Amazon Studios producing docuseries on Duggars, reality TV families' connection to Christian group
Amazon Prime Video is working on a docuseries about popular Christian reality TV families, including the Duggar family, and their connection to a conservative Christian organization Institute in Basic Life Principles.
Following the controversy surrounding Josh Duggar, who is currently in prison on child pornography charges, Prime Video has teamed up with the creators of the “LuLaRich” docuseries to produce a show focusing on the institute’s influence on three reality TV families.
They include the Duggars of “19 Kids and Counting” and “Counting On” fame, the Plaths of TLC’s “Welcome to Plathville” and the Bates of UPtv’s recently-canceled series “Bringing Up Bates.”
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The Cinemart, Story Force, Chick Entertainment and Amazon Studios will reportedly paint the Institute in Basic Life Principles as a “fundamentalist organization” while criticizing these families and their connection to the organization.
The Chrisitan Post reached out to the Institute for comment. A response was not received by press time.
According to its website, the organization was established for “introducing people to the Lord Jesus Christ, and is dedicated to giving individuals, families, churches, schools, communities, governments and businesses clear instruction and training on how to find success by following God’s principles found in Scripture.”
The organization does that through seminars, educational programs, printed literature and centers that facilitate training.
Currently in production, the untitled docuseries “will expose shocking connections between some of reality television’s most famous large families and The Institute in Basic Life Principles, a controversial fundamentalist organization and homeschooling empire,” according to Variety.
This show will feature commentators, writers and social media voices. Each voice will expound on the broader beliefs held by these reality television families, including thoughts about “social media, faith, fundamentalism, patriarchy, and power.”
TLC canceled “19 Kids and Counting” in 2015 amid allegations that Josh Duggar, the eldest son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, had molested four of his sisters and a babysitter.
“Counting On” began immediately after as a spinoff show of just the Duggar sisters. However, in late June of 2021, TLC announced it wouldn’t be producing additional seasons of “Counting On” so that the family could address the situation privately.
“Bringing Up Bates,” another show that focuses on a family with 19 kids, was canceled by UPtv this month. The network was scheduled to air the 11th season of the show in February, but the network will go in a new direction.
The upcoming docuseries will reportedly premiere on Prime Video in late 2022 or 2023.
