Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets is an American limited television documentary series about the Duggar family and its relationship with the Institute in Basic Life Principles. The series premiered on Prime Video on June 2, 2023. It was directed by Olivia Crist and Julia Willoughby Nason.
| Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets | |
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| Genre | Docuseries |
| Directed by |
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| Starring |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Cinematography | Brandon Riley |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Prime Video |
| Release | June 2, 2023 |
Summary
editThe series explores the dark secrets of the Duggar family, best known for the TLC reality series 19 Kids and Counting. It investigates Josh Duggar's conviction for knowingly receiving and possessing child pornography, and the family's ties to the Institute in Basic Life Principles and its controversial leader Bill Gothard, showing how the organization has influenced the Duggars.[1][2][3] The influence of Christian youth organizations, including Generation Joshua, is also discussed in the documentary.[4]
Cast
edit- Jill Duggar Dillard
- Derick Dillard
- Deanna Duggar
- Amy King
- Dillon King
- Jinger Vuolo
- Jim Holt
- Bobye Holt
- Jennifer Sutphin
- Brooke Arnold
- Chad Harris
- Lindsey Williams
- Tia Levings
- Eve Ettinger
- Tara Oathout
- Floyd Oathout
- Emily Elizabeth Anderson
- Lara Smith
- Kristin Kobes Du Mez
- Josh Pease
- Alex Harris
- Danielle Lindemann
- Morgan Olliges
- Paul Olliges
- Bill Gothard
Production
editOn December 22, 2021, it was reported that an untitled docuseries on the Duggar family and their association with the Institute in Basic Life Principles was in the works, to be produced by The Cinemart, Story Force, Chick Entertainment, and Amazon Studios.[5]
The series was directed and executive produced by Olivia Crist and Julia Willoughby Nason, and also executive produced by Cori Shepherd Stern, Blye Pagon Faust, Mike Gasparro, Jody McVeigh-Schultz, and Jenner Furst.[6] Jill Duggar Dillard is the only one of the 19 Duggar children featured on 19 Kids and Counting to appear in Shiny Happy People.[6] The series also features Jim Bob Duggar's sister Deanna Duggar and her daughter Amy King, and includes interviews with survivors of the Institute in Basic Life Principles' alleged abuse.[6][7]
Release
editThe trailer was released on May 18, 2023,[8] and the four-episode docuseries premiered on Prime Video on June 2, 2023.[6]
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Meet The Duggars" | June 2, 2023 |
| 2 | "Growing up Gothard" | June 2, 2023 |
| 3 | "Under Authority" | June 2, 2023 |
| 4 | "Arrows Activated" | June 2, 2023 |
Reception
editRich Juzwiak of Jezebel called the series "a damning portrait of a Christian organization that created a power structure leaving so many of its followers open to abuse, and a profile of exactly how that played out in one family."[6] Adrian Horton of The Guardian wrote, "A show that is initially about an odd corner of American celebrity morphs into a recounting of abuse within the family, to abuse propagated and protected by IBLP, and to the inroads fundamentalist, authoritarian-leaning Christianity has made in US schools, government and civic life."[9]
References
edit- ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (30 May 2023). "What 'Shiny Happy People' reveals about the Duggars: 'We were taken advantage of'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ Jackson, Dory (18 May 2023). "Duggar Family — and Their Religion — Exposed in Explosive Prime Video Docuseries Featuring Jill and Amy". People. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ "The new Duggar doc is the cold, hard 'reality TV' we needed all along". The Washington Post.
- ^ Espada, Mariah (June 2, 2023). "The True Story Behind the Duggar Family Docuseries Shiny Happy People". Time. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
- ^ Aurthur, Kate (22 December 2021). "Docuseries on the Duggars and Other Reality TV Families Coming From 'LuLaRich' Team at Amazon". Variety. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Juzwiak, Rich (26 May 2023). "You Aren't Prepared for How Disturbing 'Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets' Is". Jezebel. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ Ashford, Joy (31 May 2023). "Duggar family documentary 'Shiny Happy People' alleges there was a secret cult of abuse". USA Today. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ Nardino, Meredith (18 May 2023). "Duggar Family Secrets Are Exposed in New Docuseries Featuring Jill and Amy: Everything to Know About 'Shiny Happy People'". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- ^ Horton, Adrian (1 June 2023). "'Insidious organization': a reality TV family and the dangers of fundamentalism". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 June 2023.