'The Sisterhood' Cast Reveals Reason for Show Cancellation?
"The Sisterhood" docu-series that documented the lives of pastors' wives on TLC earlier this year will not return to the network, and one of the show's ministers and his wife believe they know why.
The show premiered Jan. 1 and focused on five preachers' wives trying to balance life in Atlanta, Ga. However, the show was received with backlash from many members in the Christian community, and which ultimately led to it being scrapped from the airwaves, according to "The Sisterhood" cast members Pastor Tara Lewis and her husband Dr. Brian Lewis.
"There are so many factors that contributed to the cancellation of the show, but ultimately it was the cast members themselves that caused our core viewers, Christians, to be grieved by their conduct and turned-off and disinterested in the show," Dr. Lewis told thejasminebrand.com recently. "The premiere episode one was so way off base for those professing to be Christians and the sensationalized sexual content so blatant, the arguments so tense and the doctrinal differences so outlandish that it made people feel so uncomfortable that the show immediately lost 300,000 viewers and it undermined this phenomenal opportunity we had to witness His light in darkness."
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After "The Sisterhood" premiered earlier this year, a petition on Change.org titled "TLC Network: Cancel 'The Sisterhood'" seemed to showcase the frustration of some viewers. Many believed the premiere episode was "toxic and degrading." Dr. Lewis spoke about some of the issues with the pastor's wives who dealt with his wife on the show.
"The bickering, pettiness, gossiping, backbiting, insolence and cliquishness of three of the ladies violated the one law that identifies true Christians," Dr. Lewis said.
While Pastor Lewis said she held onto hope that the show would be renewed for a second season, the ultimate decision of its cancellation did not surprise her.
"We remained hopeful, because we know that so many people supported mine and Brian's standard on the show and were encouraged by our relationship with each other," she told thejasminebrand.com recently. "We believe that it is important in the world or reality television that people have positive uplifting examples to draw inspiration from."
The news of the show's cancellation came earlier this week when AlwaysAList.com reported that the show averaged 600,000 viewers weekly after airing eight episodes. It was revealed that it would not return after it's last episode that aired on Feb. 12.
Ivy Couch, a cast member of the series and the first lady of Emmanuel Tabernacle church led by her husband Pastor Mark Couch, was prepared for the backlash that she would receive from some viewers after appearing on the show. However, she told The Christian Post that the reality television series has the possibility to heal people.
"I think other Christians act like they don't have problems anymore once they become Christian. So it's really an opportunity for me to be transparent because I think that's how we help people heal," Couch told CP. "So I think He's using this reality show, it is going to be groundbreaking and we're going to upset a lot of people. But I do also think that we're going to bring a lot of people to know Him personally."
