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TLC is officially out of the Duggar business.
On Tuesday, the cable network confirmed it was pulling the plug on “Counting On”, the spinoff of “19 Kids and Counting”, which followed the day-to-day exploits of parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their 19 children.
TLC’s cancellation comes on the same day that a judge agreed to delay the trial of Josh Duggar, facing charges of possessing child pornography that carry a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars.
“TLC will not be producing additional seasons of ‘Counting On’,” TLC’s statement reads, as reported by People. “TLC feels it is important to give the Duggar family the opportunity to address their situation privately.”
— Photo: Washington County Sheriff’s Office
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This marks the second time that TLC has cancelled a Duggar-centred series due to a Josh Duggar scandal; the network similarly axed “19 Kids and Counting” in 2015 after he confessed to molesting several young girls when he was a teenager, including four of his sisters.
According to a report in The Sun, a source claimed that TLC’s decision to cancel “Counting On” came in the wake of a petition urging the show be taken off the air, while sponsors were reportedly “very concerned following Josh’s arrest.”
The source also claimed that “the network had already spent money on production after months of filming. But the bottom line is, the network really wants to be on the right side of this scandal ahead of Josh’s trial. It was important for bosses to be seen to have taken action.”
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Added the source, “The case has put the show in such a bad light, and although it’s a shame for those who worked hard on it, and the money spent, there really is no way forward.”
Meanwhile, court documents obtained by ET Canada indicate that Josh Duggar’s trial — which had initially been scheduled to start next week — has been pushed back several months, and is now scheduled to begin on Nov. 30.
Duggar has pleaded not guilty to two counts of receiving and possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children.
If convicted, Duggar faces up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 on each count.
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