TLCWell, that didn't last long. The Duggars are returning to TV with a series of new specials on TLC, E! News has confirmed. The stars of 19 Kids and Counting, specifically Jill Duggar Dillard and Jessa Duggar Seewald, will be at the center of at least two specials.
Jessa and husband Ben Seewald are preparing for her first baby, due in November, and Jill and husband Derick Dillard are preparing to move to El Salvador for missionary work. The specials will highlight both life changes, but don't expect embattled older brother Josh Duggar to appear in their specials.
"We are looking forward to reconnecting with everyone with the new specials on TLC—many have asked about our mission work and about the challenges of taking our family to a different country, culture and learning a new language," Derick wrote on Instagram. "We appreciate your prayers."
"What we will be following in these specials is Jessa preparing for her first child," Nancy Daniels, TLC's executive vice president and general manager, told the Associated Press, by way of People. "And we'll be watching Jill preparing to make a major move to Central America with her family, which we know is something our audience will be interested in."
TLC pulled the plug on 19 Kids and Counting after reports of past sexual abuse by Josh surfaced. Josh had admitted to fondling sisters, including Jessa and Jill. The Duggar sisters spoke out in support of their brother after the news broke and also participated in a sex abuse special, Breaking the Silence, that aired on TLC after 19 Kids was canceled. After the show's cancellation, news broke about Josh's Ashley Madison account. His name was discovered when the adultery website was hacked, he issued a public apology and checked into a treatment center.
News of a possible spinoff surfaced while TLC weighed its options about what to do with the Duggar clan before ultimately pulling the plug on the reality series. The famous family had been on the network since 2008, when it was then only 17 kids.