19 Kids and Counting (previously known as 17 Kids and Counting and 18 Kids and Counting) was an American reality television show that aired on TLC from September 29, 2008 to May 19, 2015. The show chronicled the lives of the Duggar family.
Duggar Family
See main article: Duggar family
The Duggar family is made up of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, their nineteen children, and, as of the show's cancellation, their four grandchildren (the couple currently has 12 grandchildren as of January 2019).
Duggar children:
- Joshua James
- Jana Marie
- John-David
- Jill Michelle
- Jessa Lauren
- Jinger Nicole
- Joseph Garrett
- Josiah Matthew
- Joy-Anna
- Jedidiah Robert
- Jeremiah Robert
- Jason Michael
- James Andrew
- Justin Samuel
- Jackson Levi
- Johannah Faith
- Jennifer Danielle
- Jordyn-Grace Makiya
- Josie Brooklyn
Josh's family
The show covered the engagement and marriage of oldest son Josh to his wife, Anna. During the filming of the show, the couple gave birth to three children:
Jill's family
The show covered the courtship, engagement, and marriage of Jill to her husband, Derick. During the filming of the show, the couple gave birth to one child:
Jessa's family
The show covered the courtship, engagement, and marriage of Jessa to her husband, Ben. At the time of the show's cancellation, Jessa was pregnant with her first child, Spurgeon.
Other family members regularly featured
In addition to the main Duggar family, a number of other family members were regularly featured on the show:
- Jimmy Lee and Mary Duggar - Jim Bob's parents, who lived with the Duggars during a portion of the show's filming; JL's funeral is featured on episode "Duggars Say Goodbye"
- Amy Duggar - the daughter of Jim Bob's sister Deanna, who often accompanied the family on filmed trips
- Priscilla Keller - Anna's older sister, who stayed with both the Duggars, and Josh and Anna at different times during filming of the show; her marriage is featured in episode "Duggars Down the Aisle"
- Susanna Keller - Anna's younger sister, who stayed with Josh at Anna at different times during filming of the show
- Cathy Byrum - Jill's mother-in-law, whose battle with cancer was frequently discussed during the wedding and wedding planning episodes for Jill and Derick
Guests on the show
Celebrity Guests
The show featured a number of celebrities during it's run:
- Kirk Cameron (featured on episodes "Lights, Camera, Duggars" and "Duggar Growing Pains")
- Bethany Hamilton (featured on episode "Duggars Under the Sea")
- Dan Harris (featured on episode "Duggars, Dates, and Dan"
- Dolly Parton (featured on episodes "Duggars in Dixie" and "Duggars Meet Dolly")
- Charles Stanley (featured on episode "Donating Duggars")
- Meredith Vieira (featured on episodes "Duggars Do New York" and "Oh Duggar Baby! It's a...")
- Steve Conley (featured on episodes "Pushups and Planting", "Dinner for Forty", "Baby Gender Reveal & the Final Weigh In", "Big Changes", and "Duggar Decorated & Diet"
- Walker Hayes (featured on episode "The Proposal")
- Erica Hill (featured on episode "Digging in With the Duggars")
Bates Family
The most frequently featured guests on the show were the Bates family, made up of Gil and Kelly Jo Bates and their nineteen children. Members of the Bates family were featured in a number of seasons before receiving their own spin-off series, United Bates of America, on TLC in 2012. Notable events in their lives that were featured include the birth of youngest child Jeb Bates and the marriage of daughter Erin (Bates) Paine. The Bates family is currently the subject of UpTV's Bringing Up Bates.
Cancellation
On May 21, 2015, the magazine InTouch Weekly published a story revealing that Josh Duggar had molested several of his younger sisters as a teenager. Reruns of 19 Kids and Counting were immediately pulled from the air, and the show's future was placed in limbo. On August 19, 2015, following the Ashley Madison hack, the website Gawker revealed that Josh Duggar had an account on the website Ashley Madison, which was a service that assited married people in having affairs. As a result, TLC officially cancelled 19 Kids and Counting.
Spin-Off
A promotional photo for the original airing of Jill & Jessa: Counting On
In the aftermath of the first scandal, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, as well as married daughters Jill Dillard and Jessa Seewald, spoke up in Josh's defense, saying that he was a changed man. All four family members gave interviews with Fox News's Megyn Kelly about the molestations. The family was horrified to learn of Josh's adult indescretions. In December of 2015, TLC aired a three-part special titled Jill & Jessa: Counting On that covered the family's attempt to move on in the wake of Josh's scandals. The show was picked up as a regular series, with a full season premiering in March of 2016, and for season three the show's title was changed to Counting On. As of January, 2019, Counting On still airs new seasons on TLC.
Seasons
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | September 29, 2008 | November 10, 2008 |
| 2 | 20 | January 25, 2009 | June 23, 2009 |
| 3 | 28 | June 30, 2009 | December 22, 2009 |
| 4 | 38 | January 31, 2010 | November 30, 2010 |
| 5 | 33 | January 24, 2011 | November 8, 2011 |
| 6 | 26 | February 14, 2012 | October 30, 2012 |
| 7 | 21 | April 2, 2013 | October 22, 2013 |
| 8 | 12 | April 1, 2014 | June 3, 2014 |
| 9 | 17 | September 2, 2014 | November 25, 2014 |
| 10 | 22 | February 17, 2015 | May 19, 2015 |
Season One
Season one began airing on September 29, 2008 and finished airing on November 10, 2008. The season included ten regular episodes and one special episode: "And Baby Makes 18", which aired on December 22, 2008. The show was known as 17 Kids and Counting for the entirety of this season.
Events included in this season:
- Family trips
- New York City
- Michelle's family reunion in Ohio
- Birthday Celebrations
- Michelle (42)
- Day-to-Day Life
- Jinger gets her driver's license
- thrift shopping
- jurisdiction gender swap
- Josh's courtship and engagement
- series' introduction to the Bates family
- birth of Jordyn
Season Two
Season two began airing on January 25, 2009 and finished airing on June 23, 2009. The season included twenty regular episodes and one one special episode: "A Very Duggar Wedding", which aired on January 25, 2009. The show's name was changed to 18 Kids and Counting part-way through the season.
Events included in this season:
- Family trips
- Wild Wilderness Safari
- Crater of Diamonds State Park
- El Salvador
- San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival
- Big Sandy, Texas
- Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY
- Other trips
- Jim Bob and Michelle's 25th anniversary trip to San Fransisco
- New York City to appear on The View (Jim Bob, Michelle, Jessa, Jinger, Jordyn)
- Birthday Celebrations
- Jason (9)
- Day-to-Day Life
- Josh and Anna getting settled into their new home as a married couple
- Medical
- a trip to the dentist
- Jordyn's is taken to the hospital due to breathing difficulties from a cold
- Jana and Jill have their wisdom teeth removed
- Josh and Anna's wedding preparation and ceremony
- family Christmas celebrations
- People Magazine photo shoot to introduce Jordyn
- an ice storm
- a visit from the Bates family
- the loss of Grandpa Duggar
- Josh and Anna on a double date with Amy and her boyfriend
- Michelle and six children's visit to a local public school
Season Three
Season three began airing on June 30, 2009 and finished airing on December 22, 2009. The show featured 28 regular episodes.
Events included in this season:
- Family trips
- Dollywood
- Bates' house
- Washington, D.C.
- an Amish community
- Kleinfeld Dress Shop
- an Oklahoma farm
- Sight and Sound Theatres
- an ostrich farm
- Asheville, NC
- the Biltmore Estate
- Pigeon Forge, TN
- Nashville, TN
- a Nashville Predators hockey game
- Northwest Arkansas Naturals baseball game
- Other trips
- Fort Rock Family Camp father/daughter retreat (Jim Bob, Jana, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joy-Anna, also family friend Amara Query)
- Birthday Celebrations
- Joy (12)
- James (8)
- Josh and Anna
- Josh and Anna's gender reveal on the Today Show
- Anna's pregnancy and the birth of Mackynzie
- the Duggars gifting the Bates family with home addition
- a broomball match
- a visit from the Wilson family
- Michelle's pregnancy announcement for baby #19
- Jim Bob's diet
- Jim Bob and Michelle's vow renewal
- an FAQ episode
- the family's participation in the Run for a Child race
Season Four
Season four began airing on January 31, 2010, and finished airing on November 30, 2010. The season included thirty-eight regular episodes and two special episodes: "Duggars Make a Movie", which aired on November 21, 2010, and "GrandDuggar First Birthday", which aired on December 7, 2010. The season's title was officially changed to 19 Kids and Counting at the beginning of this season.
Events included in this season:
- Family trips:
- USS Razorback submarine
- Discovery Museum
- Pinnacle Mountain
- Mountain View, Arkansas
- including Stone County Ironworks
- Little Rock Zoo
- Georgia
- Pigeon Forge, TN
- including a parrot sanctuary
- Louisville, KY
- Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
- Other trips
- Birthday celebrations
- Jill (19)
- Day-to-Day Life
- a family grocery trip
- John-David and Joseph doing handyman work
- Joseph and Josiah help Josh at the car lot
- the children wash the family cars
- the children take a swimming lesson
- Jim Bob teaches Josiah to drive
- Medical
- Josie's stay in the hospital
- Jim Bob and the older daughters donating blood
- twelve of the children get the chicken pox
- Johannah is taken to the emergency room after a bike accident
- Josh and Anna
- Anna and Amy take a knitting class
- Anna makes fire skirts for the older daughters to wear when volunteering at the local fire department
- the birth of Josie
- family Christmas celebrations
- the family's move to Little Rock to be closer to Josie, and subsequent move back home
- the family participates in a fundraiser for the Arkansas Children's Hospital
- the Bates family visits to meet Josie
- the Duggars film scenes for the film Courageous
- a dinner party with two other large families
- new family photos are taken
- the family goes on a media tour
- Anna and the older daughters have a girls' day out
- Michelle visits Mother's Morning Out Program
Season Five
Season five began airing on January 24, 2011, and finished airing on November 8, 2011. The season included thirty-three regular episodes and four special episodes: "First Grandson", which aired on June 19, 2011, "Duggars World Tour: Scotland & Ireland", which aired on November 13, 2011, "World Tour: Royal Duggars", which aired on November 20, 2011, and "World Tour: Duggars Last Stop", which aired on November 27, 2011.
Events included in this season:
- Family trips
- Scotland
- Royal Mile
- Edinburgh Castle
- the Scottish Highland games
- Ireland
- London
- Stonehenge
- Israel
- Dead Sea
- Oklahoma
- Little Rock, AR
- Central America
- Honduras
- Mayan ruins
- George Washington Carver National Monument
- Colorado
- El Salvador
- Joplin, MO
- New York City
- Niagara Falls
- Maid of the Mist
- Cave of the Winds
- Fort Niagara
- Atlanta, GA
- including the Georgia Aquarium
- Birmingham, AL
- Scotland
- Birthday celebrations
- Grandma Mary (70)
- Jim Bob (46)
- Jessa (18)
- Joseph (16)
- Joy-Anna (13)
- Josie (1)
- Day-to-Day Life
- Jana gives Josie a piano lesson
- the older children clean up some of Jim Bob's rental properties
- the older boys take Jackson along to work on the new car lot
- Jessa puts the children down for a nap
- Michelle homeschools the children
- the children take Spanish classes
- Medical
- Joseph gets braces
- a cold spreads between the Duggar and Bates families
- Jessa and Jinger have their wisdom teeth removed (Josh and Joseph are unable to due to eating too close to surgery)
- Michael gets his first shots
- Jason is taken to the emergency room after a fall
- Jim Bob takes a trip to the allergist
- Josh and Anna
- the birth of Michael
- Josh and Anna's gender reveal
- Josh and Anna move to a second used car lot
- John-David runs for political office
- a visit from Dr. Charles Stanley
- the Duggars volunteer at the local fire department
- Michelle records an audio book
- the Duggars perform in a passion play
- a snow storm
- an at-home camp out
- the family meets Bethany Hamilton
- Zach Bates asks Sarah Reith to enter a courtship
- an FAQ episode
Season Six
Season six began airing on February 14, 2012, and finished airing on October 30, 2012. The season contained twenty-six regular episodes and one special episode: "The Bates Family: And Baby Makes 19", which aired on March 13, 2012.
Events included in this season:
- Family trips
- Springfield, MO
- Branson, MO
- Space Camp
- Florida
- Priscilla Keller's wedding to David Waller
- Joplin, MO
- Nashville, TN
- Laundry Love
- Grand Ole Opry
- Other trips
- Washington, D.C. (Jim Bob and Michelle)
- Michigan (Jana)
- Birthday Celebrations
- Michelle (46)
- Jill (21)
- Joy-Anna (14)
- Johanna (6)
- Michael (1)
- Day-to-Day Life
- Michelle gives Joy a driving lesson
- the Duggar sons help Josh out at his car lot
- Jordyn gets her head stuck in a railing
- the kids learn to make pizza dough
- the family snacks
- the family pet sits
- the family renovates a new property
- Medical
- Jeremiah has minor lip surgery
- Jubilee is miscarried and delivered stillborn
- Josh and Anna
- Mackynzie gets her first haircut
- Anna takes her children to the library
- David and Priscilla visit
- Josh and Anna adopt a kitten
- Michael takes his first steps
- the family plants trees
- the family visits a corn maze
- Michelle speaks at multiple women's meetings
- the Vanderhoffs visit
- Michelle visits her best friend
- the family raises money for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
- the family volunteers at a fish fry
- the family takes family photos
- the Pope family visits
- the family goes fishing and hiking
- the family goes turkey hunting
- the family buys fireworks
- the family has a fencing lesson
- Michelle gets a makeover
Season Seven
Season seven began airing on April 2, 2013, and finished airing on October 22, 2013. The season contained twenty-one regular episodes and five special episodes: "Duggars Do Asia: Tokyo, Japan", which aired on March 12, 2013, "Duggars Do Asia: Kyoto, Japan", which aired on March 19, 2013,", "Duggars Do Asia: Beijing, China", which aired on March 26, 2013, "GrandDugar Makes 3!", which aired on June 16, 2013, and "Josh & Anna: Our Story", which aired on October 22, 2013.
Events included in this season:
- Family trips
- Tokyo, Japan
- Kyoto, Japan
- Beijing, China
- Tiananmen Square
- Other trips
- Puerto Rico (Jim Bob and Michelle)
- Florida (Josh, Anna, Mackynzie, Michael)
- camping (Michelle, Jana, Jill, Jessa, and Jinger, and Kelly and some of the Bates daughters)
- Medical
- Jordyn has her tonsils removed
- Josh and Anna
- Josh and Anna announce they are expecting baby #3
- David and Priscilla visit, prompting Josh and Anna to look for a bigger house
- Josh and Anna move to Washington, D.C.
- Anna has new friends over for dinner
- Jim Bob and Josh start a 90-day weight loss competition, then begin an exercise routine with Steve Conley
- the Duggar boys, led by Jason, build a greenhouse
- Jana and Jill help a midwifery client in labor
- Jessa and Jinger volunteer at a coffee shop
- Jackson and Johannah draw caricatures to raise money
- John-David studies to be a pilot
- Joseph attends and graduates from ALERT Academy
- the family spends a day working at a farm
- the family attends a flea market
- Jim Bob and Michelle celebrate their 29th anniversary while Josh and Anna celebrate their 5th
- Erin Bates announces her engagement to Chad Paine
- the Duggars raise $20,000 for the Arkansas Children's Hospital by hosting a flea market
- Jessa announces her courtship to Ben Seewald
Season Eight
Season eight began airing on April 1, 2014, and finished airing on June 3, 2014. The season contained twelve regular episodes and two special episodes: "A Big Announcement" and " A Duggar Leaves Home" which aired on June 10, 2014.
Events included in this season:
- Family Trips
- Washington, D.C.
- Josh and Anna's house
- a recording studio (Jana, Jill, Jessa, and Jinger)
- an ice rink
- Washington, D.C.
- Other Trips
- Hot Springs, AR (Jessa and Jinger)
- Nepal (Jim Bob and Jill)
- Washington, D.C. (Jessa and Jinger)
- book tour (Jana, Jill, Jessa, and Jinger
- Nashville, TN (Amy, Deanna, and Amy)
- Birthday Celebrations
- Jordyn (5)
- Mackynzie (4)
- Josie (4)
- Medical
- Jim Bob and Michelle visit a fertility doctor
- Day-to-Day Life
- Jill's buddy team makes pickles
- Joy-Anna and Michelle play the violin
- Josh and Anna
- Anna builds a playhouse
- Jim Bob & Michelle and Ben & Jessa go on a double date
- the family attends Erin Bates' wedding to Chad Paine
- Josiah has a graduation party
- Jill enters a courtship with Derick Dillard
- Ben's sisters give Jessa a cooking lesson
- Derick returns from Nepal
- Jim Bob & Michelle, Ben & Jessa, and Jill & Derick go on a triple date
- Derick asks Jim Bob for Jill's hand in marriage
Season Nine
Season nine began airing on September 2, 2014, and finished airing on November 25, 2014. The season contained seventeen regular episodes.
Events included in this season:
- Other trips
- Washington, D.C. (Michelle, Jana, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joy-Anna)
- wedding dress shopping
- Chicago (Josh, Anna, Mackynzie, Michael, Marcus)
- Washington, D.C. (Michelle, Jana, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joy-Anna)
- Josh and Anna
- Josh gets a surprise visit from Steve Conley
- Josh and Anna make a special gift for Jill and Derick
- Josh runs a 5k
- Josh and Anna attend David and Priscilla's gender reveal party
- Jill and Derick
- Jill plans her wedding
- Jill and Derick go on a hike and picnic (James chaperones)
- Jill and Derick taste test cakes (Jinger chaperones)
- Jill and Derick tour wedding venues (Michelle chaperones)
- Jill and Derick shop for wedding bands
- Jinger takes Jill and Derick's engagement photos
- Jim Bob has carpet installed in Jill and Derick's future home
- the family buys furniture for Jill and Derick's house
- Jill and Derick get married
- Jessa and Ben
- Ben and Jessa go to a shooting range (Jason chaperones)
- Ben moves into the Duggars' guesthouse and begins working for Jim Bob
- Ben and Jessa take Jessa's youngest siblings out
- Ben and Jessa get engaged
- Birthday Celebrations
- Amy (28)
- the Dillards and Seewalds have Mothers' Day lunch at the Duggars'
- the boys go rock climbing and zip lining
- the older daughters get makeovers
- the older daughters shop for bridesmaid shoes
- Jim Bob and Michelle celebrate their 30th anniversary
- the Duggar children build box car derby cars and have a race
- Amy makes a music video
Season Ten
Season ten began airing on February 17, 2015, and finished airing on May 19, 2015. It contained twenty-two regular episodes.
Events included in this season:
- Other Trips
- Omaha, Nebraska (Jill and Derick)
- Europe (Ben and Jessa's honeymoon)
- Paris, France
- Rome, Italy
- Venice, Italy
- Washington, D.C. (Jill and Derick)
- Josh and Anna
- Josh and Anna give Jill and Derick a surprise gift
- the family throws Josh and Anna a gender reveal party
- Jill and Derick
- Jill and Derick announce they are expecting their first child
- Jill and Derick have their first ultrasound
- Jill makes a gift for her mother-in-law
- Jill invites Jana over to help her make Derick's favorite Nepali dinner, Dal Baht
- Jill and Derick have a gender reveal party
- Jill and Derick attend birthing class
- Jill and Derick prepare their nursery
- Jill gives birth to Israel
- Jessa and Ben
- Ben and Jessa plan their wedding
- Jessa goes wedding dress shopping with Grandma Mary, Michelle, her sisters, and Ben's mother and sisters
- Jinger, assisted by Joy-Anna and Johannah, takes engagement photos for Ben and Jessa
- Ben and Jessa ask Josh to design their wedding invitations
- Ben designs Jessa's wedding ring
- Jason and James decide to make a special meal for Ben and Jessa's rehearsal dinner
- Ben and Jessa work out (Joy-Anna and Jason chaperone)
- Ben and Jessa register for wedding gifts (Jordyn and Justin chaperone)
- Ben and Jessa get married
- Jessa cooks for Ben
- Birthday Celebrations
- Johannah (9)
- Day-to-Day Life
- the family makes pizza
- Joy-Annna manages the house
- Jim Bob goes on a ride along with John-David
- Michelle goes to her 30th high school reunion
- Jill & Derick and Ben & Jessa go on a double date
- the Duggar daughters redo their bedroom