19 Kids and Counting

For the British series most recently known as 22 Kids and Counting, see Radford family.

19 Kids and Counting
Also known as
  • 17 Kids and Counting (2008–2009)
  • 18 Kids and Counting (2009)
GenreReality
StarringThe Duggar family
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons10
No. of episodes229 (plus specials) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerSean Overbeeke
Camera setupMultiple
Running time17–44 minutes
Production companyFigure 8 Films
Original release
NetworkTLC
ReleaseSeptember 29, 2008 (2008-09-29) –
May 19, 2015 (2015-05-19)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

19 Kids and Counting (formerly 17 Kids and Counting and 18 Kids and Counting) is an American reality television series that aired on the cable channel TLC for seven years until its cancellation in 2015. The show features the Duggar family: parents Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar and their 19 children – nine daughters and ten sons – all of whose names begin with the letter "J". During the duration of the show, two children were born, three children were married, and four grandchildren were born.

The show focuses on the life of the Duggar family, who are devout independent 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 becomes acquainted only in a group setting.[1][2] 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.[3][4][5] The Duggars have stated that they are not associated with the Quiverfull movement.[6] However, in an article formerly published on their website titled "Why Have Such a Large Family?", the Duggars reference Psalms 127:3-5,[7] from which the Quiverfull movement name comes.[8] Moreover, in 2001, Jim Bob and Michelle were interviewed for an article published on a Quiverfull affiliated website.[9][10] The Duggar family has also been connected with the Institute in Basic Life Principles and the Advanced Training Institute,[11] both of which were founded by Bill Gothard.

The series began on September 29, 2008, and concluded on May 19, 2015.[12] 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".[13][14]

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 Josh was 14 to 15 years old 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.[15] A spin off show, Counting On, aired in December 2015 and was cancelled in 2021, due to Josh Duggar's arrest for child pornography.[16]

  1. ^ "The Duggars' 7 rules of courtship: 'Love is in the air' (but no kissing)". TODAY.com. April 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  2. ^ "Michelle Duggar on Courtship Chaperones". The Duggar Family. October 8, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  3. ^ Marcotte, Amanda (April 16, 2014), "Sex Scandal Rocks the Duggars' Christian Patriarchy Movement", The Daily Beast, archived from the original on September 1, 2014, retrieved September 3, 2014
  4. ^ Blumberg, Antonia (May 26, 2015). "What You Need To Know About The 'Quiverfull' Movement". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mesaros-Winkles was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "What You Need To Know About The 'Quiverfull' Movement". HuffPost. May 26, 2015. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  7. ^ "The Duggar Family". February 26, 2006. Archived from the original on February 26, 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  8. ^ Pride, Mary (1985). The Way Home: Beyond Feminism, Back to Reality. Wheaton, IL: Good News Publishers. ISBN 0-89107-345-0.
  9. ^ "QuiverFull Articles". July 1, 2006. Archived from the original on July 1, 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  10. ^ "The Duggar Family". June 3, 2006. Archived from the original on June 3, 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  11. ^ Radnofsky, Caroline (February 22, 2022). "Ministry that once nourished Duggar family's faith falls from grace". NBC News. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  12. ^ "'19 Kids & Counting' Finale: Duggars Reveal Family Courtship Secrets". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  13. ^ "The Josh Duggar sexual abuse scandal, explained". VOX. May 27, 2015. Archived from the original on January 4, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  14. ^ "Cable Top 25". Zap2It.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  15. ^ Caulfield, Philip (July 16, 2015). "TLC cancels '19 Kids and Counting' amid Duggar abuse scandal". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  16. ^ D’Zurilla, Christie (June 30, 2021). "TLC finally cancels Duggar series 'Counting On' after Josh Duggar's child-porn arrest". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 18, 2021.