Highlights
- TLC tried replacing the Duggars with the Willis family after scandal, but they faced their own tragedy.
- The Willis family show was eerily similar to the Duggars, but ended after patriarch's arrest for abuse.
- TLC's choice of family-focused reality TV themes faced criticism and ethical concerns from fans.
TLC has long had a reputation for broadcasting family-focused reality TV, but the network's reputation was tarnished after the Duggar family scandal. When allegations were first made against Josh Duggar, TLC seemingly banned him from 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, instead focusing on other Duggars as the main cast members. But once Josh went to court and was sentenced to more than twelve years in prison, TLC pulled both shows and seemed to end its affiliation with the family.
Yet the network didn't seem to change its methods, with TLC continuing to choose bizarre and controversial show themes. In fact, one of the producers of 19 Kids and Counting aimed to recreate the Duggars' success with a new family — this one featuring 12 kids — immediately after the Duggars went off the air. Unfortunately, the Willis family's story also ended in tragedy, just like the Duggars', as TLC seemed hopeful that it could replace one large, religious family with another.
19 Kids And Counting Ended In 2015, And The Willis Family Began The Same Year
The Duggar family's producer-writer-director launched a new show when 19 Kids wrapped
Odds are that TLC has plenty of crew members that work on multiple projects, but Duggar fans recognized the name Sean Overbeeke when he was credited on another TLC program. Sean was an executive/series producer, writer, and director on 19 Kids and Counting (though he never worked on Counting On) and likely quite familiar with the Duggars.
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In 2015, when 19 Kids was winding down, thanks to Josh Duggar's name being in the news, Sean launched another show titled The Willis Family. At the time, viewers didn't think much of TLC's attempt at bringing another big family onto its stage. After all, the Duggars had just landed Counting On, which seemed like the perfect sans-Josh way to continue the reality TV family's run.
However, the new show only lasted a single year, with 13 episodes aired before it was abruptly pulled from the network. Yet again, TLC had gotten involved in something it would later regret.
The Willis Family Was Eerily Similar To The Duggars, Including In The Worst Ways
The Willises didn't last long in the spotlight before their own scandal broke
When The Willis Family first aired in 2015, Duggar fans were intrigued. While recapping a poorly-received Duggar "special," one fan wrote, "The striking similarities in the new show about the Willis family feels like further evidence that this show is circling the drain."
There were some differences between the Duggars and Willises that initially had fans rooting for TLC's new show. Many viewers pointed out that while it's common for large, religious families to have "music ministry," many were "not good." In contrast, the Willis family was multi-talented, even making it to the quarterfinals on America's Got Talent."
The family was also quite similar to the Duggars, including in the naming scheme for their twelve kids; Toby and Brenda Willis had four sons (Jeremiah, Jackson, Jedidiah, and Jaeger) and eight daughters (Jessica, Jennifer, Jeanette, Jasmine, Juliette, Jamie, Joy, and Jada) all with J names.
Sadly, fans' initial observations during The Willis Family's first few episodes turned out to be correct and heartbreaking.
The kids were hilarious, the mom seemed lovely, and the dad…seemed off to me at first. The more I watched it, the more I just felt like he was, for lack of a better word, dark?
In 2016, family patriarch Toby Willis was arrested on one count of sexually abusing a child. At that point, TLC cancelled the family's show. Sadly, that single charge spiraled into more, and it was revealed that Willis had been abusing his own children.
Ultimately, Willis received two 25-year sentences on two counts, then two 40-year sentences on two other counts after pleading guilty.
Willis was sentenced to 40 years in prison, with the sentences being served concurrently.
Fans Suspect TLC Hoped To Replace The Duggars
TLC may have given up on its "fundie" programming
Duggar snarkers on Reddit had thoughts when Jessica Willis Fisher's memoir was released. The memoir gave a glimpse into Jessica's home life and her father's abuse, with many commenters praising her strength in coming forward.
While many viewers were critical of TLC's dealings with Toby Willis, it's said that one TLC crew member blew the whistle that wound up helping the kids escape. Still, not everyone thinks TLC should be forgiven for its perceived wrongs.
TLC doesn't seem to look beneath the surface of the families they choose to platform. They certainly don't look out for the children of these families. In my opinion, this makes TLC as unethical as Jim Bob.
Commenters suggested that the Duggars didn't care about their reality show cast, and only wanted to make money. Of course, TLC released a statement saying the network was shocked by Willis' arrest and that they had performed thorough background checks on the entire family and found nothing.
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Sadly, that was true, but only because the Willis kids' suffering was kept so closely under wraps despite their family being broadcasted on reality TV.
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