Rumors have been swirling for a while that the Duggar clan would be coming back to TV for Season 11 of Counting On, but parent network TLC had been strangely quiet on the renewal front. Well, no longer. News has broken that Counting On will not only be back for Season 11 but will also feature a special 1-hour episode to kick off the brand new and baby-filled season.
The new season is actually coming way sooner than expected. In an announcement, TLC said Counting On will be back for Season 11 this summer. The first episode will be called Counting Now and will hit the schedule on Tuesday, June 30th at 9 p.m. ET—hopefully after most kids are tuckered out and in their beds for the evening.
Like so many shows that are or will film either during or as a follow-up to the Covid-19 crisis, Counting On’s special one-hour premiere will focus on the families during quarantine and while they are social distancing. This should be particularly interesting given the Duggar siblings, their parents, their spouses and their kids combined total a much larger number than most current states allow to come together in a group.
Interestingly, it was just a few short weeks ago that some of the Duggar clan came under fire for apparently hanging out with one another in groups larger than 10 when social distancing was in effect. The announcement from TLC straight up mentions the large family being a problem when restrictions come into play, noting:
Jessa and Ben struggle to keep three kids entertained while making the best of the situation at home. Jinger and Jeremy deal with the California restrictions, which are far stricter than those in Arkansas. Meanwhile, Jim Bob, Michelle, and the rest of the kids adjust to self-isolating when they have more than 10 people at home. Later, the entire family comes together for a family fun night... via video chat!
That doesn’t explain the social distancing drama, but it will be interesting to see if the episode goes off without a hitch. Meanwhile, following Counting Now, Counting On will kick off on Tuesday, July 7 in the same time slot. The new season trailer mentions that “five girls” are actually pregnant in the Duggar family at one time, which is “the most” the family has seen in one year.
We actually know quite a bit about the babies that have been born in the family recently, as well as those that are coming, but it should still be interesting to see the details of that play out more on television. (Also spoiler if you haven’t been paying attention: Jinger Duggar Vuolo is now pregnant.) The best news? You’ll be able to do so soon. Now, I’m just curious to see if we’ll catch the TV ladies in sweatpants…
