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Jon & Kate Plus 8 is a reality television show produced in the United States by Figure 8 Films about the Gosselin family, consisting of parents Jon and Kate and their eight children—a set of fraternal twin girls and a set of sextuplets (three girls and three boys, all fraternal). The show follows the family through their daily lives, focusing on the challenges of raising multiple children. The show originally aired on Discovery Health, but has aired on TLC since season 3. The show is currently one of the highest rated programs on TLC and the fifth season premiere was seen by a record 9.8 million viewers, the most watched show of that evening including broadcast television, twice as many viewers as the show’s previous series high. The family originally appeared in a one-hour special titled Surviving Sextuplets and Twins.

Family history

Katie "Kate" Irene Gosselin is one of five children. She has three sisters and a brother. Jonathan Keith Gosselin is the middle child of three boys. The couple met on October 5, 1997 at a picnic. They were married on June 12, 1999.

The Gosselins' desire to start a family was met with infertility. Kate underwent medical testing and was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. The couple turned to fertility treatments and immediately began intrauterine insemination. In February 2000, Kate became pregnant with twins. On October 8, 2000, Cara Nicole and Madelyn "Mady" Kate Gosselin were born, six minutes apart.

They began thinking of having another child and, according to Kate, a biracial infant of a teenage girl became available to adopt while Kate was an obstetrics nurse. They decided not to adopt the baby, but instead returned to fertility treatment. In October 2003, Kate became pregnant again. Five weeks later, (after being hospitalized for over-stimulated ovaries) at the initial ultrasound, the doctor announced that there were six sacs with seven yolks (embryos). According to Kate, this was emotional news for them. The doctor suggested selective reduction, but the couple was strongly against it.

The sextuplets were born on May 10, 2004 at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. All six children were delivered via a Caesarean section within a span of three minutes with more than fifty doctors, nurses, and other specialists involved. Since the sextuplets were born in Hershey, they were called "Hershey Kisses" by the nurses and doctors who delivered them. In late 2008, the family moved from their Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania home to a larger residence in Wernersville, Pennsylvania.

In April 2009, it was reported that Jon Gosselin was having an affair after he was seen partying late one night with various women and leaving with one of them. The couple have denied these allegations, saying the woman Jon Gosselin left with was a long-time friend. However, this is contradicted by the woman's own brother, who insists that she was romantically involved with Jon. This is supported by the existence of video and photographs of Jon with Deanna Hummel. Kate Gosselin has said the issue will be addressed throughout the current season of their television show, which premiered May 25, 2009. In the season five premiere, the incident was addressed by both Jon and Kate. Throughout the episode, they stated they are devoted to their children, but they are unsure where their relationship is headed. There has been much media speculation that the family may not continue as a single unit.

Gosselins

Parents

• Katie "Kate" Irene - born March 28, 1975
• Jonathan "Jon" Keith - born April 1, 1977

Twins - born October 8, 2000
In birth order:

• Cara Nicole
• Madelyn "Mady" Kate

Sextuplets - born May 10, 2004
In birth order:

• Alexis Faith
• Hannah Joy
• Aaden Jonathan
• Collin Thomas
• Leah Hope
• Joel Kevin

German Shepherd Dogs - purchased prior to Christmas 2008

• Shooka - male
• Nala - female

Production

Discovery Health started filming the show in the form of two hour-long specials, then TLC continued the filming for a weekly series around Jan 1, 2007.

Between the specials and the series, permanent light fixtures were installed in the Gosselins' home to facilitate filming, and prevent the children from tripping over the wires and cables of temporary lighting. Jon & Kate Plus 8 is filmed three days a week, with one day set aside for the interview sessions where Jon, Kate, and occasionally the children, discuss the events which take place in each episode. In the house that the family lived in before their move in late 2008, the "interview corner" was located in the basement, and was transformed from the playroom when needed. It was painted green, unlike the rest of the playroom. In their new house, the interview set was reproduced and constructed in an unfinished area of the basement. At the conclusion of season four's finale, Jon and Kate said they will be making a new set for season five.

Jon and Kate also work closely with producers to decide what themes will be presented in each episode. Jon and Kate have remarked that over the years the production crew has become part of the family.

Multimedia

Kate Gosselin has written two books, one called Multiple Blessings which was released November 1, 2008; it entered the list of New York Times best-sellers a week after its release. Kate Gosselin and Beth Carson co-authored the book, however it credits Jon as a co-author as well. The other, Eight Little Faces, was released in April 2009.

The Gosselins are managed by Media Motion International in Los Angeles.

Criticism

Criticism has been raised regarding Kate's intentions of continuing with the show, as well as whether or not the children are being exploited or may be under emotional distress. According to child advocate Gloria Allred:

Every state does regulate to protect the health, the safety and welfare of little child performers And these little ones are only eight years old and five years old, they can’t protect themselves, so the state has to be sure that they are safe in their workplace.

In the case of the show, the childrens' workplace is their home, where everyone is compensated. At this point there are no clear laws in Pennsylvania (where the Gosselins reside) regarding a child's appearance on a reality show. However, Pennsylvania law permits kids who are at least 7 years old to work in the entertainment industry, as long as certain guidelines are followed and a permit is obtained. For example, children may not work after 11:30 p.m. under most circumstances, or perform in any location that serves alcohol.

Kate defends her position that the children are happy and healthy, and not in any danger. In addition, Jon has stated that they are "in talks" regarding ensuring the childrens' happiness. TLC released a statement saying that the network "fully complies with all applicable laws and regulations" to produce the show. The statement also said that "for an extended period of time, we have been engaged in cooperative discussions and supplied all requested information to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor."

Episodes

Four seasons have aired and the fifth season began on, May 25, 2009.

References

1. Rice, Lynette (2009-03-25). "'Jon & Kate Plus 8' season finale scores series-best ratings". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
2. http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/26/jon-kate-plus-8-premiere-hits-record/19414
3. Gosselin, Kate (July 3, 2008). "Naptime Musings From Jon & Kate Plus 8". Orato. Retrieved on July 3, 2008.
4. Mosteller, Rachel. "Celebrity Dish: Jon and Kate Gosselin". ParentDish. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
5. ^ "Our Story". Sixgosselins.com. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
6. "Jon and Kate plus 8 - and a date?". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
7. "'Jon & Kate Plus 8' star says he didn't cheat". MSNBC. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
8. "Friends Defend Jon Gosselin as a Faithful Husband". People. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
9. UsMagazine: "Jon and Kate: Dad's Three-Month Affair Confirmed"
10. "Jon & Kate Mom: There's "Added Tension and Stress Between The Two of Us"". TV Guide. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
11. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20278472,00.html
12. Woo, Michelle (May 2008). "JUST THE 10 OF US". KoreAm Journal. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
13. Media Motion International client listing. mediamotionintl.com. Retrieved on July 3, 2008.
14. "The Big Move is On". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2009-04-03-2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
15. "Package Art is Here for Season 4, Volume 2: The Big Move". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
16. "Updates about the 4th Season DVD Releases (Both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2)". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
17. ^ ""Jon And Kate" 8 Being Exploited?". CBS News.
18. ^ "Pa. labor officials probing 'Jon & Kate' complaint". Yahoo! News / Associated Press.

External links

• TLC: Jon & Kate + 8
• Gosselin Sextuplets & Twins - The official family website
• Figure 8 Films - Surviving Sextuplets & Twins
• Jon & Kate Plus 8 at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com

• Misplaced Pages neutral point of view disputes from May 2009
• Articles needing cleanup from December 2008
• Cleanup tagged articles without a reason field from December 2008
• Misplaced Pages pages needing cleanup from December 2008
• American reality television series
• Discovery Channel
• TLC (TV channel) programs
• Multiple births
• Television shows set in Pennsylvania
• People from Pennsylvania
• People from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
• 2007 television series debuts