Sister Wives made its grand debut on TLC back in 2010. Over the course of 15 years and 19 Seasons, the series amassed a significant fanbase around the world.
But is it nearly time to say goodbye to the Brown family?
After seeing promotional materials for a new reality show coming this spring, some Sister Wives viewers think it could be so. Is TLC replacing the Browns?
Does TLC Have A New Show Ready To Replace Sister Wives?
TLC’s newest series, Polyfamily, hits the network on Tuesday, April 29 at 10 PM Eastern time. Is it possible TLC plans to replace Sister Wives with this show?
By definition, polyamory is “having or desiring multiple intimate relationships at the same time with the full knowledge and consent of all parties involved.”
In other words, it’s vastly different than the polygamous family unit the Browns once had.
On Sister Wives, the Brown family’s polygamous dynamic was rooted in their fundamentalist Mormon beliefs. Kody believed he was at the head of his home with the four wives under him. Polyamorous relationships are built upon equality and informed consent.
Polyfamily centers around two married couples who are engaged in a closed polyamorous quad. Sean and Taya make up one couple while Tyler and Alysia make up the other. However, Taya is also dating Tyler while Alysia dates Sean.
“We are a closed polyamorous quad,” Sean explains in a teaser for the new show. “A closed quad is four people. We’re only dating within ourselves and married within ourselves. We don’t have any outside partners.”
Could Season 20 Be The End Of The Road?
As fans already know, TLC has already been filming Season 20 with the Brown family. However, it’s not immediately clear if the network plans to extend the show beyond that. After all, the Browns always said they knew the show wouldn’t last forever.
Many fans have also called for Sister Wives to end for a wide range of reasons. For example, Kody and Robyn Brown now live monogamously, so there is no “sister wives” dynamic any longer. There have been discussions online of a potential spin-off starring Christine and Janelle. But so far, those are only rumors.
Overall, plenty of Sister Wives fans are tired of Kody Brown’s aggressive onscreen behavior. They don’t appreciate the way he manipulates and controls his family. Online, many have used the word “abusive” to describe his words and actions.
TLC may simply decide to quietly remove the Brown family from its network while replacing them with a different type of nontraditional family. All reality television shows thrive on drama and chaos, but Polyfamily doesn’t center around the unbalanced power dynamics that come from polygamy.
It will certainly be an interesting change on the network, but many TLC viewers would happily embrace it.
Stay tuned for the latest news and updates on Sister Wives Season 19, returning to TLC this spring. Polyfamily premieres on the network at 10 PM Eastern time on Tuesday, April 29.
