A Million Little Things Wants to Be This Is Us for Men

A Million Little Things could’ve been conceived by an algorithm programmed to synthesize popular TV shows. Like This Is Us, it’s an ensemble drama designed to elicit gasps and tears. Like 13 Reasons Why, it takes place in the aftermath of a suicide. And, as with something a computer would write, many of its plot points feel hackneyed and implausible all at once.

At the center of the show, which airs on ABC starting Sept.