Summary
- Over the years, fans of the Duggar family got to witness their children grow up and become self-sufficient, but a lot has changed since their show ended.
- The Duggars' reality series began in 2008 with "17 Kids and Counting" and eventually became "19 Kids and Counting" before transitioning to "Counting On."
- After Josh Duggar's conviction and subsequent prison sentence, "Counting On" was canceled in 2021, and the family has experienced various changes and tensions within their relationships.
Back when the Duggar family was on TLC, it was easy to catch up with the family. Over more than two hundred episodes of 19 Kids and Counting, not to mention the nearly 100 episodes of Counting On, fans got to keep up with all their favorite Duggars. They saw Duggar kids grow up and get married, start families and businesses, and raise their own babies.
For viewers who were unsure how everything would turn out, it was a relief to see the Duggar children grow up and become self-sufficient, especially as many began to pull away from what were perceived as skewed family values. But a lot has changed since the Duggar family's show ended, from prison sentences to adoptions to Duggars cutting ties with the family and quietly moving on.
When Did The Duggar Show Start?
The Duggars originally appeared on TLC for a few specials prior to landing their own ongoing reality series. Viewers were clearly intrigued by the large family, who they watched homeschool their large brood while welcoming baby after baby nearly every year.
In 2008, the Duggars got their own show, 17 Kids and Counting, which lasted until 2015, when it was 19 Kids and Counting. 17 Kids and Counting picked up when the Duggar family was nearly complete; Michelle Duggar would only welcome two more children—and experience one pregnancy loss—before the show ended.
When the show began, now-married Justin Duggar was barely seven, and the baby of the family was hardly a toddler yet; Jennifer was born in August 2007. The show picked up with Michelle's pregnancy with Jordyn-Grace, who was born in December 2008.
After that, the family embarked on a journey toward their nineteenth biological child, Josie. Viewers might remember Michelle's pregnancy with Josie, which ended early, Josie a micro-preemie, in December 2009.
That was Michelle's final biological child who lived; the show documented her last pregnancy with Jubilee, a stillborn baby who arrived in December 2011.
Another noteworthy family event that occurred at the beginning of the Duggars' show was Josh Duggar and Anna Keller's wedding. The two were married in September 2008, in a wedding that was filmed for TLC (and was aired during season two in 2009).
When Did The Duggars' Show End?
The Duggars' series 19 Kids and Counting ended in 2015, but that wasn't the end of their time on reality TV. Counting On started the same year that 19 Kids and Counting ended, picking up where the other series left off.
Rather than focusing on the Duggar kids left at home, the series focused on Jill and Jessa and their growing families. By that point, Michelle Duggar was done having children (her last surviving child arrived in 2009), so shifting the focus to the older kids' marriages and children made sense.
Ultimately, Counting On was canceled in 2021 after Josh Duggar was convicted of possessing inappropriate material of children (and went to prison). That, of course, is one major change for the Duggars between when their show began and when it ended.
Fortunately, there were some good things to come for the family over the course of their TV shows. For example, the early health problems Josie experienced—including seizures—seemed to be something she grew out of; in recent years, Josie is healthy and happy.
While Josh and Anna's marriage arguably didn't turn out well, there were plenty of other siblings to catch up with over the years. When the show started, viewers at the time might have thought the siblings would then get married in succession, but that didn't happen.
Jana, who turned 18 the year the show premiered, has yet to marry as of 2023. There are a few fan theories about why Jana hasn't left home, but to date, she hasn't explicitly said why she hasn't married (though she has joked about it).
What Else Has Changed Since The Duggars Were On TV?
Another notable change since the Duggars went off the air? Not everyone in the family still gets along. It's assumed that Jill Duggar Dillard may have been cut off from her parents for years prior to the recent documentary about the family.
Other siblings have also moved away from home, some going so far as to move to a new state, like Jinger (California) and Justin (Texas). Others simply fly under the radar and don't seem to speak much about their parents, at least not on social media.
As for Josh Duggar, he was sentenced to prison in 2021, with a sentence of more than 12 years. At last update, his wife Anna was still supporting him and maintaining he was innocent, living on the Duggar family compound in Arkansas.
The rest of the Duggars seem to be living their normal lives, including the family's adopted child Tyler (Michelle's great grand-nephew), who rounds out their number to 20 kids (but no longer counting).
Though they're no longer on TV, Jim Bob and Michelle do share updates on their family blog, where fans can see what they're up to and how the family continues to change.
