Bringing Up Bates was an American reality television show that aired on UpTV from January 1, 2015, to June 24. 2021. The show chronicled the lives of the Bates family, a conservative Baptist megafamily from eastern Tennessee.
Family Members Featured
see main article: Bates Family
The Bates family has 19 children from parents Gil and Kelly Jo Bates. They currently have nine children living at home: Lawson, Trace, Jackson, Warden, Isaiah, Addallee, Ellie, Callie, Judson, and Jeb. The other nine children are married:
- Zach and Whitney Bates have four children, Bradley, Kaci, Khloe and Jadon.
- Michaela and Brandon Keilen
- Erin and Chad Paine have five children, Carson, Brooklyn, Everly, Holland, and Finley (who was born in 2022 and so never appeared on the show)
- Nathan and Esther Bates
- Alyssa and John Webster have four children, Allie, Lexi, Zoey, and Maci
- Tori and Bobby Smith have three children, Kade, Kolter and Charlotte
- Carlin and Evan Stewart have one child, Layla
- Josie and Kelton Balka have two children, Willow and Hazel
- Katie and Travis Clark
Seasons
| Season | Episodes | Premiere | Finale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | January 1, 2015 | March 26, 2015 |
| 2 | 14 | June 4, 2015 | September 3, 2015 |
| 3 | 14 | January 7, 2016 | April 7, 2016 |
| 4 | 25 | June 2, 2016 | December 29, 2016 |
| 5 | 15 | January 5, 2017 | April 13, 2017 |
| 6 | 16 | June 1, 2017 | September 14, 2017 |
| 7 | 26 | January 4, 2018 | September 26, 2018 |
| 8 | 24 | January 3, 2019 | November 21, 2019 |
| 9 | 22 | March 5, 2020 | August 27, 2020 |
| 10 | 12 | April 8, 2021 | June 24, 2021 |
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Season One
Season one began airing on January 1, 2015, and finished airing on March 26, 2015. The season contained thirteen regular episodes.
Major events featured in this season:
Births
- Bradley Gilvin Bates, son of Zach and Whitney
Gender Reveals
- Erin and Chad: boy
- Alyssa and John: girl
Trips
- Michael visits Brandon in Texas
- family camping trip
- the family sings at a bluegrass festival
- the family visits John and Alyssa in Florida
Birthdays Celebrated
- Gil (50)
Other
- special purity ring dinner for Carlin
Season Two
Season two began airing on June 4, 2015, and finished airing on September 3, 2015. The season contained fourteen episodes.
Major events featured in this season:
Births
- Charles "Carson" Stephen Paine IV, son of Erin and Chad
- Allie Jane Webster, daughter of Alyssa and John (birth not featured, just discussed)
Baby Showers
- Erin
- Alyssa
Relationships Milestones
- Brandon Keilen proposes to Michael
Trips
- Gil, Kelly Jo, and Michael travel to Chicago to meet Brandon's parents
- Gil and Kelly Jo travel to Florida to meet Allie
- Gil and Kelly Jo meet Michael in Washington, DC, for the proposal
- the family lake day is rained out
- the family visits to Dollywood
Birthdays
- Addee (9)
- Ellie (8)
Season Three
Season three began airing on January 17, 2016, and finished airing on April 7, 2016. The season contained fourteen episodes.
Major events featured in this season:
Pregnancy Announcements
- Zach and Whitney
Relationship Milestones
- Nathan begins courting Ashley Salyer
Weddings
- Michael and Brandon
- Aunt Beth
Trips
- Kelly Jo and some of the kids visit Michael and Brandon in Chicago
- the family goes fishing in Florida
- Nathan and Lawson visit the Salyer family in New York, NY
Birthdays
- Papa Bill
- Judson (5)
- Bradley (1)
Season Four
Season four began airing on June 2, 2016, and finished airing on December 29, 2016. The season contained twenty-five episodes.
Major events featured in this season:
Births
- Kaci Lynn Bates, daughter of Zach and Whitney
- Brooklyn Elise Paine, daughter of Chad and Erin
Relationship Milestones
- Tori begins dating Bobby Smith
Trips
- the family goe sto Florida for Allie's birthday
- Gil and Kelly go to Niagara Falls
Birthdays
- Trace (19)
- Carlin (18)
- Jackson (14)
- Jeb (4)
- Allie (1)
- Carson (1)
Other
- a special contest winner gets to spend a day with the Bates family
Season Five
Season five began airing on January 5, 2017, and finished airing on April 13, 2017. The season contained fifteen episodes.
Major events featured in this season:
Births
- Lexi Mae Webster, daughter of Alyssa and John
Relationship Milestones
- Tori begins courting Bobby Smith
- Carlin begins dating Evan Stewart
Trips
- the family tours the North Carolina camp where Bobby works
- Gil and Kelly Jo go to Chattanooga, TN
- the family visits Bobby in Florida
- the family tours Spartanburg, SC, Kelly Jo's hometown
- Kelly Jo visits Michael in Chicago
- the family goes to Florida for Alyssa's baby shower
- Lawson and Nathan visit the iconic sights of "Real Mayberry" in North Carolina
- the family travels to North Carolina
- the family goes skiing in Massanutten, VA
- Jackson, Warden, Isaiah, Judson, and Jeb visit Brandon and Michaela in Chicago
- Gil and Kelly Jo go to Australia
- the family goes to Florida for the birth of Lexi
Birthdays
- Kelly Jo (50)
- Katie (16)
Other
- special purity ring dinner for Katie
- the youngest boys accidentally set a fire at the family's home
Season Six
Season six began airing on June 1, 2017, and finished on September 14, 2017. The season is had 16 episodes.
Major events featured in this season:
Trips
- the family visits Rivers on the Gorge in West Virginia
- the family travels to Chicago
- Carlin and Katie go on a road trip with Evan's family
- Chad and Erin go to Hot Springs, NC
Birthdays
- Chad (30)
Season Seven
The seventh season began on January 4, 2018 and concluded on September 27, 2018. It contained 36 episodes.
Major events featured in this season:
Births
- Everly Hope Paine, daughter of Erin and Chad
- Zoey Joy Webster, daughter of Alyssa and John
Relationship Milestones
- Bobby Smith proposes to Tori
- Carlin and Evan begin courting
- Josie and Kelton begin courting
- Kelton Balka proposes to Josie
Weddings
- Tori and Bobby
Pregnancy Announcements
- Erin and Chad
- Alyssa and John
- Tori and Bobby
Gender Reveals
- Tori and Bobby
Birthdays
- Josie (18)
Other
- The Bates family officially opens Bible Baptist Church
Season Eight
Season 8 premiered on January 3, 2019 and ended November 21, 2019. This season has 24 episodes
Major events included in this season:
Relationship Milestones
- Zach and Whitney renew their vows
- Evan Stewart proposes to Carlin
- Trace beings a Friendship with Chaney
Weddings
- Kelton and Josie
- Carlin and Evan
Births
- Kade Ellis Smith, Tori and Bobby's Son
Birth Announcements
- Zach and Whitney Announce their expecting their third child (later miscarried)
- Kelton and Josie announce their expecting their first child
- Zach and Whitney Announce their third Child
- Chad and Erin announce their expecting their fourth child
Gender Reveals
- Kelton and Josie: Girl
- Zach and Whitney: Girl
Honeymoons
- Kelton and Josie
Trips
- Josie and Kelly Jo travel to New York, NY, to shop for a wedding dress, then again for a fitting
- Gil, Kelly Jo, and Carlin travel to Portland, ME, with Evan and his parents for the proposal
Other
- I Love You Day
Season Nine
Season 9 premiered March 5, 2020.
Major events that took place
Relationship Milestones
- Trace asks Chaney to Court
- Trace and Chaney Break Up
- Travis and Katie start courting
Births
- Willow Kristy Balka, Kelton and Josie's Daughter (photos)
- Khloe Eileen Bates, Zach and Whitney's Daughter
- Holland Grace Paine, Chad and Erin's Daughter
- Layla Rae Stewart, Carlin and Evan's Daughter
- Kolter Gray Smith, Tori and Bobby's Son
Birth announcements
- Carlin and Evan revel their expecting their first child
- Tori and Bobby announce they are expecting their second child
Gender reveals
- Carlin and Evan: Girl
- Tori and Bobby: Boy
Honeymoons
- Carlin and Evan
Trips
- The Family takes a vacation to Gatlinburg, TN
Other
- I Love You Day
- Gil has shoulder surgery
- Brandon writes a children's book
Cancellation
On January 18, 2022, UpTV announced they had cancelled the show, despite season 11 having been filmed and a premiere date announced. UpTV said:
"We will not be premiering Bringing Up Bates season 11 on UPTV as planned as we will be focusing our programming in 2022 on movies and a new scripted series to be announced soon. When we premiered Bringing Up Bates, the series was focused on parents with 19 kids who were teenagers and young children. The cameras were there to capture the love, laughs and big life moments, as the family continued to grow. Thank you to Gil and Kelly Jo Bates for welcoming viewers into your family's home for the past ten seasons. Thank you to the fans who tuned in every Thursday night to be part of the journey. We're looking forward to continuing to uplift you with our programming in the future."[1]