Well, a new season of Counting On is almost upon us.
After a period of several months in which it looked like the show might be canceled by TLC, network execs revealed last week that the Duggars are coming back with a slate of new episodes -- and soon, too.
The show's eleventh season is set to debut on June 30.
And since so many other series have experienced production delays due to the coronvirus pandemic, the Duggars might be on the verge of one of their most popular seasons to date.
And they could certainly use the comeback, as Counting On ratings have been on the decline for the past several years.
But that's just one of several reasons that fans suspected the show had been canceled when TLC waited much longer than usual to announce its return.
The Duggar family has always been a magnet for controversy, and it often seems there's no end to how much TLC execs will tolerate from their favorite cash cows.
After all, even the Josh Duggar sex scandals weren't enough to permanently remove Jim Bob and company from the network.
But many thought that the combination of declining ratings and a slew of new scandals would be enough to bring an end to the family's time on television.
The latest spate of controversies began when agents from Homeland Security raided Josh's place of business.
That was back in November of 2019, and the Duggars have been successful in terms of keeping the details of the raid under wraps.
Homeland Security investigates matters pertaining to human trafficking, so it's widely believed that Josh was/is suspected of some seriously sketchy business practices.
On its own, that could have been enough to convince TLC that it's time to cut ties with with Duggars.
But shortly thereafter, another scandal erupted in the form of the Derick Dillard vs. Jim Bob feud.
TLC was indirectly involved in that one, as Derick accused Jim Bob of stealing millions from his kids by pocketing their earnings from the network.
Again, that could have been enough to end the partnership for good, but instead, here we are, on the verge of the eleventh season of the Duggars' second TLC reality show.
And as usual, critics of the family have not been quiet.
“Can’t wait for another season filled with the same thing I saw last season,” one follower commented on a TLC Instagram post announcing the show's return.
“Stop promoting these grifters,” another wrote
“Can we stop with these Duggars? It’s time to end the series once and for all," a third commented.
But either the Duggars have maintained their popularity with diehard fans, or a lot of people are tuning in to hate watch (in all likelihood its some combination of the two), because TLC jumped through all the necessary coronavirus hoops to rush this season out.
And in all likelihood, they'll continue to work with the family in one capacity or another for many years to come.
