Why did This Is Us end up at NBC? Recently, FOX chief Dana Walden discussed why the network passed over the successful drama series, Deadline reports.

The show, which is produced by FOX, is one of NBC’s top-rated programs and it’s already been renewed for a second and third season. The cast includes Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan, and Ron Cephas Jones.

At a recent conference, Walden said This Is Us didn’t feel like a FOX series:

The script felt like Parenthood or Thirtysomething. It did not feel like a slam dunk Fox show. It was incredible quality with incredible characters… It didn’t take us very long to think about it with my studio hat on and think about where a show can be its best version… NBC has treated it like gold. They did every single thing to advantage this show and did it all right.”

She also added that networks should be pushing for more emotional dramas like This Is Us:

Whatever over-correction I think sitting here today the U.S. public might want could be totally wrong. You have to develop a broad range of projects. One thing we’ve seen with This Is Us is that people want to escape a little bit into the lives of others with beautiful emotional storylines where a country that needs a good cry can have one without seeming crazy. So I would say my real takeaway is that we should all be pushing for extreme emotion. That doesn’t mean extremely sad, but extreme interactions between human beings. To more narrowly define it means that we risk being the company that doesn’t develop any dramas the year people say people don’t want to watch dramas anymore. Genuine zeitgeist you cannot plan.”

What do you think? Are you a fan of This Is Us? Do you think FOX made the right decision?