By Jennie
It’s been almost seven weeks since the final episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8 aired on TLC. I have to admit that I miss it more than I thought I would. For the previous year and a half or so, Monday nights had meant coming home from the dreaded first day of the work week, kicking back and watching the Gosselin kids be adorable and Jon and Kate bicker (guess which I miss more?). It was a little something to look forward to, and not only is Monday now a vast TV wasteland (at least until the return of Dancing with the Stars…Intervention and Hoarders just do not cut it; if I wanted to be that depressed I’d just read The Bell Jar every Monday night), but I miss seeing the kids. I guess I really am one of those obsessed fans who is overly attached to Alexis, after all!
So, now that the dust has settled, we thought we’d give people a chance to talk about what they miss and do not miss about the show.
As I alluded to above, I miss seeing the kids. They are cute, smart and funny kids, and they brightened up my Monday nights. I hope they are doing well and adjusting to the changes in their lives.
I don’t miss the tension and strife between Jon and Kate, which seemed to escalate with each episode at a certain point, and at times could be very unpleasant to watch. I didn’t take a lot of it as seriously as some viewers did, to be sure, but it wasn’t my idea of fun television entertainment, and in retrospect – knowing all that came after – it’s even harder to watch.
I’m ambivalent on the Tuesday morning quarterbacking from certain corners of the internet. On the one hand, this could make for enormously entertaining reading – what would people find to complain about this week? On the other hand, the vitriol could be depressing and infuriating to read. Not that the end of the show has stopped the relentless carping, anyway – the child advocates have simply had to move onto bitching about hair extensions and postulating absurd conspiracy theories to try to absolve Jon of some of his more unsavory behavior.
What about you? Do you miss the show? Have you found alternative Monday night viewing? Are there some things about it that you don’t miss? Share!
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20 Responses to Monday Nights Just Aren’t The Same
I miss the show, too. I watch whatever happens to be on or movies on the DVR from TCL… but it’s not the same.
When the show started, I was going through a change at work. We had implemented a new operating system and a group of us were working 12 hour days to get the kinks out. This went on for weeks. I found the show one night when I was mindlessly cruising for something to take my mind off work and I fell in love with the kids. I was instantly hooked. I’ve watched every other family reality show to come down the pike and while some are better than others, none of them hold candle to J&K. Despite the bickering parents, IMHO they had to have done something right with the children, because of the way the kids interact and treat each other. It is very obvious that the children truly care for each other and they couldn’t have learned that without positive reinforcement from their parents.
What is sad is that the so-called advocates have left a trail of hate-filled messages on the internet that the children will have to live with forever and the more time goes by, the more their irrational hate of Kate grows… all while they are absolving Jon of doing anything wrong.
So, while I still read everything written, I don’t hold either Jon or Kate up as saints. I do think Jon stopped the show as a purely selfish ploy which backfired. I do not think Kate is the devil incarnate as some blogs do and I do miss the kids.
P.S. I meant to say movies from TCM!
i agree judy!
and i totally miss seeing jon and kate plus eight on mondays. i also watched it on weekday evenings but they pulled those and now cake boss is on in that time slot. gah!
i’m not usually up in time to watch the ones that come on in the mornings. and i’ve probably seen them all anyway.
but yeah i miss the show. i miss seeing the kids for sure. and i miss listening to j & k. not like they were the last year and a half but like they were before all this *stuff* that’s become their life.
i hope we see the kids at some point. when we do i know they will be so much more grown up.
IMHO they had to have done something right with the children, because of the way the kids interact and treat each other. It is very obvious that the children truly care for each other and they couldn’t have learned that without positive reinforcement from their parents. – Judy
Judy, I totally agree, which made all the ridiculous slams made against the kids — by certain blogs — so difficult and infuriating to read.
Count me with others who do really miss the show.
I am realistic enough, however, to admit that the show many of us loved was changing. I had some concerns about the kids being filmed during the upheavel that was going on in their lives. While I agree that Jon stopped the filming strictly as a (failed) ploy, I think a break may not have been a bad thing.
I have been reading more on Monday nights, which is a good thing! Sorry, the “The Cake Boss” just isn’t my thing. PBS and TCM are good alternatives. When “Dancing with the Stars” returns, I’ll have at least one mindless program to keep me entertained!
I am looking forward to what TLC has for us in the future in terms of a “Kate project.” If the kids occasionally appear, I’d love that too, but I am not really sure if that will happen.
Yes, I miss the show too! Many of you here know that I spend a lot of time in the hospital revolving my multiple liver transplants which means A LOT of time spent watching television. I forced myself to watch Cake Boss the last time I was in for an extended amount of time, but became a little bored when I realized that while cute, it’s pretty much the same story each week.
I also agree that none of the other “family reality shows” hold my attention long enough to be attracted to watch it again. I don’t know if it was that J&K+8 was the first of it’s kind or if it’s just that Kate was so animated and interesting to watch and the kids so darn cute! They really were very well behaved and the sense of Kate’s desire for “family unity” was inspiring. I guess things started to become “cringeworthy” when the haters started commenting and picking every single thing apart the way that they did.
Thankfully Kate has her faith to cling to, as do her kids and I really believe that she’s doing everything she can do to raise the kids in the most positive light possible. Jon…I’m not so sure…however, I hope regarding Jon that I’m dead wrong and that he surprises all of us by turning his life around.
Looking very forward to finding out about the “Kate Project”…I’m thinking that it will be a lot more of a hit than the GWOPpers, etc. expect it to be!
I have been watching a lot of the re-runs. As for bashing Kate!! I seem to have done that, because I feel like she is just as much to blame as Jon. No doubt the Children are special!! They both have done the best they could working with the Children. Kate was very organized, you would have to be, having that many children. Kate took an interest in the kinds of foods they feed the Children, at least in the beginning. Not sure if she has continued with that? Jon enjoyed playing with the Children and letting them get dirty. ha ha She cooked and he served!! Seemed to me like they both worked together. Jon has not always made the right moves, but I don’t think he is a bad person. Sorry I think there is a lot of good in Jon.
I feel like they all need a break to get their lives back together. Children, Kate, and Jon. I wish the Media would leave them all alone for awhile, even if we all seem to be interested.
Still reading and enjoying IW…just wanted to pipe up and say I’m changing my username to be more specific to me. I agree with quite a bit of what Mary above says, although I don’t think Kate is as much to blame as Jon, and even though I sympathize with him for having a pre-midlife crisis for the world to see, I think it’s time for Jon to refocus on the kids.
Hurry up DWTS and Kate’s new show. If her show is on Monday nights, I will watch it and record DWTS, really!
My husband and I rarely find anything we want to watch on t.v. anymore…we’re spending a lot of bonding time in front of the computer these days. Strangely, we interact more while enjoying each others Facebook and email accounts than we ever did in front of the television.
I miss the show more than I thought I would too. I miss watching the kids being so cute and adorable.
I do find Hoarders fascinating though and it seems to have become my replacement Monday night show.
Except for this topic I have not participated on a Gosselin discussion for a long time. If I can’t talk about the cute things the kids did on an episode then I find that I don’t have much to talk about. I also used to visit several Gosselin blogs regularly but now not so much.
Jacquelyn - nice to see you posting. How are you doing?
Mary – I did enjoy the teamwork we saw between Jon and Kate in the beginning. It seemed they each had strengths and they capitalized on those.
MaryNGG- I recognize you by your avatar even without the extra initials! It’s neat that are connecting more with your husband over computer time. Facebook can definitely keep one occupied! We will have to start a DWTS thread when it starts up again for those of us who enjoy the show.
Teresa E. – Hoaders is fascinating. I wonder how many of the people they profile are able to keep up with the changes they make? I am not sure if I want to know the answer. I too prefer to talk about the positive aspects of the Gosselins’ story, so this has been a nice thread.
I miss the kids. They were just starting to be little people in their own right. The twins were turning into great big sisters. Alexis was my favorite also.
I must confess that I miss the “Crown Princess on Gwop” guessing game I used to play: What will Kate do to draw the most absurd criticism to be mocked by the snarky rincess posters?
I also miss those sextuplets and their cute conversations. I love when the camera caught them being naughty behind their parents’ backs or sweet to each other. I think they are all cute, but I am partial to Hannah (Mommy’s helper– I still love that scene where she folds laundry) and Colin (the engineer.)
Anya, thank you for asking about me!! You are so sweet! For a very quick update, I was able to spend ALL of the holiday season out of the hospital and at home with my husband and kids. As the 4 of us played “Rockband” together on Christmas Eve, I just kept praying and asking God to freeze those moments that are so very precious.
I am in need of additional breast surgery for another very large mass under my left arm and am having some trouble with my 2nd transplanted liver. Nevertheless; I am SOO incredibly joyful for the time that we all had together and believe with all of my heart…(regardless of what my medical tests show) that God is going to allow our family MANY more of these special moments.
I guess that all of the Gosselin drama strikes me on a different level because I KNOW how fragile life can be and it is scary to me to see Jon taking things SO lightly in so many aspects of his’ and his childrens’ lives.
I agree with Mary in that I too feel that they all, particularly the children, need a break to get their lives back together. While the show may have been enjoyable and some may miss seeing the children including myself, I don’t believe that anyone had that entitlement in the first place. TLC owes this family alot and I hope that any new shows do not involve the children. Kate has developed skills that are certainly marketable in the entertainment industry. I too think Jon has some good qualities but needs to stay out of the media for the sake of his children. Neither of them had the advantage of being born to or developing talents over time the way most in the entertainment world do. While they may have courted the show in the beginning, fame was basically thrust upon them and it can’t be surprising that they have made some missteps along the way. Hopefully they will discover the necessity of private lives for themselves and their family.
I do miss the show- the way it used to be, not the last season. I miss the kids too- they were turning into such funny little people. Especially Leah!
Jacquelyn, thanks for the update. I am so glad to hear you were able to spend the holidays at home with your family.
I, along with others, are thinking and praying for you. Keep us updated.
I am amazed at how much I miss J&K+8. I will always miss seeing these sweet funny little people grow and learn and develop into the very interesting and separate individuals they are bound to become. I have a soft spot for Maddy, the sweet, cautious, easily hurt girl, who loves to perform and have an audiance, and who does not suffer fools. It hurt so much to see her on one of the last shows, where Jon had decided they should do a lemonade stand as a fund raiser for the local fire department, when he threw both Maddy and Cara out of the poster making segment and then wouldn’t let them go on the field trip because she was acting out toward him. He was so mean and childish and didn’t seem to have the maturity to see what was going on and couldn’t sense that she needed to be able to vent her feelings about him and the divorce and have some alone time with her to let her do it. Now she has to live with that rejection for the rest of her life, because she said she preferred doing crafts with Mommy. I know from bitter experience, that will haunt her forever. When my parents were divorced, my Dad made it clear we had to chose between them (we lived with him) and when I refused to reject my mother he rejected me. I still live with the hurt and I’m 72 years old. I don’t miss anything with Jon, he’s a bad Dad, but I do miss Kaate and the kids….a lot. I hope Kate gives us updates when her new show starts.
I miss the show more than I thought I would too. I miss watching the kids being so cute and adorable. ~Teresa E
Me too. I really liked seeing all the little Gs running around and being kids. I knew it would end some time and I felt invasive now and then for watching them, but they are all so adorable. I liked the show much more w/o the marital strife. J&K were easier to watch apart. But, I also liked peering in on how they interacted w/each other before the split. I haven’t been doing much on Mondays. I have recently become interested in Hoarders but I always forget to watch and have to catch it online.
I am glad that the program is off the air. I know that many voyeurs liked to peak in on their lives but how many of you would reciprocate.
The children did not live real lives. Their lives were manufactured and manipulated with activities that few could identify with.
Now that they are off the air, I hope that they are living the lives of “normal” kids. I hope that they are going to Brownies, taking dance lessons and interacting with friends; i.e. going off individually not in a pack to a friend’s birthday party or sleepover. I expect that this will be difficult because they live so far from their school friends and Kate leaves them in the care of babysitters who can’t be everywhere at once.
If I were Kate, I would not feel comfortable in the really bad weather leaving nannies to drive my kids to the bus stop or activities. I may be crazy but that’s how I feel.
I will miss the children. I felt like in some way I had watched for years and it was almost as if I was watching my own relatives who live in another state. I did get to feeling a sense of ownership of them and would be proud of how cute or smart they were or find myself shaking my head over their misbehavior or poor attitude – as when Mady marched in on her b-day and kicked a balloon out of the way. Normally you recognize that a show is a show, however this crossed the line as reality – these are real kids.
Having said that I had stopped watching after about season three, I watched maybe half of four and then did not return to it because whatever it was that had interested me, like home movies, was no longer in place. It wasnt that the sextuplets weren’t “cute” any more, it was more the big production – seeing a family go to resort after resort or always have some scripted experience was never what interested me. I will miss the old show and missed that even when season 4 and 5 were on. Kate was a different person that I did not know or like by last year. A very real possibility is that she was struggling with her celebrity and identity trip and being unfairly judged.
Still what I won’t miss is the bickering and snarky comments between Jon and Kate. I’m not one of those people who sat on the edge of my chair waiting for her to say something b*tchy to him so that I could applaud it or be appalled by it. Their divorce was too much reality for me especially after that gorgeous wedding vow renewal episode in Hawaii. I don’t watch any other reality show other than 18 kids and counting, on rare occasions, and would give a good deal if my kids could watch a show that is “real” about people their age, that doesn’t involved people behaving badly to each other — especially being encouraged to do so. Do we all have bad moments? Yes. Are we famous for, and paid to have, them? no. It sends a bad message about what is acceptable. I never let my daughter watch Laguna, when her viewing was under my control, I didn’t watch the Real Housewives and something about the way reality is manipulated to show people at their shallow worst repels me. I watched Toddlers and Tiaras – just the ads for it – it seems that TLC feels that the worst most spoiled behavior in children and most atrocious, clueless parents are what sells, and their willingness to exploit that makes me sad; I won’t miss it.
I hope they get the message that some positive everyday family reality would be nice. Gosselins were more popular when they were at least trying to make a go of it. I know that is not their reality however neither is nonstop visits to North Carolina beaches, dude ranches, Hawaii, San Diego and DisneyWorld a real reality.