19 Kids and Counting
| 19 Kids and Counting | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Also known as |
17 Kids and Counting (2008–09) 18 Kids and Counting (2009) |
| Genre | Reality |
| Starring | The Duggar Family |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 10 |
| No. of episodes | 229 (plus specials) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | Sean Overbeeke |
| Camera setup | Multiple |
| Running time | 17–44 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Figure 8 Films |
| Release | |
| Original network | TLC |
| Picture format |
480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original release | September 29, 2008 – May 19, 2015 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
19 Kids and Counting (formerly 17 Kids and Counting and 18 Kids and Counting) was an American reality television show that aired on the cable channel TLC for seven years, until its cancellation in 2015. The show featured the Duggar family: parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their nineteen children—nine girls and ten boys, all of whose names begin with the letter "J." During the life of the show, three children were born, three children were married and four grandchildren were born.
The reality show focused on the life of the Duggar family who are devout Baptists. and frequently discusses values of purity, modesty, and faith in God. The Duggars avoid birth control saying they have decided to allow God to determine the number of children they have. All of the children are homeschooled, and access to entertainment such as movies and television is limited. They practice chaperoned courtship, in which a couple acquaints itself only in a group setting. The values presented on the show have been associated with the Quiverfull movement, which has been described as promoting strict family conformity, male hierarchies, and subservient roles for women. The Duggars have stated they are not associated with the Quiverfull movement.
The series began on September 29, 2008 and concluded on May 19, 2015. The show was TLC's most popular, averaging 2.3 million viewers per new episode in Season 10, and scoring in the Nielsen "Cable Top 25."
On May 22, 2015, TLC suspended the series when the Duggars' eldest son, Josh, publicly apologized for having "acted inexcusably" following reports that he molested five girls, including some of his sisters, by fondling them. These events occurred in 2002 and 2003, when he was 14 to 15 years of age, and prior to the beginning of the show. On July 16, 2015, TLC announced that the show was officially canceled and would not resume production.
The Duggars live in Tontitown, Arkansas, near Springdale, and originally appeared in several TLC and Discovery Health one-hour specials, mostly focused on four of Michelle's last five deliveries. Jim Bob Duggar has an older sister, Deanna, who occasionally appears on the show. Michelle Duggar has six siblings. The couple met in the early 1980s when Duggar and a fellow church member were sent for a follow-up visit after Michelle Duggar experienced a religious conversion. The Duggars were married on July 21, 1984, just after Michelle Duggar's high school graduation. When they married, she was 17 and he was 19; neither attended college. Together, they first launched a used-car business, then towing and real estate businesses, and both are licensed real estate agents.
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