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NEWS > ENTERTAINMENT > NEWS OUTLETS STILL REPORTING ON JON AND KATE
NEWS OUTLETS STILL REPORTING ON JON AND KATE
October 12 2009
New York, NY – When the first season of ‘Jon and Kate plus 8’ first aired in 2007 it was an immediate ratings hit. The inside-look at the mega-family immediately pulled at the heartstrings of viewers as they engaged in the day-to-day lives of the parents
and the children. Things haven’t been so great recently though. A pending divorce and a nasty fight over money has put the show on hiatus and extended the television drama into the real world in a way never before accomplished by television, a decision that may or may not put the show in peril.
At the heart of the debate is the separation of the two lead characters, Jon and Kate Gosselin, whose infighting has brought the program to a standstill. Because of the popularity of the program and the incredible level of animosity between the two leads, media attention on the battle between the two has been almost never-ending over the last few months. Now as the fight between the two continues to get nastier, the associated attention is increasing, ensuring long-term interest in both the leads and the show.
“TLC is really in tough position here. The level of attention directed towards the program is something most shows would be envious of, but the nature of it is a little less desirable. Controversy often does good things for television but the direction that they have gone in, the kind of real animosity between the two leads, could end up alienating some of the more casual viewers,” said Scrape TV Entertainment analyst Tracey Temple. “The show had reached that fifth season hump where storylines become a little harder to forge and the characters really need a shakeup. There was, obviously, little possibility of bringing a new baby into the show and with the number of characters they are trying to balance already, bringing a new adult character into the mix would have been unwieldy, so this divorce storyline was really perfect. They may have taken it a little too far though and that could be their undoing.”
Reportedly, the couple is divorcing in real life, something that is adding drama and attention to the situation. It’s not clear if the real-life divorce is simply a ratings grab or if the couple is genuinely parting ways.
“The real smart move with this divorce is that they will be able to spin-off the two 
leads into their own programs. It’s clear that they are defining the two in completely separate ways and that will allow the new shows to have a really distinctive voice while still remaining intrinsically linked,” continued Temple. “Spin-offs are usually hit and miss as far as ratings go but the network has really set a new standard for TV with this show and that may carry them through. Of course, if public attention turns against them and the media coverage continues to be so abrasive and ubiquitous they may well wear out their welcome very quickly.”
TLC denies that they had weighed the possibility of killing off one of the main characters previous to the current series. Our insiders indicate that an episode featuring the death of one of the leads was in fact filmed but later shelved when the idea of a spin-off was broached.
“The real question is how long the network will be able to maintain media attention and how they continue to use that to their advantage. They are at a precarious point in the game and there is the distinct possibility that things could go beyond their control and tank both shows,” continued Temple. “The media isn’t a slave to the network and they will tell the stories that most interest them and their viewers. If this battle gets boring or hurts sales they will dump them and then the show will have to live or die on its merits.”
Our insider also indicated that producers were unable to decide on which character would die which helped make the divorce decision easier.
Samantha Dryden, Entertainment Correspondent
NEWS > ENTERTAINMENT > NEWS OUTLETS STILL REPORTING ON JON AND KATE
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