'19 Kids And Counting' spin-off on Jill & Derick Dillard, and Jessa & Ben Seewald reportedly in the works
Following a 2006 police report that surfaced online, which stated that Josh Duggar from the Duggar family brood had allegedly molested five minor girls, including his siblings, TLC had pulled "19 Kids And Counting" episodes off its schedule. However, TLC is still yet to cancel the show despite all the online clamor and barrage of negative comments surrounding the show in wake of the shocking scandal.
A new report by People suggests that TLC is in talks for creating a spin-off show of "19 Kids And Counting" that will focus on only two Duggar family members. The spin-off will deal with the lives of Jill and Derick Dillard as new parents, as well as the newlyweds, Jessa and Ben as they await the birth of their newborn on Nov. 1, 2015.
This may be a smart move on the network's part, since Jessa and Jill Duggar are the show's main draw. Indeed, the two-hour special episode that documented Jill's dramatic 70-hour delivery drew 3.6 million viewers, which is a lot more that any episode on TLC's competing networks.
A source told the publication that, "The show had begun to focus more and more on the next generation of Duggars, anyway – mainly Jill and Jessa and their marriages and babies. That's when the show got its highest ratings."
Cancelling "19 Kids And Counting" is a lot more tricky since many aspects of the show are at play. First of all, there is the fact that most of the audiences of the series are evangelists and religious Christians. Secondly, the 10-year-old series is one of TLC's highest rated shows and thirdly, it will affect their long-term relationship with the Duggars.
However, continuing the show may not be possible, as E! News reports that major advertisers are already distancing themselves from the show. General Mills, Payless Shoes and Choice Hotels have already decided to remove their ads from the program. Cancelling the show may now be the only choice left for TLC. TVGuide reports that even streaming service Hulu has shut down access to the show on its site.
The spin-off may still enable the network to milk some of the Duggar charm. Maybe it's time for "2 Brides and Their Grooms".