Goodbye to the amazingly fertile Duggar family, or at least for their reality show on TLC.
The network permanently canceled the family’s enormously popular 19 Kids and Counting show on Thursday.
It was a long time coming but it wasn’t a surprise.
After tabloid revelations in May blared news that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s eldest son, Josh, had admitted to molesting five underage girls, including his own sisters, when he was a teenager and that his parents had kept it secret, the show about the family and their many progeny had been in jeopardy.
“After thoughtful consideration, TLC and the Duggar family have decided to not move forward with 19 Kids and Counting. The show will no longer appear on the air, the network said in a statement on its website. “The recent attention around the Duggars has sparked a critical and important conversation about child protection.”
Marjorie Kaplan, group president of TLC, Animal Planet and Velocity networks, told the Associated Press that the network spent weeks trying to decide what to do with the show. The network and the Duggars had been under enormous pressure for weeks on social media to cancel.
“We spent the past month and a half in thoughtful consideration about what is the best way forward here,” Kaplan said.
“We took it as an opportunity to step further than just ‘How do we protect ourselves?’ and step into ‘How do we protect our audience and protect children? Our hope is to do more of that, in a way that’s thoughtful and respectful of the victims of child abuse — in the Duggar family and across America.”
The network said it plans a documentary about sex-abuse with some of the Duggars, including oldest daughters and self-described victims of Jose, Jill and Jessa.
“We are partnering with both organizations on a multi-platform campaign to raise awareness and educate parents and families about the issue.” the network’s statement said. “TLC will work closely with both groups and with the Duggar family on a one-hour documentary that will include Jill and Jessa and other survivors and families that have been affected by abuse.”
Courtesy: Religion News Service
Photo: Jim Bob Duggar (L) and his wife Michelle Duggar (R), supporters of Republican presidential candidate and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, attend a Pro-Life rally in Columbia, South Carolina, on the steps of the State House January 14, 2012.
Photo courtesy: Reuters/Chris Keane
Publication date: July 17, 2015
