14 DAY TRIAL // “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” the reality show fans used to watch with joy a few months back, has begun to go from bad to worse, both in terms of the personal lives of the two Gosselins and in terms of ratings. The back-to-back episodes that premiered the other day on TLC have managed to score only average ratings, which means interest in the series is dwindling, E! Online says.
With figures showing about 4.1 million viewers tuned in to see Jon and Kate Gosselin again, together with their eight children and the adorable chaos they make, it’s clear that the reality series continues to be one of the best of the moment. However, compared with the kind of ratings it used to pull in, the four million viewers are close to nothing, which could mean that audiences are getting tired of the scandals in the media, several US publications point out.
“Overall, the back-to-back new episodes averaged 4.1 million viewers, per TLC. And while that number is cable big, it’s not ‘Jon & Kate’ big – certainly not when compared to May’s season opener (9.8 million) or June’s aforementioned ‘big announcement’ episode (10.6 million). Last night’s shows, while addressing the estrangement of the now separately couched Jon and Kate Gosselin, focused on activities with the eight Gosselin children and steered clear of Kate 2.0 and other tabloid topics.” E! Online writes.
With this in mind, it’s no wonder the public is already wondering when TLC will start introducing sub-plots in the series, with Jon’s tumultuous personal life that is currently playing out in the tabloids. If it doesn’t, and sticks instead to the story of the two dealing with the unique situation of trying to raise eight children while separated, then chances are ratings will continue to go down, estimates say.
At this point in time, TLC plans to continue with the same format of the show, just like it announced late last week. “The show comes back on Monday and most new episodes remain a work in progress. But I will tell you: the iconic couch is gone. Jon & Kate will now have separate chairs for their interviews. You’re still going to see two parents that love their kids, but you’ll be seeing them parenting separately. […] As far as new people and places that may be cycling into Jon & Kate’s lives, we are taking it on a case-by-case basis. This is real life. It’s important to remember that our cameras are only there for moments in time, and those moments have limits.” TLC President Eileen O’Neil was saying at the time.