Hollywood Breakdown
TLC Lands in 19 Kinds of Hot Water...and Counting
Advertisers are fleeing from the TLC show 19 Kids and Counting following a scandal involving the show's oldest son, Josh Duggar. The network has put the show on hold temporarily, but has not officially cancelled it.
By Kim Masters • • 3m ListenThe TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting is all about family values, but the Duggar family and the network have found themselves in a troubling situation after it was revealed that Josh Duggar, now 27, molested several young girls, including some of his sisters, while he was a teenager. In recent years, Duggar has becoming something of a cultural warrior, working for the Family Research Council, a job he has since resigned from. TLC has pulled episodes of the show from their line-up, but as of today has not cancelled it. 19 Kids is one of the most popular shows on the network, drawing about three million viewers a week. Advertisers like Payless Shoes, Choice Hotels and General Mills have severed ties from the show and the streaming service Hulu has also dropped it. After years of "freak show" type specials, TLC is in the midst of revamping its image to be more family friendly. This revelation is a major setback for TLC and its parent company, Discovery. Both are being closely watched for how they'll proceed.
