It’s been a few years since TLC canceled Counting On, but the Duggars remain in the spotlight for various reasons.
The network made the family famous with specials that eventually became 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On.
They’ve tried hard to replicate the success, but nothing has come close to pulling the numbers and loyal viewership the Duggars obtained.
However, another big family is coming to the network to test the waters.
The de la Mottes will be introduced to viewers next month with Big City, Big Family. A one-hour special will follow the family, which includes 11 children (ages 22 to one), as they navigate New York City after moving from the San Diego area.
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Could this be another effort to replicate the Duggar success?
Who are the de la Mottes?
Marc and Amber de la Motte aren’t unknowns, especially in the world of social media.
The couple shares 11 children, ages 22 to one, though the youngest was just six months old when Big City, Big Family was filmed.
Amber de la Motte runs The Happy Caravan Instagram page, which boasts almost 225k followers.
They are a conservative family that is big into music, similar to the Duggar and Plath families the network has featured.
Marc and Amber have embraced life as they experience new things in New York. It is a completely different experience with more worldly things around every corner.
The one-hour special focuses on following the de la Mottes as they adjust to living in Harlem.
The press release states, “As they juggle their growing family, a new lifestyle, and the challenges of busking together on the streets, the de la Mottes are finding that the fast-paced city life is both exhilarating and overwhelming. With worldly influences at every corner and mounting pressure to make it in the city that never sleeps, they’ll have to adapt fast—or risk losing the closeness they’ve worked so hard to build.”
Will the de la Mottes become the new Duggars for TLC?
Several similarities exist between the two families, but the de la Mottes are introduced much later in the game than the Duggars.
Marc and Amber already have a substantial online following across various platforms. They have 11 children instead of 19, but it seems one more child could be possible, as Amber mentioned she always wanted 12 children.
The de la Mottes could offer steady viewership should TLC decide to film a reality TV series with them. Because they aren’t unknowns, they can bring the ratings, which is likely what’s being tested with the one-hour special.
TLC has attempted to replicate the Duggar success with the Plaths and the Derricos, but the de la Mottes may be the ones they’ve been hoping for all along.
Big City, Big Family airs Wednesday, February 25, at 10/9c on TLC.
