'This Is Us' renewed for second and third seasons at NBC

NBC has made its first renewal for the 2017-18 broadcast season and it should come as no surprise.

The network announced Wednesday at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour that it has handed out an early second — and third — season pickup to Dan Fogelman's breakout drama This Is Us. They will each be 18-episode seasons, fitting since the show revolves around a family of 36-year-olds.

Read more: 'This Is Us': Ranking All the Emotional Twists So Far

The family drama with a time jumping twist is one of two dramas Fogelman set up this broadcast season after moving from ABC Studios to 20th Century Fox Television with a lucrative overall deal. (The other, Fox baseball drama Pitch, remains firmly on the bubble after wrapping its 10-episode run last year.)

See photos from "This Is Us" season 1:

Starring Milo Ventimigila, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz and Justin Hartley, This Is Us ranks as the No. 2 drama on broadcast (trailing only Fox's Empire) among the key adults 18-49 and total viewers. This far this season, it has averaged 14.6 million total viewers and a 4.6 among adults 18-49. The series has become the fall's breakout freshman drama.

It earned a quick full-season order (after only one episode), with its first-year order consisting of 18 installments. (Fogelman has made a point of saying that he wasn't interested in a standard 22- or 24-episode season.) The series also was the benefactor of an viral trailer in May, which collected more than 127 million views ahead of its series debut.

The show's success has also prompted a wave of family soaps this development season.

Read more: 'This Is Us': Keeping Track of the Timeline (So Far)