- 19 Kids and Counting
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19 Kids and Counting Genre Family reality
DocumentaryCreated by Figure 8 Films Composer(s) Scott Pearson, David Imhof Country of origin United States No. of seasons 8 No. of episodes 134 (List of episodes) Production Producer(s) Sean Overbeeke Running time approx. 23 minutes;
specials approx. 46 minutes.Broadcast Original channel TLC Original run September 29, 2008 – present Chronology Preceded by 17 Kids and Counting (2008), 18 Kids and Counting (2009) External links The Duggar Family Production website 19 Kids and Counting (formerly 17 Kids and Counting and 18 Kids and Counting) is an American reality television show that airs on TLC. The show is about the Duggar family, which consists of parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their 19 children—nine girls and ten boys (including two sets of fraternal twins), who all have names beginning with the letter "J". The series began on September 29, 2008.[1]
Contents
Overview
Background
The family lives in Tontitown, Arkansas, and originally appeared in several TLC and Discovery Health one-hour specials, most of which focused on four of Michelle's last five deliveries.[2][3][4][5]
Jim Bob has one older sister, Deanna, who (along with her daughter Amy) occasionally appears on the show. Michelle has six siblings. Jim Bob and Michelle met in the early 1980s when Jim Bob, along with another church member, were sent for a follow-up visit after Michelle had experienced a religious conversion.[6] Jim Bob and Michelle were married on July 21, 1984.
The Duggars elected to delay having children and practiced birth control.[7] It was three years before Josh, their eldest child, was born. They then resumed using birth control; despite precautions, Michelle conceived again but suffered a miscarriage. Believing the miscarriage was due to the contraceptive, the Duggars quit birth control. As they explain, they "decided to allow God to determine the number of children" they would have. Shortly thereafter, Michelle became pregnant again, this time with her first set of twins, Jana and John-David. Thereafter, approximately every year and a half, Michelle gave birth.
The Duggars are conservative Christians, and due to their fundamentalist biblical beliefs, they practice the following: The only television the family watches are wholesome family programming on DVDs, and various historical events. Internet use is restricted. The male family members keep their hair cut short (by cutting their own hair to save money), while the females keep their hair long. The children are home-schooled using a mix of materials, including those of Switched On Schoolhouse, Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), and Accelerated Christian Education (ACE).[8] For college studies, several of the older kids use the CollegePlus! program.[9] The children are discouraged from dating, but rather practice chaperoned courtship, and the couple abstains from physical contact. In addition, the young man seeks permission from the young woman's father to become engaged.
The Duggars raise their children using a buddy system, wherein an older sibling is assigned to a younger sibling and assists in their primary care. According to Michelle, "they help them with their little phonics lessons and games during the day and help them practice their music lessons. They will play with them or help them pick out the color of their outfit that day and just all of those types of things."[10] In 2004, Michelle Duggar won the "Young Mother of the Year Award" in Arkansas, which is sponsored by American Mothers Incorporated.[11]
Jim Bob served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002. Currently, he is a real estate agent and investor. The Duggars' income is derived from the rental proceeds of the commercial properties they own.[12][13] They live debt-free,[14][15] which Jim Bob has said is "the fruit of Jim Sammons' Financial Freedom Seminar" he attended years ago (Sammons' Seminar is endorsed by IBLP). The construction of their 7,000 square foot (650 square meter) house was started by the family in 2000 when they bought the land and ordered the frame. Discovery Networks completed it, by finding local Arkansas construction workers to donate their skills and time. The home was completed on January 20, 2006. The painting, decorating, furnishings, appliances, and other finishing touches—such as a stocked pantry—were provided by Discovery Networks and corporate sponsors as part of the one-hour television special[13] entitled 16 Children and Moving In.
During the series
Shortly after the series first aired, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar's book The Duggars: 20 and Counting! was released (December 2, 2008).
On December 10, 2009, Michelle gave birth via emergency C-section to Josie Brooklyn Duggar, three months prematurely. Michelle was rushed to the hospital for gallstones and it was there that doctors discovered she had pre-eclampsia and performed an emergency delivery. Josie weighed 1 lbs, 6oz at birth. A week after the birth, Michelle reported that Josie was "doing as well as can be expected for a baby at her age. We are taking each hour as it comes." On April 6, 2010, after nearly four months in the hospital, Michelle and Jim Bob were able to take Josie to their rental in Little Rock, while they awaited the okay to take her home to Tontitown.[16][17] However, on April 8, 2010, Josie Duggar was readmitted to the hospital after her vital signs dropped. Fortifiers that had been added to breast milk to help her gain weight appeared to be the cause.[18]
The family was able to take Josie home to Tontitown on June 23, 2010. Michelle Duggar reported that Josie is doing very well, and weighs about 9 pounds. "She has a double chin now," Michelle said. "It is so precious". Josie now weighs 15 lbs. 12 ounces and is healthy.[19]
The family has discussed the possibility of having more children in an exclusive May 2010 interview with Radar Online.[20] Michelle was quoted as saying:
"We would love more! I'm 44, almost 45 this September. I know that my mommy years are probably numbered, and I don't know how many more children God will see fit to give me.
"It is something we've been praying about because we do love children. Each child really is a gift and that doesn't mean just our children. We asked the Lord to give us a love of children the way He loves children. That is something that we've prayed about, and we'll just see what the Lord has in store for our family in the future."On November 8, 2011, it was announced on The Today Show that Michelle is pregnant with her 20th child, who is due in April 2012.[21]
Duggar Family
Parents
- James Robert "Jim Bob" Duggar [born July 18, 1965 ]
- Michelle Annette Duggar (née Ruark) [born September 13, 1966 ]
Children
Name Date of Birth Notes 1 Joshua "Josh" James March 3, 1988 Married to Anna Keller on September 26, 2008 2 Jana Marie January 12, 1990 Birth via C-section 3 John-David 4 Jill Michelle May 17, 1991 5 Jessa Lauren November 4, 1992 6 Jinger Nicole December 21, 1993 pronounced like "Ginger" 7 Joseph Garrett January 20, 1995 8 Josiah Matthew August 28, 1996 9 Joy-Anna October 28, 1997 10 Jedidiah Robert December 30, 1998 11 Jeremiah Robert 12 Jason Michael April 21, 2000 13 James Andrew July 7, 2001 14 Justin Samuel November 15, 2002 15 Jackson Levi May 23, 2004 Birth via C-section; featured in Discovery Health special 16 Johannah Faith October 11, 2005 Birth featured in a Discovery Health special 17 Jennifer Danielle August 2, 2007 Birth featured in a Discovery Health special 18 Jordyn-Grace Makiya December 18, 2008 ( 2 years 10 months)Birth via C-section 19 Josie Brooklyn December 10, 2009 ( 1 year 10 months)Josh's family
Name Date of Birth Notes Anna Duggar (née Keller) June 23, 1988 From Putnam County, Florida; the fifth of eight children; made her first appearance in season 1, episode 3 Mackynzie Renee' October 8, 2009 ( 2 years 1 month)Named after Josh's cousin and Anna's middle name Michael James June 15, 2011 ( 4 months 26 days)Named for Anna's father and middle name after Josh's father's first name Guests appearing
Family members
Name Relationship Notes Jimmy Lee Duggar Jim Bob’s father February 3, 1936–February 9, 2009 (aged 73) Mary Duggar Jim Bob’s mother Born May 26, 1941 ; known as Grandma Duggar on the showDeanna Jordyn (née Duggar) Jim Bob’s sister Married to Terry Jordyn; Amy’s mother Amy Duggar/Jordyn[22] Jim Bob’s niece Born September 30, 1986 country singer (she sang "Amazing Grace" in the closing credits of the episode about her grandfather's funeral) ; aGarrett Floyde Ruark Michelle's father December 7, 1924–June 18, 2010 (aged 85); appeared in one episode (his wife, Ethel, passed away on August 11, 1991) Non-family
The most often recurring guests (who are not related) are the Bates family from Tennessee. Because they are so similar to the Duggars (having 18 kids of their own), they have become close friends.
Other notable guests have been:
- Meredith Vieira of Today
- Kirk Cameron (actor) – season 2, episode 10
- Dolly Parton – two episodes in season 3
- Charles Stanley (minister) – season 6, episode 3
- Dan Harris of Good Morning America – season 7, episode 12
- Bethany Hamilton (professional surfer) – season 8, episode 6
Duggar appearances on other shows
- The Early Show 2006–2008 (CBS)
- Fox & Friends 2007 (Fox News Channel)
- The Today Show – 10 appearances between 2007 and 2011 (NBC)
- American Morning 2008 & 2009 (CNN)
- Larry King Live February 19, 2009 & April 13, 2009 (CNN)
- Huckabee August 1, 2009 (Fox News Channel)
- Say Yes to the Dress October 2, 2009 (TLC)
Availability
DVDs
Title Region 1 Discs Season 1 2009[23] 2 Season 2 February 23, 2010[24] 3 Season 3 April 27, 2010[25] 3 Season 4 April 5, 2011[26] 4 Season 5 TBD TBD Online releases
Episodes of the series are available for download from the iTunes Store, Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, and Microsofts Zune Marketplace.
References
- ^ Addic7ed.com, “19 Kids and Counting”, [1]
- ^ "14 Children and Pregnant Again!". TLC. Archived from the original on July 25, 2009. http://www.advancedmedical.tv/shows/dug.htm. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ^ Home & Garden News. "Dream Home for Family of 18 on The Learning Channel.". http://www.prleap.com/pr/29152/. Retrieved March 12, 2006.
- ^ "The Duggars: Countdown to Baby 18", Discovery Health, http://health.discovery.com/convergence/duggars/duggarfamily.html
- ^ "Couple welcomes 17th child — and wants more". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20097968/. Retrieved August 2, 2007. "The Duggars have been featured on several programs on cable television's Discovery Health Network. The next special, the Duggar Family Album, is scheduled to air next month, according to Jim Bob."
- ^ "The Duggars Religion". Wordpress. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:N96RPw7IWy4J:duggarbabyupdate.com/keyword/the-duggars-religion/+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ "About The Duggar Family". Archived from the original on August 11, 2009. http://www.duggarfamily.com/aboutus.html. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
- ^ Home Education Resources | Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar Family
- ^ "Duggars College Choice". http://www.collegeplus.org/duggars.
- ^ American MorningCNN October 15, 2005, http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0510/14/ltm.02.html
- ^ "(The Duggar family with Governor Huckabee)". MSNBC. Associated Press. May 25, 2004. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5060048/.
- ^ Carrie Rengers (September 9, 2001). "13 Children Add Up To Asset For Challenger". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Archived from the original on July 20, 2009. http://www.quiverfull.com/articles.php/id20/. Retrieved July 13, 2009.
- ^ a b Arnold Hamilton (December 19, 2005). "For Arkansas family, 18's not a crowd". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on July 20, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5iQIl6cSO. Retrieved July 13, 2009. "The Duggars are an anomaly, attracting worldwide media attention."
- ^ Prill Boyle. "Eating an Elephant". National Association of Baby Boomer Women. Archived from the original on July 20, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5iQIleFhw. Retrieved July 13, 2009.
- ^ Michelle Duggar. "Raising 14 Kids". www.parents.com. http://www.parents.com/parents/printableStory.jsp?catref=prt40&storyid=/templatedata/parents/story/data/5432.xml. Retrieved September 2003.
- ^ "Duggar baby No. 19 arrives early". MSNBC.com. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34379874/ns/today-parenting_and_family/. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- ^ "Duggar Baby 'Doing As Well As Can Be Expected', Says Mom". People.com. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20331675,00.html. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
- ^ Josie Duggar Back in Hospital - Health : People.com
- ^ Dennis, Alicia (2010-12-10). "Duggar Family, Michelle Duggar Celebrate Josie's Birthday". People.com. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20448847,00.html. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
- ^ EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Michelle & Jim Bob Duggar Say Josie Weighs Nearly 6 Pounds; Would Love More Kids & Consider Adopting
- ^ [http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20543449,00.html
- ^ "Amy Jordyn Bio". http://amyjordyn.com/Amy%20Jordyn%20Bio.html. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- ^ ASIN B001VZ9YP0, 17 Kids and Counting (2 DVD Set)
- ^ "Package Art and New Details Delivered for the DVD Set". TVShowsOnDVD.com. http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/18-Kids-Counting-Season-2/12999. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
- ^ "18 Kids and Counting Season 3 DVD". http://empoweringmommy.com/2010/04/18-kids-and-counting.html.
- ^ "19 Kids and Counting Season 4 DVD". http://store.discovery.com/detail.php?p=289248&v=tlc_dvds-books_new-arrivals.
External links
- Duggar Family Website
- Official website
- Official facebook page (their only social network page)
- Josh & Anna Duggar's Website
- http://www.influence-music.com/ Show composers Scott Pearson & David Imhof
- 19 Kids and Counting at the Internet Movie Database
- 19 Kids and Counting at TV.com
19 Kids and Counting List of episodes People Seasons 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8• 9Categories:- 2008 American television series debuts
- 2000s American television series
- 2010s American television series
- American reality television series
- English-language television series
- TLC (TV channel) programs
- Television shows set in Arkansas
- People from Arkansas
- Children
- Discovery Communications
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