How ‘Sister Wives’ Will Move Forward Following the Brown Family Dismantling
variety.comEmily Longeretta Thirteen years ago, “Sister Wives” shocked viewers when it debuted on TLC, following the ins and outs of the polygamist Brown family — Kody Brown, his four wives, Robyn, Meri, Janelle and Christine, and their 18 children.
Viewers flocked to the screen. “We needed to be heard, polygamous people,” Christine says now. “We wanted people to know that we’re just regular people who are just doing our best to raise kids and have a big, great, awesome, happy family.” Howard Lee, president of Discovery Networks and TLC, recalls the first time he saw the non-traditional Brown family. “We knew we had something special,” he says. “It was completely different from anything that we all consider what defines family.” It’s that difference that keeps viewers returning, he says. “It’s endlessly watchable to see how one man and his four wives navigate each of their relationships.
It was just so incredibly unusual to see four different relationships happening at once under one roof separately.” It’s no secret that the television landscape is far different in 2023 than it was in 2010.
But the interest in this family isn’t going anywhere; in fact, Season 1 scored a 1.99 rating among women aged 25-54. Season 17, which aired its finale in January, scored a 2.12 in the same range, the highest since 2020.
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