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The Duggars: In the Media and TLC


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Maybe I'm wrong, but I think the TLC money was not their main source of income. There is no way, the TLC money can pay for all of these people. If JB didn't have to pay for fancy lawyers right now, I think they would've been financially ok.

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1 hour ago, emmawoodhouse said:

That slipshod "Easter" special shot in February was an indicator to me that things weren't quite right between the Duggars and TLC. I think TLC waited on the advertisers and probably got bad feedback forcing TLC's hand 

I suspect a number of things were going on here. The show did have two things going for it before Josh's arrest - 1) it's cheap (apparently around $50,000 to $70,000 per episode, including filming/editing costs) and 2) streaming services needing cheap content.

But it also had a lot going against it even before Josh's arrest - declining ratings/interest, Covid filming issues, and what seems to be an understandable reluctance from some of the Duggarlings not named Jeremy and Jessa to maintain a high social media presence/help promote the show. 

Post the arrest, of course, they also had to deal with advertisers understandably wary of any association with CSA. And although my opinion of the ethics of AT&T and WarnerMedia executives could not possibly be lower, I'm guessing that even a few of them said, wait, that show with lots of kids is now associated with a guy charged with CSA? Hard pass.  

I suspect that the cancellation announcement only took this long because they wanted to make sure they had feedback from the incoming execs and because they wanted to make sure that the Duggars had no grounds to complain about the cancellation and wouldn't be suing.

 

11 minutes ago, Future Cat Lady said:

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think the TLC money was not their main source of income. There is no way, the TLC money can pay for all of these people. If JB didn't have to pay for fancy lawyers right now, I think they would've been financially ok.

 

Completely unsourced rumor had it that the Duggars were paid somewhere between $25,000 to $45,000 per episode for 19 Kids and Counting, and then $15,000 to $20,000 per episode for Counting On. 

I have no idea if these numbers are correct, and I would take them with a grain of salt, but they do seem in line with other reality shows and what we saw on 19 Kids and Counting (building a large new house and a few private planes, no one having to shill on Instagram) versus Counting On (most Duggarlings on the show ending up in tiny houses; seemingly everyone shilling on Instagram).

So even if the TLC money was their main source of income, I think they may have already adjusted to having less of it. 

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(edited)

I remember TLC's initial response to the initial calls for cancellation being, "But Josh hasn't been on the show since 2015." 

Yes, they came out in defense of Josh and obviously failed to cancel the show in a timely fashion for all the reasons detailed above.

Edited by emmawoodhouse
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Whooeee......Amy sounds ready to spill the beans! She posted an Instagram story asking lawyers - Derick in particular - if NDA’s are still binding after a show has been canceled. Also said something like things are about to get interesting. 🍿

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5 minutes ago, MzTori77 said:

Whooeee......Amy sounds ready to spill the beans! She posted an Instagram story asking lawyers - Derick in particular - if NDA’s are still binding after a show has been canceled. Also said something like things are about to get interesting. 🍿

Yeah, we're talking about Amy and her NDA on the Amy thread. 😀

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4 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

I kind of got the impression its in the books already. Soon to be announced.

And how long before Jessa and her family “relocate” to LA (with their new nanny Jana) and become neighbors?! 

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Oh my Goodness!!! Counting On's been cancelled?? Seriously? I literally just leapt out of bed to come and post.

Damn, I feel a bit sad because even though I don't post often, I genuinely read here every day - what's going to happen to this Forum? I imagine the Duggars may ramp up their Media presence one way or another so we will find plenty of things to snark on.

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(edited)
1 hour ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Yeah, we're talking about Amy and her NDA on the Amy thread. 😀

Didn’t realize there was an Amy thread. Guess I’m not on here enough. 

Edited by MzTori77
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1 minute ago, MzTori77 said:

Didn’t realize there was an Amy thread. Guess I’m not on here enough. 

She's covered in The Other Duggars thread. She doesn't quite rate her own individual thread, though I think she would enjoy it very much if she did. LOL 

 

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Will the real dad Keller please stand up! Yeah, stand up, look at what you set your daughter up with, and feel the burn. Sadly, it appears that nobody in Anna's family is going to help her get out of there if she wanted to.

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I think this is not the last of the Duggar married children. A 'spin off' may appear at some time in the near future when the Josh dust has settled....maybe even before. Jing & Jer have physical distance from Arkansas...I see Jer making TLC an offer.

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1 hour ago, floridamom said:

I think this is not the last of the Duggar married children. A 'spin off' may appear at some time in the near future when the Josh dust has settled....maybe even before. Jing & Jer have physical distance from Arkansas...I see Jer making TLC an offer.

So do I. I as much as I want celebrate that their finally canceled I remember how long that lasted last time. 

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Josh's lawyers better make damn sure they get paid in advance; I can see JB going into debt to the lawyers and then declaring bankruptcy so they don't have to pay.  If they've shifted all their assets to their kids (other than Josh--can the lawyers go after Anna to pay his debts?) they'll still get to keep the house and can just go on their merry way.

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Just now, Fosca said:

Josh's lawyers better make damn sure they get paid in advance; I can see JB going into debt to the lawyers and then declaring bankruptcy so they don't have to pay.  If they've shifted all their assets to their kids (other than Josh--can the lawyers go after Anna to pay his debts?) they'll still get to keep the house and can just go on their merry way.

Oh, I'm sure the lawyers ARE being paid in advance. No way they'd risk putting in thousands of dollars' worth of time and work on the case without upfront payment. I think they probably got a nice fat up-front retainer and are billing their time and expenses against it. And will get more money from JB as the case proceeds - in advance of their work, not after it's done.

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in further hunting around records - the toll booth car lot has an llc under a fictious name and is found by searching sweet friend travis story..... the llc has the TTH address...

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1 hour ago, Jeeves said:

I don't see TLC taking it. I think that as far as TLC is concerned the Duggar franchise has exceeded its baggage limit thanks to Josh's criminal charges. And TLC doesn't want a show about just one Duggar and her husband. That's not what any of their shows - regardless of name - have been about. It's all about the Duggars en masse, and how many of them there are.

Regardless of TLC's PR BS about it, Counting On wasn't primarily about the "next generation" of Duggars experiencing their new seasons of life. It was in fact about the same thing as 19K&C: watching a mega-sized family living their lives (or the scripted-for-TV version thereof). 

That's the Duggar hook for TV: a family with 19 kids.  So with Counting On they allegedly focused on weddings and birthings of the younger generation. But if they hadn't changed the name from 19K&C? IMO it would have been about that anyway. Meech's babymaking days were over, so that "and counting" premise was over. The logical progression would be to show the older kids maturing and getting hitched and pumping out babeez. They just slapped a new title on the show, kept Josh away from the camera, and gave increasing amounts of face time to JB and Meech. Except for cutting out Josh, the same stuff as before.

The original retitling of the Duggar show was Jill and Jessa: Counting On. But Jill and Derick left the show, and it made no discernible difference. TLC just shortened the name of the show and it all rolled on as usual. 

Jer and Jing don't have an unusual number of kids. They don't live in a compound, shun TV, or dress funny in the name of "modesty." They are a couple aging out of the youth demographic in the highly competitive show biz town of LA. Posting frantically on social media and hustling sales of their stupid book. They are far enough from Arkansas that TLC couldn't really continue the Duggar Saga with a show about them since they'd have to haul the Vuolos to Arkansas or bus the Duggars to LA in order to have interactions for the cameras. They got nothing to sell TLC unless TLC thinks the DUGGAR (not Vuolo) name has enough draw to carry a show about that vapid duo.

ETA: If TLC's going to do a show about a young-ish fundie (or conservative evangelical Christian) couple in the show biz/celebrity life? I think Gabby and Cade would be a better bet than the DUGGAR-Vuolos. Gabby's had a hit record and Cade's playing second fiddle to her, which creates tension with their beliefs about the husband being the headship over the wife. They espouse conservative religious lifestyle beliefs in the hedonistic world of show biz. Now, that's much more potentially interesting than a guy who played pro soccer for five minutes without distinction and is enrolled in a seminary for something called expository preaching at which he has so far displayed no talent except to bore his audience. Oh, that guy and his meek little wife from a big family in Arkansas whose older brother is going on trial in federal court for criminal charges involving his possessing CSA. Although there won't be anything about THAT on their TLC show.

I don't disagree with you at all, however reading what Jinger and Jeremy said I was struck by the very clear name drop they left when thanking TLC.   IMO J&J continue to hold out hope and stead that TLC will absolutely come calling.   Wouldn't be one bit surprised if the frenetic and bizarre pivots over the last several months have been about finding the right angle that might generate interest from TLC. 

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1 hour ago, crazy8s said:

so the duggar money/property shuffling shenanigans are going full steam ahead

You know the scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off where Principal Rooney and Grace are flying around the office throwing papers into the air and juggling multiple phones trying to locate Ferris?  This is what I imagine is happening somewhere at Jim Bob's Big House as we speak.

 

14 minutes ago, Tikichick said:

IMO J&J continue to hold out hope and stead that TLC will absolutely come calling.   Wouldn't be one bit surprised if the frenetic and bizarre pivots over the last several months have been about finding the right angle that might generate interest from TLC. 

Jeremy and Jinger: Counting On Free Cheeseburgers

Jeremy and Jinger: Holding Out Hope for a House

Jeremy and Jinger: A (Sad) Return to Arkansas

 

So with the show cancelled, does this mean that reruns will not air anymore?  Can JimBlob still generate income from this show?  

 

 

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10 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

 

So with the show cancelled, does this mean that reruns will not air anymore?  Can JimBlob still generate income from this show?  

 

 

Reality shows do not pay royalties, there’s no more money. If there’s any show Jinger’s name will be first.

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This has been a topic of conversation in the past, but I think it has been established that reality shows do not pay their stars royalties for reruns.  
The best the Duggars can hope for is a ““where are they now” type special in a few years after Josh’s trial is old news.

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2 minutes ago, SMama said:

Reality shows do not pay royalties, there’s no more money. If there’s any show Jinger’s name will be first.

Maybe a show where Jer, of the super-misogynist, "complementarian" religion, is forced to change his and Jingle's current surname -- Vuolo -- to Jingle's original surname -- Duggar -- if he wants to continue getting cash. 

The show could follow a young pastor's moral struggle over whether the threat to his ability to afford all styles of Michael Jordan athletic shoes, pocket squares printed with Rembrandt paintings and cake mixes that contain actual gold does or does not justify his abandoning Christ's premiere teaching -- that Beth Moore and all other non-meek women who imagine they have a right to assert or, dog forbid, "teach" something, should instead simply sit down and shut up. 

 

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Good luck finding a job honey - everywhere is hiring right now!

Absolutely!  Time to put aside the overwhelming stench of their arrogance and put on the yummy french fry stench of a McDonald's uniform!  Then we could actually believe the posts lawding, "Daddy returning home after a super hard day at work".  I'd have mad respect for that, in reality.

Jessa, you'd look great in a Walmart smock!  Don't forget to smile!

I don't want the forum to go away either because it's my constant break throughout the work day.  But I'm willing to sacrifice my reading in order for the gravy train to end for these terrible people.  I really hope there is not another newly spawned version and I certainly don't think J & J warrant their own spotlight at all.  

 

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I'm interested as to why JB is moving all of his assets around. Are they afraid that the feds will go after his money to pay off the fines associated with Josh's charges? I have a hard time believing that JB would file bankruptcy to avoid paying Josh's legal fees. Aren't the Duggars always bragging about being debt free?

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(edited)

I have to wonder if TLC was going to pull the plug regardless of Josh and his problems. No shows since September, except for that super odd Easter episode.  There were 2 weddings in that time span that were not filmed.  The weddings were always the ratings boosters.

I think the show just didn't fit into TLC's new direction.  They seem to be focusing on more exploitative programming like the 90 Days franchise, Sister Wives, and the 600 lb shows. Even their medical shows have gone from ER documentaries to Dr Pimple Popper.  

Let's face it, Counting On was as boring as watching paint dry.  It was the same thing over and over and over. They couldn't show Josh but his whole story would have fit right into their new type of programming.

And as far as Jim Bob's finances are concerned, I'd be willing to bet that he always moved assets around, but no one paid much attention.

Edited by 3 is enough
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The TLC show I would watch is Anna getting an education and going to work to support her kids after leaving Sex Pest. I know I'm dreaming, but I'd watch the heck out of that show!

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25 minutes ago, absnow54 said:

I'm interested as to why JB is moving all of his assets around. Are they afraid that the feds will go after his money to pay off the fines associated with Josh's charges? I have a hard time believing that JB would file bankruptcy to avoid paying Josh's legal fees. Aren't the Duggars always bragging about being debt free?

The feds can't go after JB for anything related to Josh's crimes.  Josh is an adult.  His fines would be his own.  JB might be on the hook for Josh's legal fees but only if JB consented.  Josh's lawyers are not some rubes JB can get one over on either.  If JB attempted to shift his monies into LLCs owned by his other adult children, that law firm will see right through it.  They are not going to work on Josh's case without knowing they will be paid.  Same thing for any expert witnesses brought in.  While I don't think JB is as smart and savvy as JB thinks he is, he is smart enough to know who he can fleece vs. who he needs to pay on time.  

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34 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

The feds can't go after JB for anything related to Josh's crimes.  Josh is an adult.  His fines would be his own.  JB might be on the hook for Josh's legal fees but only if JB consented.  Josh's lawyers are not some rubes JB can get one over on either.  If JB attempted to shift his monies into LLCs owned by his other adult children, that law firm will see right through it.  They are not going to work on Josh's case without knowing they will be paid.  Same thing for any expert witnesses brought in.  While I don't think JB is as smart and savvy as JB thinks he is, he is smart enough to know who he can fleece vs. who he needs to pay on time.  

This is what I find confusing. He's smart enough to know that the second he stops paying the legal team, he loses the legal team. Shouldn't he be liquidating assets instead of transferring them to kids?

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25 minutes ago, absnow54 said:

This is what I find confusing. He's smart enough to know that the second he stops paying the legal team, he loses the legal team. Shouldn't he be liquidating assets instead of transferring them to kids?

Well, he's done a lot of transferring over time, especially since the newest federal tax law. Maybe there's just a coincidental timing match between the income-stream changes and his regular annual run-of-the-mill tax avoidance activities....

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3 hours ago, Tikichick said:

I don't disagree with you at all, however reading what Jinger and Jeremy said I was struck by the very clear name drop they left when thanking TLC.   IMO J&J continue to hold out hope and stead that TLC will absolutely come calling.   Wouldn't be one bit surprised if the frenetic and bizarre pivots over the last several months have been about finding the right angle that might generate interest from TLC. 

Cute that they think anyone from TLC follows their Instagram pages. 😆

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1 hour ago, 3 is enough said:

I have to wonder if TLC was going to pull the plug regardless of Josh and his problems. No shows since September, except for that super odd Easter episode.  There were 2 weddings in that time span that were not filmed.  The weddings were always the ratings boosters.

I think you're right - the way they waited until now rather than pulling the plug immediately after Josh's arrest also makes me think they were waiting to see which way the wind was going to blow, not with viewers but with advertisers.  I am betting if the advertisers had indicated a willingness to keep supporting this show that TLC would have found a way to keep it on and make it seem like they were doing some kind of noble act in doing so.

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Of the Duggar 19, I think the Vuolos and the Dillards (and once upon a time, Josh, but that ship has long been sailed) have used the Duggar name the most, for secondary gain. So it seems to me they have the most to lose by the show being canceled.

The Dillards seemed to use it for some sort of unhealthy adulation more than money. The Vuolos have used the name to promote everything.

I wonder how this will change things up for the Dillards and Vuolos. The two families that have clung to the name like a life raft, while simultaneously setting some clear boundaries.

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2 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

I wonder how this will change things up for the Dillards and Vuolos. The two families that have clung to the name like a life raft, while simultaneously setting some clear boundaries.

I think at this point, they've maxed out on benefits from name/show recognition. The Dillards have been off the show for several years now, so they've been doing fine without that income stream. Otherwise, Jill has millions of followers across her social media platforms, and I doubt she was picking up any new ones from the show being on the air. The Vuolos, of course, will suffer from not getting any TLC money, but they seem to be pretty savvy with their brand. They've been clearly distancing themselves from Josh, more so than other Duggars still under the family wing, and I think their statement regarding the show's cancellation was to show how gracious they are towards their employer, so that they'll be seen as "safe" by advertisers who want to partner with them due to their social media presence. They'll continue to live off comp'd meals in exchange for Insta-posts.  

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6 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

I have to wonder if TLC was going to pull the plug regardless of Josh and his problems. No shows since September, except for that super odd Easter episode.  There were 2 weddings in that time span that were not filmed.  The weddings were always the ratings boosters.

This is why I'm not convinced that this will be a repeat of 2015 - "cancelling" the show only to bring it back under a different name.

Which isn't to say that the Duggars won't be able to squeeze out the occasional special here and there - Jana's wedding, for instance, or "Fifty Grandkids and Counting!" when/if the Duggars hit that milestone.

But I don't see TLC - or, to be fair, the Duggarlings - being willing to focus on what is actually interesting here - the true crime story and the response of other family members to that. Like, that's what's getting the current page hits/Twitter trends.

Instead, the Duggarlings are continuing to show us Cute Babies, Cute Babies, Cute Babies, or (in Jeremy's case) Look At My Fabulous Sneakers And Don't Ask Awkward Questions About My Graduate Studies. 

And it's perfectly ok for them to focus on that - I'd say for a few of them it's probably even part of the healing process. But that doesn't necessarily make for good television, or a reason for TLC to continue filming. 

 

 

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3 hours ago, absnow54 said:

I'm interested as to why JB is moving all of his assets around. Are they afraid that the feds will go after his money to pay off the fines associated with Josh's charges? I have a hard time believing that JB would file bankruptcy to avoid paying Josh's legal fees. Aren't the Duggars always bragging about being debt free?

well, first any property moved to a duggling is then taxed at their income rate which is way less than JB's. Second they have been shifting property for years and selling between one llc to another and the price paid goes down so I am assuming the taxes paid are less.

If the planes have been redirected to Jeremiah's llc (each plane with it's own llc) then the heavy equipment and such has probably shifted to JD, Jason, Jeer and James. personal property taxes would be lower for them or their llcs to own . JB probably pays their taxes since they have no real income outside the JB enterprises.

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1 hour ago, Gemma Violet said:

How do they keep track of all that shifting?  They'd need a CPA to figure it all out at tax time.

Too bad they don’t believe in education as having a family member who is a CPA would be very helpful. Although maybe someone has watched the family CPA (is his name maybe Alan Scott? ) for 30 minutes…..

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55 minutes ago, ozziemom said:

Too bad they don’t believe in education as having a family member who is a CPA would be very helpful. Although maybe someone has watched the family CPA (is his name maybe Alan Scott? ) for 30 minutes…..

hahaha - jimmy c burns. 

no duggarling would ever be allowed to know how the money is shifted and divided, that's how JB holds on to control of them all.

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(edited)
On 6/30/2021 at 5:00 AM, floridamom said:

I think this is not the last of the Duggar married children. A 'spin off' may appear at some time in the near future when the Josh dust has settled....maybe even before. Jing & Jer have physical distance from Arkansas...I see Jer making TLC an offer.

J & J are going to be faced with quite the dilemma if they are offered their own spinoff. They’ve made the decision, for their privacy and protection, to no longer put any pictures of their daughters on SM. How shall they ever walk that back if given their own show?? Me thinks they’ll find some BS way to spin it! 

Edited by MzTori77
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1 hour ago, MzTori77 said:

J & J are going to be faced with quite the dilemma if they are offered their own spinoff. They’ve made the decision, for their privacy and protection, to no longer put any pictures of their daughters on SM. How shall they ever walk that back if given their own show?? Me thinks they’ll find some BS way to spin it! 

This is exactly the kind of meandering, contradictory shit that makes me think there is no TV show in their future. 

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