Up TV
Is ‘Bringing Up Bates’ Canceled? Season 11 of UPtv Hit Is ‘No Longer Premiering’ as Scheduled
Is Bringing Up Bates finished as a TV series? It sure seems so according to the family and the show’s network, UPtv. The network confirmed the surprising news with a statement to In Touch reading, “We will not be premiering Bringing Up Bates season 11 on UPtv as planned as we will be focusing our programming in 2022 on movies and a new scripted series to be announced soon.”
The network had previously confirmed season 11’s return in September 2021, with the premiere date scheduled for Thursday, February 10, 2022. It did not mention that the show had been canceled when announcing season 11 would not be airing. The upcoming season was to feature Nathan Bates and Esther Keyes‘ wedding planning and nuptials, along with Katie Bates and fiancé Travis Clark tying the knot in a romantic December 3, 2021, ceremony.
“When we premiered Bringing Up Bates, the series was focused on parents with 19 kids who were teenagers and young children. The cameras were there to capture the love, laughs and big life moments, as the family continued to grow,” the announcement continued. The show premiered on the network in 2015 and had 10 seasons under its belt of wholesome family entertainment.
The network added, “Thank you to Gil and Kelly Jo Bates for welcoming viewers into your family’s home over the past ten seasons. Thank you to the fans who tuned in every Thursday night to be part of the journey. We’re looking forward to continuing to uplift you with our programming in the future.”
When asked if the show was canceled for good, a rep for the network told In Touch, “It will not be coming back to UPtv.”
Us Weekly was first to report news of the cancellation.
In response to the news, the family told Us Weekly, “As the next year begins, our family will be experiencing a lot of new changes. One of the biggest changes for us is that the network will be moving toward producing more scripted family shows and will not be renewing a contract to film new Bringing Up Bates episodes. We realize God’s timing is always perfect, and we are looking forward to what the future holds for our own family, as well as the network!”
The family added, “The last 10 seasons of filming with Bringing Up Bates have been an amazing journey for our family. We never expected or aspired to be on TV, but we are forever grateful to UP for all of the friendships we have formed as a result. Filming and opening up our home has been both rewarding and challenging, but there are not enough words we could say to show appreciation for the amazing film crew and all of the staff who have invested so much time into making this show possible. They have become family and have impacted us forever. We are also grateful for all of the encouragement we have received over the years from those who have watched the show and have reached out to message us or pray for us.”
The reality TV stars went on to say, “Most of all, we are thankful to God for the experiences we’ve shared together as a family and for the lessons we’ve learned along the way. We feel very blessed to have these memories. We look forward to the next chapters of life unfolding before us with lots of new adventures. We promise to keep you updated on our lives in the days ahead and pray that God will richly bless each of you. Our greatest desire is that we would each strive to learn more about God and to grow in His grace.”
The statement marks a big shift in the excitement that UPtv had toward season 11’s 2022 premiere. “Bringing Up Bates continues to outperform its prior seasons in the ratings because the Bates are beloved by our viewers and fans who watch the series weekly and engage with the family on social media,” Hector Campos, vice president of content strategy and programming at UPtv, said in a September 2021 announcement.
He added, “We repeatedly hear from viewers how much they appreciate the Bates family and that they look forward to spending time with their favorite large family each week for an entertaining and uplifting safe haven on television.”
The Bates’ filled a TV void where their friends and fellow family of 19 children, the Duggars, once did. 19 Kids and Counting was scrapped by TLC in 2015 following revelations of eldest son Josh Duggar‘s porn addiction, infidelity and past molestation of more than one of his younger sisters. A spinoff, Counting On, went on to feature the Duggar sisters as they married and grew their families. That show was axed five months before Josh’s December 2021 conviction on possession of child pornography charges.
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