'Bringing Up Bates’ canceled by UPtv after 10 seasons; family thanks God for the experience
UPtv will not air the 11th season of “Bringing Up Bates” and is canceling the series based on the large Christian family because the network has decided to go in a new direction.
According to Us Weekly, the new episodes of the reality show that were scheduled to begin airing in February will not get screen time after all.
“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,” a UPtv statement reads.
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The show documented Gil and Kelly Jo Bates, their 19 children and almost 20 grandchildren.
“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 over the past ten seasons,” the network concluded.
The statement ended with UPtv thanking the fans who tuned in every Thursday night to be “part of the journey.”
The family says that the show was canceled because the network is going in an alternate direction. However, UPtv promises to continue to “uplift” with its future programming.
“As the next year begins, our family will be experiencing a lot of new changes,” the Bates family shared in a separate statement. “One of the biggest changes for us is that the network will be moving toward producing more scripted family shows and will not be renewing a contract to film new ‘Bringing Up Bates’ episodes.”
“Bringing Up Bates” found themselves at the center of controversy recently after Carlin Bates Stewart shared a video of a family gathering in which a game of charades went too far.
In the clip, Lawson Bates tries to portray “hunting” to his family by motioning that he is shooting one of his younger brothers, and someone in the background shouts the name of George Floyd, an unarmed African American killed by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. The death sparked nationwide racial justice protests.
As a result, people online called for the show’s cancelation. Stewart removed the video and issued an apology. However, UPtv did not comment on whether the video played a factor in the cancelation.
Nevertheless, the family maintained that they trust God for what is to come.
“We realize God’s timing is always perfect, and we are looking forward to what the future holds for our own family, as well as the network!”
The family said the last 10 seasons on UPtv have been part of “an amazing journey.”
“We never expected or aspired to be on TV, but we are forever grateful to UP for all of the friendships we have formed as a result,” the family statement continued. “Filming and opening up our home has been both rewarding and challenging, but there are not enough words we could say to show appreciation for the amazing film crew and all of the staff who have invested so much time into making this show possible.”
The network crew has officially become a part of their large family, and the Bates said crew members have impacted them forever.
The family also expressed gratitude to their fans and supporters who have watched, contacted and prayed for them over the years.
“Most of all, we are thankful to God for the experiences we’ve shared together as a family and for the lessons we’ve learned along the way,” the family’s statement adds. “We feel very blessed to have these memories. We look forward to the next chapters of life unfolding before us with lots of new adventures. We promise to keep you updated on our lives in the days ahead and pray that God will richly bless each of you. Our greatest desire is that we would each strive to learn more about God and to grow in His grace.”
The most recent season of the series concluded with Bates daughter Katie proposing to Travis Clark. The couple was wed in Tennessee in December 2021.
