When TLC promoted its reality shows in a flashy presentation for advertisers last month, “19 Kids and Counting” was a big part of the pitch.
TLC is all about “authentic real people, compelling transformation, and larger-than-life stories,” its marketing materials proclaimed.
Now a real and horrifying story about the “19 Kids and Counting” family, the Duggars, is challenging the positive narrative that TLC likes to promote, and causing TV critics to wonder whether the show will be canceled.
Josh Duggar, one of the “19 Kids,” apologized Thursday in the wake of an In Touch Magazine report that he molested several girls when he was a teenager. He is now 27.
The channel is staying mum, at least for now, about the molestation allegations. (The alleged assaults occurred 12 years ago, well before television cameras started following the family.)
But the channel responded to the controversy on Friday by replacing several scheduled repeats of “19 Kids” with another popular franchise, “The Little People.” It is unclear whether TLC will go ahead with its other scheduled airings of the series.
Meanwhile, many observers are asking what TLC knew and when. Could the show’s producers — particularly at the production company Figure 8 Films — have been completely unaware of the family secret?
“We consider ourselves ‘caretakers’ of these people’s stories,” the production company’s web site says.
The other big question for TLC’s parent, Discovery Communications, is whether the show continues to go forward.
“This is the recurring problem with reality TV: The very source of its appeal — this isn’t fiction, it’s real life, true and unscripted! — is what makes it more vulnerable when confronted with scandal,” Yahoo TV critic Ken Tucker wrote Friday.
Tucker wondered, “How does one look at Josh now, and not wonder about his actions? How does one look at the cheery faces of Jim Bob and Michelle and not think about about the degree of their complicity in keeping this ‘storyline’ — for that’s what all real events become in this TV genre — suppressed?”
“19 Kids” is a part of the foundation of TLC, a channel known for family friendly reality shows.
“At the core of TLC, viewers find families of all shapes and sizes,” the channel told advertisers last month. “As the next generation from some of TLC’s most popular series – including 19 Kids and Counting and Little People, Big World – get married and create families of their own, viewers are responding and taking the exciting journey with them.”
TLC said last February’s eighth season premiere of the show was its highest-rated premiere yet.
“19 Kids” are frequently repeated by TLC; there was a marathon on Thursday evening as the molestation claims became national news. The scrapping of Friday’s repeats may indicate that TLC noticed the online complaints about Thursday’s marathon.
Andy Dehnart, the editor of Reality Blurred, noted TLC’s silence on the matter, but brought up a possible parallel:
“Last fall, TLC canceled Here Comes Honey Boo Boo after a tabloid report linked June to a convicted child molester.”