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Jon & Kate Plus 8

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2007 American TV series or program
Jon & Kate Plus 8
Created byFigure 8 Films
StarringKate Gosselin
Jon Gosselin
Cara
Mady
Alexis
Hannah
Aaden
Collin
Leah
Joel
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes98 (list of episodes)
Production
ProducerJennifer Stocks
Running timeapprox. 23 minutes; specials approximately 46 minutes
Original release
NetworkDiscovery Health Channel (2007)
TLC (2008-present)
ReleaseApril 16, 2007 - June 22, 2009

Jon & Kate Plus 8 was 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, fraternal twins and sextuplets. 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

Kate is one of five children; she has three sisters and a brother. Jon is the middle child of three boys. The couple met on October 5, 1997 at a picnic and 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, 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 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 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 has said the issue will be addressed throughout the fifth season of their show. In the season premiere, the incident was addressed by both Jon and Kate. Throughout the episode, they stated they are devoted to their children and vehemently rejected the cheating allegations, but agreed that they are unsure about where their relationship is headed.

On June 22, 2009, legal proceedings were initiated in Pennsylvania to dissolve the ten-year marriage of Jon and Kate Gosselin. The show has been canceled.

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

Episodes

See also: List of Jon & Kate Plus 8 episodes

Four seasons have aired and the fifth season, which is currently being filmed, began on May 25, 2009.

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' second home to make filming easier and prevent the kids from tripping over the wires and cables from 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 end of season four's finale, Jon and Kate said they would 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.

DVD Releases

Title Region 1 Region 2 Region 4 Discs
Season 1 July 16, 2008/September 9, 2008/October 21, 2008 (Canada) 2008 TBA 2
Season 2 July 16, 2008/September 9, 2008/October 21, 2008 (Canada) 2008 TBA 2
Season 3 November 2008/February 3, 2009/May 5, 2009 (Canada) 2008 TBA 4
Season 4; Volume 1 The Wedding May 5, 2009/June 2, 2009 (Canada) TBA TBA 3
Season 4; Volume 2 The Big Move July 21, 2009 TBA TBA 2

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 children's 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 seven 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 children's happiness, and that there is no truth to any reports that the children have been hurt by the series. 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".

References

  1. Rice, Lynette. "'Jon & Kate Plus 8' season finale scores series-best ratings". hollywoodinsider.ew.com. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
  2. "Jon & Kate Plus 8 Premiere Hits Record". tvbythenumbers.com. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
  3. "Naptime Musings From Jon & Kate Plus 8". Orato.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |acessdate= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. Mosteller, Rachel. "Celebrity Dish: Jon and Kate Gosselin". ParentDish. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  5. ^ "Our Story". Sixgosselins.com. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  6. "Jon and Kate plus 8 - and a date?". VancouverSun.com. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  7. "'Jon & Kate Plus 8' star says he didn't cheat". today.msnbc.msn.com. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  8. "Friends Defend Jon Gosselin as a Faithful Husband". People. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  9. "EXCLUSIVE: Jon & Kate Dad's Three-Month Affair Confirmed". UsMagazine.com. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  10. "Jon & Kate Mom: There's "Added Tension and Stress Between The Two of Us"". TV Guide.com. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  11. "Jon and Kate Plus 8: The Announcement". TLC website.
  12. "Jon & Kate Plus 8 Show News: Split". Yahoo! TV.
  13. "'Jon and Kate Plus Eight': Production suspended, will resume in August". nj.com. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  14. "Jon & Kate Plus 8 on Hiatus Until August". 2009-06-23.
  15. Woo, Michelle. "JUST THE 10 OF US". KoreAmJournal.com. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  16. Media Motion International client listing. mediamotionintl.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-03.
  17. "The Big Move is On". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2009-04-03-2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  18. "Package Art is Here for Season 4, Volume 2: The Big Move". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
  19. "Updates about the 4th Season DVD Releases (Both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2)". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
  20. ^ ""Jon And Kate" 8 Being Exploited?". CBS News.com.
  21. ^ "Pa. labor officials probing 'Jon & Kate' complaint". news.yahoo.com.
  22. "Report: Jon Gosselin says his 8 kids are happy". news.yahoo.com.

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