6 Series We See As Perfect Fits For The Duggar Kids' Return To TV
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Food for thought: A child who was born when "19 Kids & Counting" premiered on TLC in 2008 (as "17 Kids...") would be in high school today. That's nearly a generation of people who grew up along with the Duggar family, and millions of adults watched them become household names, as well. Then came the numerous scandals surrounding oldest son Josh, which brought the series to a halt. It was too much drama for a family that had always been billed as drama-free. As if that wasn't enough, the Amazon docuseries "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets" soiled the clan's rep even further. The Duggars' ultraconservative beliefs, it seemed, came from the teachings of a fringe church group.
But despite it all, the adult children have managed not only to keep their dignity but have also held on to their fan base. Four of the sisters — Jill Duggar Dillard, Jessa Duggar Seewald, Jinger Duggar Vuolo, and Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth — each have more than 1 million followers on Instagram. Jinger released a bestselling memoir this year, and Jill's forthcoming book is already selling well in pre-orders, according to The U.S. Sun. It's unlikely we'll see a reboot of "Counting On" or a series devoted to the youngest family members (Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn, and Josie Duggar are still teens living at home). But many of the older siblings would make great additions to other popular reality shows. Just in case any casting directors are reading this, we have some suggestions on how to bring the Duggars back to TV.
Jill Duggar Dillard: The Retro Plant Shop With Mikey and Jo
Jill Duggar Dillard has become known outside "19 Kids" for her feud with her dad, Jim Bob Duggar. She and her husband, Derick Dillard, allege he unreasonably controlled their money, their life choices, and Jill's privacy. Jill was also the only sibling to appear on "Shiny Happy People," a move that led her parents to post a counterattack against the documentary and "those with ill intentions hurting people we love." Undaunted, Jill is poised to reveal even more shockers in her September 2023 memoir, "Counting the Cost." But she's more than just a cage-rattler; the fourth Duggar child is a busy mom of three boys and an avid gardener. Her Instagram posts often feature photos of her veggies, herbs, and flowers.
Jill's green thumb, along with her onscreen warmth, would make her an ideal addition to the MAX show "The Retro Plant Shop With Mikey and Jo." The first season of the series showed Magnolia co-founder Joanna Gaines helping her younger sister, Mikey McCall, launch her own business. Jill's savvy in thrift-store shopping would be an asset as a buyer for the store, which combines attractive greenery with vintage style. When they aren't running the shop, they could all share their insights on sisterhood. The network hasn't yet announced a second season, but considering Gaines's popularity, one must surely be in the works. Adding Jill to the mix would make it even more of a must-watch. We can already see the Retro selling Jill's signature headwraps.
Jinger Duggar Vuolo: Project Runway
Jinger Duggar Vuolo has arguably made the biggest break from her childhood ways. She and her husband, seminarian Jeremy Vuolo, left the simple life of her Arkansas hometown for the bustle and glitz of L.A. — and she loves it. Jinger was also the first of her siblings not only to break from the family's church group but also to speak out against it. In her memoir "Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear," Jinger blasted the Institute in Basic Life Principles and its founder for their controlling and often irrational rules. Among them was the dress code the Duggars followed: Women were forbidden to wear pants or show skin anywhere but above the collarbone and below the elbows and knees.
Once Jinger was out of the house, one of the first things she "became free" from was the rule on clothing. Now the young mom wears everything from tank tops to ripped jeans, form-fitting capris to custom-designed Nikes. With her newfound sense of style, she could add a breath of fresh air to the judging panel of "Project Runway." We can totally see her weighing in on outfits inspired by popular toys, or telling a contestant, "That dress is too conservative even for my mom!" Or, for an even more interesting pairing, Netflix could add Jinger to the cast of "My Unorthodox Life." Like Jinger, star Julia Haart shed her ultra-religious community for a world of high style.
James Duggar: The Reluctant Traveler
James Duggar is developing a rep for being the adventurer in his family. The 22-year-old is self-employed in an environmental services company, which gives him both the income and the freedom to pursue his own interests. His main one these days seems to be traveling; James' Instagram account is full of images from California, Colorado, Italy, England, Israel and, most recently, Australia. When he's not globetrotting or clearing land for construction, he can often be found taking motorbike rides along Arkansas back roads. (James is also the one who orchestrated the wild gender reveal for his brother Jedidiah Duggar and wife Katey.)
Since the 13th Duggar sibling is single and not tied to the 9-to-5, this would be the perfect time for him to join a new reality show that fits his love for exploring. We recommend bringing him on board "The Reluctant Traveler," the new AppleTV+ series in which Eugene Levy is sent to amazing locations around the world, per the network. So far, Levy has experienced South Africa, Finland, the Maldives, Tokyo, Lisbon, Costa Rica, Venice, and Utah, but there's still plenty of world left to see, and James would surely love to expand his horizons even further. Plus, the chemistry between the Emmy-winning Canadian actor and the Southern small-town boy would rival any episode of "Schitt's Creek."
Jana Duggar: Home Town
Jana Duggar has been silent on social media for months, likely to avoid the fallout from her brother Josh's scandal and the exposé of her church group. But now that things are calming down, fans would love to see more of Jana than her occasional appearances in her siblings' Insta photos. Plus, she deserves to get some attention for something other than being part of a huge family. Jana has considerable DIY skills, often helping her younger brothers with house-flipping. On a recent trip to L.A. to visit Jinger, she transformed her sister's closets into models of organization with tidy new shelving arrangements. Sister Jill raved, "Yay!! She's always great at tackling those big projects!"
We'd love to see Jana tackle some of those big projects on "Home Town," the hit HGTV series starring Ben and Erin Napier. She's a lifelong resident of Tontitown, Arkansas, a small city of 5,000, so she'd fit right into the Southern-charm atmosphere of Laurel, Mississippi. As a single woman, Jana could easily relocate to a new state without the worry of looking for good schools or a large house. She would be equally at home helping the Napiers install new kitchen cabinets or finding accent pieces for a foyer or den. Did we mention Jana loves her coffee — and the Napiers' Laurel Mercantile store sells their own brand of Big Ben's Coffee blends? It's a match made in java heaven.
Jessa Duggar Seewald: OutDaughtered
Of all her siblings, Jessa Duggar Seewald is following most closely in her parents' life path. Married at 22 to Ben Seewald, she's a homeschooling mom of four children, and she's not necessarily done yet. She told Us Weekly in 2020 they were "kind of taking it one at a time" on the issue of expanding their family. (Sadly, Jessa also suffered a devastating loss in early 2023 when she miscarried what would have been their fifth child.) Jessa's Instagram posts chronicle the fun and occasional chaos of parenting: for every sweet sibling moment of hugs, dances, and playing in the snow, there's a video of Fern throwing her teddy bear in the toilet, or a pic of Spurgeon and Henry piling up a piano bench and a stool to reach a high shelf.
The Seewald family antics would be even more fun if they were chronicled as part of the cast of "OutDaughtered." Like the Seewalds, the Busbys are a grounded, faith-based family who share their parenting joys and headaches with the world. Bringing them together for family adventures would be twice the fun. After so many years of raising six daughters, dad Adam would see what life is like with two boys. The Busby daughters might enjoy being "big sisters" to Ivy and Fern. Or, dare we hope Jessa might join the staff of Danielle Busby's Graeson Bee boutique and learn skills toward opening a business of her own?
Amy Duggar King: TMZ
Frankly, we're shocked Amy Duggar King hasn't been tapped to get a show of her own. King, the niece of Jim Bob Duggar, has fired some scathing criticisms of her uncle and his church over the years, including as an interviewee on "Shiny Happy People." Not having been raised in her uncle's church, she was shocked at how sheltered her cousins were. King wasn't even allowed to show them a VeggieTales video — a Christian kids' series teaching moral lessons through Bible stories: "I was told, 'I do not want my kids thinking vegetables talk,'" King recalled in a TikTok. The "rebel" cousin has also slammed her uncle for not getting professional help for oldest son Josh and has urged Josh's wife, Anna, to divorce him for the sake of their seven children.
King's tell-it-like-it-is attitude, combined with her family pedigree, just begs for a correspondent position on an entertainment show like TMZ. She could have a regular segment in which she spills the Duggar tea. Who's pregnant? Who's courting? Which siblings are still tight with each other? What about the signs Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth's marriage may be on the rocks — true, or just idle speculation? Is there a chance the youngest Duggar girls might be allowed to wear pants or date? And if the family news cycle is especially slow, King could branch out and offer commentary on other famous reality families. The Kardashians alone would keep her busy for years.