"Jon and Kate Plus 8" Will Return to TLC as "Kate Plus 8"

Are you sick and tired of hearing about Jon and Kate Gosselin everywhere you turn? It's all over the tabloids, the front page of Yahoo, the front page of Google, and anywhere else I look. In fact, Rihanna's recently been targeted as "channeling" Kate Gosselin with her new blond 'do. Who cares? Obviously, most of the nation, it would seem. But now, with the debut of Kate Plus 8, it would seem the tide is about to turn.

It looks like we can finally cut the obnoxious, cheating, irresponsible Jon Gosselin out of the picture. TLC recently announced that "Jon and Kate Plus 8" will return in the fall, but not under that title. It will now be referred to as "Kate Plus 8". True to her word, Kate Gosselin made sure the show goes on, but it will definitely be without her recently divorced ex-husband, who probably doesn't even know what girlfriend he's on now.

So why the change? Well, if it's not obvious enough, TLC President Eileen O'Neill was quoted saying, "Given the recent changes in the family dynamics, it only makes sense for us to refresh and recalibrate the program to keep pace with the family." Had they kept Jon in the picture, the show would certainly have brought a different, perhaps even more dysfunctional dynamic to the screen.

This whole changeover reminds me of another TLC show I watched a year ago, "Say Yes to the Dress," which featured Kate Gosselin choosing a wedding dress from a high-class New York boutique. She was trying to find the perfect fit to renew her vows with Jon Gosselin a few months afterwards on their tenth anniversary. It made me feel a little bad for her now, even though I really can't stand her, seeing as I thought at the time she was more sincere about the commitment than Jon was. Evidently I was right.

I feel the most sorry for the kids. Growing up like this, they might have money for college, but their lives are plastered all over the world for anyone to see, and now they're going it without a father and with a mother who seems a bit neurotic at times.

So, will "Kate Plus 8" be the big hit it's been in recent years? For the first season it will be, at least. The publicity Jon brought to the table by cheating on Kate gave the show publicity for a long time to come, but it won't last unless something big happens - perhaps Kate will get a boyfriend? Otherwise, it might not be long before the kids grow up and "Kate Plus 8" just fizzles out.

Sources:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/jon-kate-kate/story?id=8701469