) attempting to help Nicky. But there may be a catch, because Feb. 5 is also reportedly the new night for President Trump’s address. So fans may be asking “Why isn’t This Is Us on tonight?” next week, too.

We’ll have to wait and see, but at least tonight, the Pearson family is getting the night off. When they come back, though, it’ll undoubtedly be worth it!

Next. We break down The Good Place finale. dark

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