Claim: 19 Kids and Counting was popular.

19 Kids and Counting -LRB- formerly 17 Kids and Counting and 18 Kids and Counting -RRB- was an American reality television show that aired on the cable channel TLC for seven years , until its cancellation in 2015 . The show featured the Duggar family : parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their nineteen children -- nine girls and ten boys , all of whose names begin with the letter `` J. '' During the life of the show , three children were born , three children were married and four grandchildren were born .   The reality show focused on the life of the Duggar family who are devout Baptists . and frequently discussed values of purity , modesty , and faith in God . The Duggars avoid birth control saying they have decided to allow God to determine the number of children they have . All of the children are homeschooled , and access to entertainment such as movies and television is limited . They practice chaperoned courtship , in which a couple acquaints itself only in a group setting . The values presented on the show have been associated with the Quiverfull movement , which has been described as promoting strict family conformity , male hierarchies , and subservient roles for women . The Duggars have stated they are not associated with the Quiverfull movement .   The series began on September 29 , 2008 and concluded on May 19 , 2015 . The show was TLC 's most popular , averaging 2.3 million viewers per new episode in Season 10 , and scoring in the Nielsen `` Cable Top 25 . ''   On May 22 , 2015 , TLC suspended the series when the Duggars ' eldest son , Josh , publicly apologized for having `` acted inexcusably '' following reports that he molested five girls , including some of his sisters , by fondling them . These events occurred in 2002 and 2003 , when he was 14 to 15 years of age , and prior to the beginning of the show . On July 16 , 2015 , TLC announced that the show was officially canceled and would not resume production . A spin-off show , Counting On , aired in December 2015 and the fourth season will premiere June 12 , 2017 .