18 Kids and Counting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 18 Kids and Counting | |
|---|---|
| Format | Reality Television |
| Created by | Figure 8 Films |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 61 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Sean Overbeeke |
| Running time | approx. 23 minutes; specials approx. 46 minutes. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | TLC (2008-present) |
| Original run | September 29, 2008 – Present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Jon & Kate Plus 8 Table for 12 |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
18 Kids and Counting (formerly 17 Kids and Counting) is a reality television show produced in the United States by Figure 8 Films about the Duggar family, which consists of parents Jim Bob and Michelle and their 18 children, eight girls and ten boys (including two sets of twins), who all have names starting with the letter "J".[1] The show's third season premiered June 30, 2009.
The family (who live in Tontitown, Arkansas) previously appeared in several TLC and Discovery Health one-hour specials, most of which focused on three of Michelle's last four births.[2][3][4][5]
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Michelle Duggar is the youngest of seven children (she has one brother Garrett and five sisters Pam, Kathie, Evelyn, Freda and Carol). Originally from Ohio, Michelle moved to Arkansas in her childhood, while Jim Bob has one older sister, Deanna. Deanna has one daughter, Amy, who ocassionally appears on the show. The couple met in the early 1980s, when Michelle had experienced a religious conversion and Jim Bob (along with other church members) was sent for follow-up visits. The Duggars have been married since July 21, 1984.
The Duggars elected to wait before having children and practiced birth control[6] during that time. It would be four years before Joshua, their oldest child, was born. The Duggars then resumed using birth control; however, Michelle conceived again but suffered a miscarriage. Believing the miscarriage was due to the birth control, the Duggars quit using any birth control. Instead, 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 once every year and a half, Michelle would again become pregnant.
The Duggars are conservative Baptists, the children watch very little television and their Internet usage is restricted. The children are home-schooled using a mix of materials, including those of Switched On Schoolhouse, IBLP, and Accelerated Christian Education (ACE). Most of the children do not date, but rather go through courtship, in which the young man seeks permission from the girl's father to begin a relationship. All meetings between a couple include a chaperone and they believe in abstaining from all physical interaction and intimacy (except hand holding), including kissing, until marriage.
The Duggars raise their children using a buddy system, in which an older sibling is assigned to a younger sibling and assists in their daily 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 they want to wear that day and just all of those types of things".[7] In 2004, Michelle Duggar won the "Young Mother of the Year Award" in Arkansas, which is sponsored by American Mothers Incorporated.[8]
Jim Bob is a former politician who served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002. The Duggars say their income is derived from the commercial properties they own.[9][10]
The Duggars live debt-free,[11][12] which Jim Bob has said is "the fruit of Jim Sammons' Financial Freedom Seminar" he attended years ago (Sammons' Seminar is endorsed by IBLP). Their large house was completed on January 20, 2006 with aid from Discovery Networks and corporate sponsors, who also donated a full pantry and household appliances.[10]
People often try to associate the Duggar Family with the Quiverfull movement, but the Duggars have said that many from the Quiverfull "movement" state that having children should be done "out of obligation" where as they (the Duggar Family) consider each child simply a "gift from God" and the Duggars acknowledge that their decision to "have 18 children" is not for everyone. Every child is considered a blessing and a precious gift.
On September 26, 2008, their eldest son, Josh, married Anna Keller. In early April 2009, the couple announced that Anna was pregnant. When asked about potential names, they hinted in the interview in keeping with the same one-letter tradition. Josh stated they were thinking "M", after his mother and on July 30, 2009, they announced via their website that their daughter would be named Mackynzie Renée Duggar. Mackenzie is Josh's cousin's name and Renée is Anna's middle name. Mackynzie was born on October 8, 2009.[13]
On September 1, 2009, it was announced that Michelle is pregnant with the couple's 19th child, due to arrive on March 18, 2010.[14]
[edit] Family
[edit] Parents
- James Robert "Jim Bob" - born July 18, 1965
- Michelle Annette (Ruark) - born September 13, 1966
[edit] Children
| Names | Date of Birth | Notes[15] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua "Josh" James | March 13, 1988 | |
| 2 | Jana Marie | January 12, 1990 | |
| 3 | John-David | ||
| 4 | Jill Michelle | May 17, 1991 | |
| 5 | Jessa Lauren | November 4, 1992 | |
| 6 | Jinger Nicole | December 21, 1993 | |
| 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 a 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 (11 months 15 days) | Birth via C-section |
| 19 | TBA | Due Date March 18, 2010 |
[edit] Other family members
- Jimmy Lee "J.L." Duggar (February 3, 1936 – February 9, 2009) - Jim Bob's father.
- Mary Duggar - Jim Bob's mother.
- Deanna Jordan (Duggar) - Jim Bob's sister and mother to Amy. She is married to Terry Jordan. Deanna is also an accomplished gospel singer.[16]
- Amy Rachelle Jordan - Jim Bob's niece, who is a year older than Josh. Though she respects Jim Bob and Michelle's right to have and raise their large family, she openly admits that she has different views on life in several episodes. Unlike the Duggar girls, she wears pants. This also includes her views on dating and family, insisting that, if she marries, she will not have as many children as Michelle. She is also a country singer and sang "Amazing Grace" during the closing credits in the episode about her grandfather's death.[17]
- Anna Renée Duggar (Keller) (b. June 23, 1988) - Josh's wife, who grew up in Florida. Anna is featured in the show's first season: in the third episode, Josh proposed to her and in fourth episode, she and Josh courted with chaperones.
- Mackynzie Renée Duggar (b. October 8, 2009) - Josh and Anna's first child.[13]
[edit] Episodes
[edit] Special guest appearances
- Say Yes to the Dress October 2009 - The family helps Michelle pick out her dress for her vow renewal
- The Today Show (numerous appearances)
- Larry King Live February 19, 2009 & April 13, 2009
- The View
- Fox & Friends 2007
- Huckabee August 1, 2009 (FOX News)
- CNN's American Morning 2008 & 2009
- The Early Show 2006-2008 (CBS News)
[edit] Multimedia
[edit] Books
- The Duggars: 20 and Counting (ISBN 978-1416585633)
[edit] DVDs
| Title | Region 1 | Discs |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 2009[18] | 2 |
| Season 2 | February 23, 2010[19] | 3 |
| Season 3 | TBA | TBD |
[edit] References
- ^ "And baby makes ... 18?". Associated Press. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9680098/. Retrieved October 14, 2008.
- ^ "14 Children and Pregnant Again!". TLC. Archived from the original on July 25, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5iXTKwJ3n. 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."
- ^ "About The Duggar Family". Archived from the original on August 11, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5iwKJjRv5. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
- ^ American MorningCNN October 15, 2005, http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0510/14/ltm.02.html
- ^ Associated Press (May 25, 2004). "(The Duggar family with Governor Huckabee)". MSNBC. 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.webcitation.org/5iQIkhGeU. 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 (September 2003). "Raising 14 Kids". Parents Magazine. http://www.parents.com/parents/printableStory.jsp?catref=prt40&storyid=/templatedata/parents/story/data/5432.xml.
- ^ a b "Duggar joy: Parents of 18 now grandparents of 1". MSN. October 9, 2009. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33238369/ns/today-parenting_and_family/.
- ^ "Arkansas family prepares for baby No. 19". MSN. September 1, 2009. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32630876/ns/today-parenting_and_family/.
- ^ Discovery Health :: The Duggars
- ^ http://www.twoheartsnhim.com/ Two Hearts-N-Him
- ^ "Welcome to the Amy Jordyn Web site". Archived from the original on September 27, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5k6ZJZnfg. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/17-Kids-Counting-DVD-Set/dp/B001VZ9YP0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1258955855&sr=1-2
- ^ "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.
