▁adult , ▁and ▁Don nie ▁M asi hi ▁as ▁a ▁child ▁( gu est ▁season ▁ 3 – 4 ; ▁rec urr ing ▁season ▁ 2 – 4 ). ▁C ait lin ▁Thompson ▁as ▁Mad ison ▁Sim ons : ▁Kate ' s ▁best ▁friend ▁and ▁mother ▁of ▁Kevin ' s ▁tw ins . ▁ ▁Epis odes ▁ ▁Production ▁ ▁Development ▁This ▁is ▁Us ▁originally ▁began ▁as ▁an ▁ 8 0 - page ▁movie ▁script ▁that ▁Dan ▁F og el man ▁was ▁developing ▁while ▁working ▁for ▁ABC ▁Studios ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁The ▁story ▁line , ▁which ▁F og el man ▁admitted ▁to ▁not ▁having ▁a ▁definite ▁direction , ▁revol ved ▁around ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁eight ▁adult s ▁who , ▁as ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁revealed , ▁were ▁oct u ple ts . ▁After ▁moving ▁to ▁an ▁eight - figure ▁deal ▁with ▁ 2 0 th ▁Television , ▁F og el man ▁made ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁TV ▁series ▁from ▁the ▁characters ▁of ▁his ▁original ▁script , ▁cutting ▁a ▁few ▁characters ▁and ▁short ening ▁the ▁script ▁to ▁ 4 5 ▁pages ▁before ▁bringing ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁studio . ▁Jenn ifer ▁Sal ke , ▁president ▁at ▁N BC ▁, ▁commented ▁on ▁the ▁conception ▁of ▁a ▁title ▁for ▁the ▁series , ▁saying ▁" The ▁title ▁didn ' t ▁come ▁easy ... but ▁This ▁Is ▁Us ▁t apped ▁into ▁everything , ▁and ▁the ▁show ' s ▁about ▁us ." ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁revealed ▁that ▁other ▁ideas ▁for ▁the ▁title ▁included ▁