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Porter Ridge, Discovery’s new reality show from the producers of Duck Dynasty set in the backwoods of Indiana, drew 1.4 million viewers on its premiere night last Tuesday, overshadowed by other unscripted shows on the net.
Looking at the Tuesday nationals, Nielsen estimates that Porter Ridge averaged a 0.7 rating/2 share in adults 18-49 and 1.42 million viewers in the 10:30 p.m. half-hour – a decent start but lagging cable competition in its time period, including a repeat of The Big Bang Theory on TBS, Legend Shelby Swamp Man on History and USA’s Suits.
Discovery’s new reality show Porter Ridge drew 1.4 million viewers on its premiere
Certainly, no one expected Duck Dynasty-like numbers for Porter Ridge, as even that now red-hot show bowed to 1.8 million viewers with its series premiere nearly 18 months ago.
Porter Ridge had a solid lead-in at 10 p.m. from Tickle (0.9/2 in 18-49, 1.91 million viewers overall), a spinoff of Discovery’s Moonshiners.
Discovery logged its best numbers of the night in the 9 o’clock hour with Amish Mafia (1.1/3 in 18-49, 2.54 million viewers overall), which tied with TNT’s Rizzoli & Isles as cable’s top show for the time period in 18-49. It was second on all of television (behind NBC’s America’s Got Talent) in men 18-49 and 25-54.
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During the time, Flextone Game Calls has hired professional athletes and big-name hunters to help get the word out about some of his products, and their on-air talents have run the gamut from stiff-as-a-board to loosy-goosy.
However, no one’s ever performed quite like Si Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame.
The company’s president, Matt Busbice, contracted with Si Robertson to help him promote Flextone’s Black Rack, a rattling system that employs two full racks. Hunters beat the fake antlers together to simulate the sound of two bucks fighting.
Matt Busbice said the sound is remarkably different.
“I’ve got a pair of sheds in my office and a pair of Black Racks. Whenever you rattle the Black Rack versus the pair of sheds, it sounds exactly like two deer fighting,” he said.
“I have a video of two deer fighting, and you can tell the difference. There’s more tine-to-tine contact, and there’s more grinding.”
When Si Robertson showed up in the early spring to shoot the commercial, Matt Busbice and his staff introduced him to the Black Rack system, and Uncle Si instantly grasped the concept. He stood in front of the camera, and said: “Say when.”
“We wanted it to be Si explaining the Black Rack concept,” Matt Busbice said.
“We didn’t want to coach him much. We gave him some prompts, and he was just knocking it out of the park.”
Si Robertson promotes Flextone’s Black Rack, a rattling system that employs two full racks
Matt Busbice has published the outtakes on YouTube, and they’re as funny as any Duck Dynasty episode. The video is all classic Si Robertson.
“Hey, look here,” Uncle Si starts.
“I’ve been deer hunting as long as I’ve been duck hunting, alright?”
Si Robertson then picks up two sheds and claps them together.
“This is a deer fighting himself, OK? Not realistic, alright? Hey, you ain’t even got a full rack here. You got the left side and the right side, and he’s fighting himself. No good.”
Matt Busbice said he had the time of his life shooting the commercial.
“Working with Si – I would characterize it as genius,” Matt Busbice said.
“I always thought that the producers and the big Hollywood writers were doing a lot of coaching for Si; that’s not even close to true. He requires no coaching. He’s basically one of the most natural talents I’ve ever worked with. He by far blew away anybody I ever worked with as far as raw humor and delivering the message.”
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Duck Dynasty’s Si Robertson opened up to LifeWay Christian Resources about his faith and the reason he and the rest of the Robertson family have found success.
Uncle Si has a propensity for stretching the truth during his stories on the reality TV show. However, when he sat down with LifeWay for two exclusive video interviews, he was serious about what Christ can do – as serious as he can be.
“A lot of people say, <<Hey, God doesn’t have a sense of humor>>. Yes, He does. God has a great sense of humor. Look at me. Look at Phil. Look at Willie. Look at Jase,” Si Robertson said with a laugh, referring to other members of the Robertson family.
“God has taken four guys that look like five miles of muddy road and made them famous in the TV world.”
In preparation for the September 3 release of his new book Si-cology 1: Tales and Wisdom from Duck Dynasty’s Favorite Uncle, Si Robertson attributes the success of their business and TV show to God.
In preparation for the September 3 release of his new book, Si Robertson attributes the success of their business and TV show to God
“[People] ask us all the time, <<How did you become so successful?>> That would be one answer: The Almighty is the one who has made this a success,” he said.
A video interview released by LifeWay last spring with Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson went viral with almost 4 million views.
While Si Robertson has experienced God in his success, he also sees God as the one who is there during difficult moments.
“I wonder when people run into bad times, when they go to the doctor and they find out, <<I’m dying of cancer>>, and they don’t believe in God, who do they turn to?” Si Robertson asked.
“We are all mortal. We are all going in that grave,” he continued in the first of two short video interviews at LifeWay.com.
“There ain’t but one way you gonna beat it.”
For Si Robertson, above all the success and fame, the Gospel is the most important thing in his life.
“Like Phil always tells them, <<If you’ve got something to offer me better than I just shared with you, I’m all ears>>,” Si Robertson said.
“[Jesus] beat the grave and He promises you that since He beat it, if you believe in Him, He’ll make you beat it.”
In the second two-minute video, Si Robertson gives his own apologetic for believing in the resurrection of Christ: spring.
“In the winter, things are dead and dull, but then there is an explosion of life,” Si Robertson said.
“That’s what He promises people who believe in His Son. That’s what all the Robertsons are banking on.”
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Duck Dynasty school supplies are now at Walmart.
That’s right you can have Si, Willie, Jase and Phil Robertson on your notebooks, composition, folders and binders.
Duck Dynasty school supplies are now at Walmart
Prices range from $2.37 to $9.97 for lunch boxes.
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Duck Dynasty‘s bearded hunters adorn the top-selling graphic T-shirt at Walmart.
“You might have wondered if women would wear a T-shirt with bearded men on the front,” said Duncan Mac Naughton, Walmart’s chief merchandising and marketing officer.
The answer is yes, he added.
In fact, A&E Network’s reality series has become a gold mine for Walmart, and both companies are looking to take advantage of the show’s success with a major expansion of its licensing empire.
The Duck Dynasty franchise is represented in six Walmart departments, including apparel, home goods and sporting goods, but there are plans to expand to 13 departments by the holiday season, said Kate Winn, senior VP-consumer products at A&E Networks.
While there’s the obvious – sporting goods, apparel and DVDs – Duck Dynasty is rolling out some more-unusual merchandise: Halloween costumes for dogs complete with beards and camo gear, along with antibacterial bandages.
Duck Dynasty‘s bearded hunters adorn the top-selling graphic T-shirt at Walmart
Walmart has also introduced the bandages, which come with camouflage decorations and feature sayings from members of the Robertson family, the colorful bayou entrepreneurs, such as: “If you’re too busy to duck hunt, you’re too busy.”
Pointing to a display of the bandages during a store tour for media in Rogers, Arkansas, Walmart President-Health and Wellness John Agwunobi said it’s part of a “longstanding relationship” with Duck Dynasty that’s been successful in other categories.
“Walmart has responded to the program because it is a show the entire family can watch and is wholesome entertainment, which isn’t prevalent on TV right now,” Kate Winn said.
Before they achieved cable-TV fame, the Robertsons, owners of West Monroe, Louisiana-based Duck Commander, were suppliers to Walmart for several years, producing duck-hunting VHS tapes sold in the stores with their phone number included.
For years, the Robertsons would shave their beards before annual trips to see buyers in Bentonville, until a few years ago they decided to keep them when making the trip, a Walmart spokeswoman said.
Duck Dynasty merchandise is also available at national retailers like Kohl’s, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s.
Kate Winn said there’s an apparel deal in the works at Kohl’s, with merchandise set to hit shelves in the fall.
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The Asian girl on the Walmart commercial with the Duck Dynasty stars is Rebecca, Willie and Korie Robertson’s adopted daughter.
Rebecca was an exchange student that Willie and Korie Robertson sponsored. She has been with them for years now and they consider her apart of the family.
Willie and Korie Robertson have five kids: John Luke, Will, Bella, Rebecca, and Sadie
Willie and Korie Robertson have five kids: John Luke, Will, Bella, Rebecca, and Sadie.
The eldest Roberston child is also the newest to the family, Rebecca.
Rebecca came to the Roberstons as an exchange student from Taiwan, but then became their foster daughter.
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A recent Louisiana poll shows that 41% of the state’s voters don’t think Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson should run for Congress, a week after news emerged that party officials were trying to woo him into the race.
Moreover, Louisianans ranked Willie Robertson’s Uncle Si as their most favorite family member.
The poll conducted by Conservative Intelligence Briefing mainly included questions about state politicians Bobby Jindal, David Vitter and Mary Landrieu.
But the company inquired if voters would actually consider Willie Robertson, 41, for the open seat left by retiring Rep. Rodney Alexander.
Almost half of Louisiana voters don’t want Willie Robertson to run for Congress
It appears they would not.
Even more surprising though is that Willie Robertson, the self-described “Boss Hog” of the West Monroe clan, isn’t even the show favorite.
Willie Robertson lost out to his tea-drinking Uncle Si.
Twenty five percent of responders listed Uncle Si as the most lovable Robertson while only 24% rooted for Willie.
Though the Washington Examiner floated Willie Robertson as a possible candidate, the CEO of Duck Commander told Fox News he was pretty busy managing his business and starring in his family’s hit show.
Duck Dynasty Season 4 premiere on A&E TV attracted a mind-blowing 11.8 million viewers last week – a record for the cable network.
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Meghan Cook, a Pennsylvania camouflage-clad bride, and her groom, Charlie Miller, got a little advice from a bewhiskered witness on their wedding day: Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson.
WTAE-TV reports Willie Robertson told the couple to always love and forgive one another as they were wed Saturday morning at a Field & Stream store near Pittsburgh.
Willie Robertson popped in for the nuptials of Mehgan Cook, who sported a camouflage sash on her dress, and Charlie Miller, who was completely clad in camo gear.
The two hadn’t planned on marrying at the store but Mehgan Cook said they were eager to meet Willie Robertson.
Willie Robertson told Mehgan Cook and Charlie Miller to always love and forgive one another as they were wed at a Field & Stream store near Pittsburgh
“I was going to cancel the wedding ’cause I heard Willie was coming,” Mehgan Cook told KDKA-TV.
Instead, Mehgan Cook said, her mother came up with the idea of a wedding at the store – and they got a surprise when Willie Robertson appeared during the ceremony.
“That’s a first for me, it’s good to be a part of that,” Willie Robertson said.
“They look like my kind of folks with the camouflage. That was cool.”
On the Duck Dynasty Season 4 premiere, which aired last week, family members threw a surprise wedding for patriarch Phil Robertson, wearing a black jacket over camouflage garb, and his wife, Miss Kay. They could only afford a justice of the peace when they married 48 years ago.
The show drew 11.8 million viewers on the A&E channel, making it the No. 1 non-fiction series telecast in U.S. cable television history in total viewers as well as all key demographic groups.
Mehgan Cook said she had been engaged to another man, but he died in a car crash four years ago. But she met Charlie Miller at the scene and eventually the two started dating.
“I never thought it would happen again,” Mehgan Cook said, tearing up.
Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson revealed he does not have any plans to run for Congress from Louisiana.
While promoting Duck Dynasty Season 4 on Fox News’ The Five, Willie Robertson was asked to weigh in on reports that he might run to replace Republican Rep. Rodney Alexander, who is set to resign in September to join the cabinet of Gov. Bobby Jindal.
“I heard I was doing that,” Willie Robertson said regarding the Twitter buzz his own political leanings have sparked, but “that’s news to me.”
“I’m kinda busy right now,” he added.
“I gotta lot of stuff going on.”
Willie Robertson promoting Duck Dynasty Season 4 on Fox News’ The Five
Duck Dynasty remains one of the most popular shows on cable and in recent months, WillieRobertson has taken to the road, hitting up the Christian lecture circuit with the likes of megachurch pastor Rick Warren, conservative New England Patriots quarterback Tim Tebow and the ever-present former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Willie Robertson, who has referred to his Christian faith, values and support of Second Amendment rights on his show, is said to have been wooed by some top GOP leaders for a run for Congress.
Dismissing the suggestions that he should make an entrance into politics, Willie Robertson instead offered his endorsement when asked whom he “liked for 2016 on the Republican side.” He picked Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
“I’m curious to know about Jindal,” Willie Robertson said.
“That’s my guy.”
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Duck Dynasty men have no plans to change their look anytime soon, because as it turns out, those bushy beards are more than just down-home fashion statements.
“You have to remember something – you came out of your mother’s womb and reached a certain majority of years and that hair started coming forth from your face,” Phil Robertson told TODAY.
“Not so much with women, but men, hair grows out of their face. So we usually remind people that the only two people who do not have whiskers are women and children, and we are neither of those.”
The beard is just fine with Phil Robertson’s wife, Miss Kay. Even though she admitted she hasn’t “seen his face in 30 years,” she’s learned to love whiskers.
Duck Dynasty men have no plans to change their look anytime soon
In fact, Miss Kay’s so happy with Phil Robertson, she recently agreed to walk down the aisle with him one more time for their 49th wedding anniversary, and fans will get a chance to see the big event on the show’s season four premiere.
“This wedding costs way more than the original wedding with Miss Kay and I,” Phil Robertson said of the romantic redo.
“It was $25 bucks on the first go around. Fifty years later, to kind of replay that, it was … uh … hold on to your pocketbook.”
Almost 12 million viewers tuned in to Season 4’s premiere of the scripted reality TV hit — which, as it turns out, isn’t very scripted at all.
“Most of the time, we ad lib because think about it, someone in LA is fixing to put words into our mouths?” Phil Robertson said, scoffing at the idea.
Besides, at least one of them doesn’t pay much attention to the script anyway.
“I’m a director’s worst nightmare,” said fan favorite, Si Robertson.
“They give you the script – I don’t read no script, OK? And don’t let me get bored, ’cause then I’ll just go crazy.”
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Duck Dynasty star Uncle Si Robertson and his wife Christine have two children, a son named Scott and a daughter Trasa, married Cobern.
Scott Robertson currently serves in the US Army and has been deployed to Iraq three times.
Uncle Si’s daughter Trasa Lee Cobern Robertson teaches social studies in Hurst, Texas
He and his wife Marsha Markert Robertson have three boys.
Trasa Lee Cobern Robertson teaches social studies in Hurst, Texas.
According to her Facebook account, Si Robertson’s daughter is a Republican.
Trasa Cobern, 37, is married to 46-year-old Kyle W. Cobern since July 5, 1996, and they have four boys together.
Duck Dynasty star Jase Robertson was the victim of a “facial profiling” when he was escorted out of NYC’s Trump International Hotel after a staff member assumed he was an undesirable sort.
Jase Robertson and the rest of Duck Dynasty cast were in New York promoting the Season 4 premiere of their hit A&E reality show, which drew 1.8 million viewers Wednesday night, a record-breaking ratings success.
Jase Robertson was escorted out of a swanky NYC hotel after a staff member assumed he was an undesirable sort
However, even with all the cash from their family business and the ratings coup, the Robertsons may not yet be household names – or faces, which was more than evident during Jase Robertson’s encounter with a confused hotel employee.
“I asked where the bathroom was and he said, <<Right this way, sir>>. He was very nice,” Robertson shared on Live With Kelly & Michael.
“He walked me outside, pointed down the road and said, <<Good luck>.”
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Duck Dynasty’s matriarch Miss Kay finally got the ceremony she had always dreamed of when she tied the knot with Phil Robertson 50 years ago in a very au courant DIY affair on their expansive rural Louisiana property.
“I guess dreams really do come true,” said Miss Kay Robertson of her vow renewal.
“I feel like I’m living a fairy tale.”
Organizing the wedding was no small task, as the women of the Robertson family recruited their reluctant husbands to do everything from arrange flowers to hang lights.
“The definition of cruel and unusual punishment is hanging out on the river bank while fish are biting and I’m stuck setting up for a wedding that’s 50 years late,” groused Miss Kay and Phil’s son Jase Robertson.
Meanwhile, Phil Robertson’s brother, Vietnam veteran Uncle Si, was charged with the task of distracting Miss Kay and Phil until the ceremony.
“You’re the most integral part of this entire thing,” Willie Robertson’s wife, Korie, told Si, explaining that he had to take the couple off the property while the family prepared the wedding. “Do not come back until 5 o’clock!”
The next day, Si Robertson took Miss Kay and Phil on a rambling “trip down memory lane,” which included a visit to a dilapidated crack house and random firework stand.
“It would be nice if you went down memory lane to run up on something that you remembered,” lamented Phil Robertson.
Si Robertson finally redeemed himself by taking Miss Kay and Phil to a tree where they carved their initials in a tree five decades earlier.
“Seeing that tree just warmed my heart,” said Miss Kay Robertson.
“I can’t believe Si actually remembered that.”
Phil and Miss Kay Robertson make it official, 50 years later
Back at the Robertson compound, the family got busy decorating. The clan’s inscrutable neighbor, Mountain Man, crafted an arbor made of found branches and zip ties. Mason jars lit with candles were hung from branches, while bales of hay were turned into benches, covered with colorful swaths of fabric. The family’s fabled creek set the background, with the water sparkling and looking “like diamonds.”
For the ceremony, Si Robertson served as best man, much to the chagrin of son Willie.
“Those are two words that have never been used together–best man and Si,” Willie Robertson harrumphed.
Phil Robertson justified his decision by pointing out that he and Si had been “running together since he was naked.”
“Thank goodness he’s not naked now,” quipped Willie Robertson.
Miss Kay Robertson was wearing a partial white net veil and cream-colored suit, walked down the aisle, accompanied by her two beloved dogs. As a ukulele was softly strummed, Miss Kay’s daughter-in-law Missy Robertson sang a lilting tune.
Meanwhile, Si Robertson asked his brother Phil if he was nervous.
“No,” he replied.
“Game wardens are the only things that make me nervous.”
Surrounded by friends and family, the ceremony was lead by the Robertson’s eldest, clean-shaven son, Alan, who recently joined the family business after two decades as a preacher in the local church.
“We’ve hauled a lot of fish up this bank, we’ve played baseball under these trees, Si shot a few squirrels out of them as well,” said Alan Robertson, as his parents stood before him.
“We all got baptized in the creek back here behind me. And now, here we are, almost 50 years after you two guys got together, having the wedding that you never had, with four generations of Robertsons looking on.”
Miss Kay Robertson fought her emotions as she looked up to her husband.
“From the time I was 14 years old, I loved you,” said Miss Kay Robertson, steeling herself.
“We’ve been through some good times, and some hard times. I loved you when we were poor, and you were not so nice. Now you’re really nice and kind. And all I can say about that is – I’m not going anywhere. I will love you forever.”
Phil and Miss Kay Robertson’s youngest son was so overwhelmed with emotion, he began crying uncontrollably.
“Jep – keep it together,” one of his brothers hissed.
Meanwhile, the ceremony continued.
“Let’s see, Miss Kay – we’ve been running together since we were teenagers,” said Phil Robertson.
“The old blue Chevrolet, Si in the back. You have cooked me many a good meal. From your loins came four healthy, Godly men. You are my best friend and I love you dearly, and I’m going to be with you for the long haul, until they put me in the ground. Good?”
“Perfect,” beamed Miss Kay Robertson.
Reflecting on their almost five decades together, Miss Kay Robertson observed: “Our marriage is living proof that love and family can get you through anything.”
Duck Dynasty drew 11.8 million viewers Wednesday night on A&E, the largest audience ever for a nonfiction telecast on cable television.
That total, which included 6.3 million viewers in the advertiser-preferred demographic of 25- to 54-year-olds, built on the high ratings won in April, at the conclusion of Season 3, when the audience reached 9.6 million.
The series follows the travails of the Robertson family of West Monroe, Louisiana, and their company, Duck Commander, which makes duck calls for hunters. The show mixes commerce, family life, the great outdoors and beards suitable for members of the band ZZ Top – sported by the patriarch of the family, Phil Robertson, and three of his sons.
Duck Dynasty drew 11.8 million viewers Wednesday night, the largest audience ever for a nonfiction telecast on cable television
“The Robertsons represent a lot things we as Americans cherish,” said David McKillop, the general manager and executive vice president of the network: “self-made wealth, independence, three generations living together.”
Though a reality show, David McKillop said Duck Dynasty fits nicely with the themes of classic family television.
“When the show came in, the direction I gave: This is not a hunting show, make this like <<The Waltons>>.”
Duck Dynasty’s popularity extends beyond TV. At a recent Walmart meeting, the company announced that Duck Dynasty T-shirts were the best sellers in its men’s, women’s and boys’ sections.
Wednesday’s episode, the premiere of Duck Dynasty Season 4, followed the Robertson children as they planned a wedding ceremony for Phil Robertson and his wife, Miss Kay, who were married 48 years ago by a justice of the peace.
It also added a new character to the show: Beardless Robertson Male, Alan Robertson. He is Phil and Miss Kay’s eldest son, a minister who performed the wedding.
With its nearly 12 million viewers, Duck Dynasty eclipsed the veiwership totals of other intensely popular reality shows like Jon & Kate Plus 8, which in 2009 drew an audience of 10.6 million viewers to hear Jon and Kate Gosselin confirm that they were splitting up.
Duck Dynasty new season premiered last night on A&E TV with a surprise episode Till Duck Do Us Part.
Everyone comes together to plan a surprise wedding for Phil and Miss Kay Robertson, setting up a special ceremony on their land, which the whole family attends.
Si Robertson distracts Phil and Kay by taking them on a “trip down memory lane” to different places that were meaningful in their relationship.
Duck Dynasty stars received big salary raises right before Season 4 premieres
It was also reported that the cast of A&E’s runaway hit reality series Duck Dynasty has received big raises right before Season 4 premieres.
After prolonged talks, the Robertsons will earn approximately $200,000 an episode to be divided among the nine adults and 11 kids. This is about four times more than what the family banked previously. The new deal also includes additional seasons of the series, and series/cast options.
Talks for a new agreement began in early 2013 and initially delayed production on Season 4. Duck Dynasty eventually began production while negotiations were still underway.
The Season 3 finale of Duck Dynasty was the most-watched A&E series telecast in network history, grabbing 9.6 million viewers and 5.5 million viewers in the adults ages 18-49 demographic.
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Duck Dynasty stars Willie and Korie Robertson have five children: John Luke, Will, Rebecca, Sadie and Bella.
Willie and Korie Robertson have three biological children: John Luke, Sadie and Bella.
This is no surprise as they look almost identical, especially John Luke and Sadie.
Willie and Korie Robertson have three biological children and two adopted
However, their other two adopted children, Rebecca and Will, were less known publicly, even though one has been on their show Duck Dynasty.
The oldest of the kids and also newest member of the Robertson family is Rebecca. She is a foreign exchange student from Taiwan who came to stay with the Robertsons and the family fell in love. Eventually Willie and Korie Robertson became Rebecca’s foster parents. Rebecca hasn’t been shown on the show yet.
John Luke Robertson is the oldest boy in the family and has seen the most air time of the children on the show. He frequently hunts with the guys and gets dating advice from Uncle Si.
Sadie Robertson has also appeared several times with memorable scenes of her learning to drive and picking out dresses for a dance.
Will was the first adopted child to the family and has been with the Robertsons since birth. He has been seen on the show, but haven’t heard too much about him or his background yet.
A month after deciding to adopt Will, Korie Robertson found out she was pregnant with Bella, so it was a very eventful time for the family. Bella has been on a show in a few shots with all of the granddaughters about Phil and Miss Kay Robertson.
This comes as no surprise to people who watch the show and can tell that the Robertson family really has big hearts and great values. Even though, they argue like all brothers do on the show, you can tell that Phil and Miss Kay Robertson have raised great morals and values into their children and family.
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Back in 2012, a proposal for a TV show about a conservative Louisiana family that makes duck calls didn’t have to go far to find doubters.
The Robertsons were seated at the dinner table.
“I said, <<This will never work. Nobody’s going to watch that>>,” remembers Jase Robertson, who works for the family business.
“My dad [Phil Robertson] echoed that. I think he said something along the lines of <<A redneck family, they’re not going to run that>>.”
Well, they did run it, and people watched. Lots of people. A&E’s Duck Dynasty, which opens its fourth season today, August 14, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, has become a ratings phenomenon, ranking behind only AMC’s zombie hit The Walking Dead last season among cable series.
The reality series that follows the bearded Robertson clan and their Monroe, Louisiana, outdoor sporting-goods business grew 95% in viewers last season, averaging 8.4 million viewers.
Duck Dynasty is designed as a modern-day sitcom with a rich cast of characters including patriarch and duck-call creator Phil Robertson, his wife Kay and their sons – Willie, the CEO; Jase, who makes the duck calls but would rather be hunting or fishing; and Jep – and Phil’s offbeat brother, Si.
Phil and Miss Kay’s oldest son, Alan – uniquely clean-shaven – joins the show in the fourth-season premiere.
Duck Dynasty Season 4’s first episode will feature a surprise wedding-vow renewal ceremony for Phil and Kay Robertson on their 49th anniversary.
“He’s kind of the troubled one in my family. He’s good looking, he’s clean shaven, he bathes regularly and he wears nice clothes. We’ve always tried to figure out what exactly is wrong with him,” Jase Robertson says.
Duck Dynasty has become a ratings phenomenon, ranking behind only The Walking Dead last season among cable series
The show’s success has much to do with how engaging the Robertsons are, says Andy Dehnart, editor of realityblurred.com, a blog about unscripted TV shows.
“The No. 1 thing is just that the cast members are really appealing, nice, funny, warm, awesome people to spend some time with on TV. I think that’s what makes all the difference,” he says.
“We get that a lot on social media, <<How I wish this was my family>>, which is the best compliment we can get,” says A&E’s reality-programming chief Lily Neumeyer, also an executive producer on the series.
Jase Robertson says he believes sincerity is the key.
“I think the smartest thing we did was stay true to ourselves.”
Producers get episode ideas from the family members, but the episodes resemble sitcom plots: Willie Robertson wants to lose weight before a reunion. Jase thinks Willie is going through a midlife crisis.
“We all sat down around a table and had them tell stories and we just listen. They always have the most amazing, funny stories and moments,” she says.
Producers often re-create situations for the show, so like most such series it isn’t entirely unscripted. Once the cameras are rolling, the Robertsons take it from there, Lily Neumeyer says.
Still, when producers try to film or re-create events from their lives, family members don’t necessarily go along with their plans. Jase Robertson says he’s not told what to say and that he has balked at requests, refusing to wear knickers in an episode where he and Willie go golfing.
“A lot of the ideas that they have, they always take a turn somewhere because that’s just not what we would do,” he says.
“I think it’s difficult for them to trust us enough to know that they’re going to get something they can use, and that’s been the biggest battle. They want to control it, but we’re uncontrollable. So, finding that balance is the genius part of the show.”
Duck Dynasty‘s success already is leading to imitators, Andy Dehnart says, but it will be hard to reproduce the on-camera genuineness of the Robertsons. Discovery Channel on Tuesday unveiled Porter Ridge, a comedic series from Duck Dynasty‘s producers that centers on an auto salvage yard business in the hills of Indiana.
“I fear for the day when a bunch of Duck Dynasty clones come on the air, in part, because it’s lightning in a bottle,” says Andy Dehnart.
The family just got a big raise, Deadline.com reported Tuesday, enabling A&E to promise “several” more seasons of the show, but Jase Robertson dismisses reports of acrimony.
“We were having normal negotiations and people blew it out of proportion just for a story,” he says.
“A&E has been good to us. It says a lot of them to allow us to do what we do on the show, which is not normal television. They took a risk on us and we’ve been happy with them, and I think they’ve been happy with us.”
The high profile has helped the family business, too, with many people who aren’t hunters buying the duck calls and other items. A&E says an extensive line of merchandise is a big seller at WalMart and other big retailers. The family members are in demand at various events, and Willie and Si Robertson will appear, as other characters, on the season premiere of ABC’s Last Man Standing on September 20, 8 p.m. ET/PT.
“It’s changed our lives, because I can’t go to the grocery store without people gathering (around), but I think the difference in us and most people on TV is this was not something we set out as a goal,” he says.
“So, it didn’t really taint the important things, our faith and our family and our perspective on life.”
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Porter Ridge, which makes its debut on the Discovery Channel on Tuesday night, is a reality show from the makers of Duck Dynasty, A&E’s daffy, delightful ratings juggernaut, which begins its fourth season on Wednesday.
Docu-series Porter Ridge, set in a remote area of Indiana, follows an isolated community which, according to the network, follows three rules: respect the Lord, love your family and watch each other’s backs.
In the premiere episode of Porter Ridge we meet Terry Porter and the gang as they take on a repo mission confronting their rivals, the Dog Killer Ridge crew.
Porter Ridge has the same problem most shows in this genre have: Everyone’s trying too hard. The show looks in on a backwoods microcosm in Indiana. Terry Porter, who seems to own no shirts, runs an auto junkyard.
Porter Ridge makes its debut on the Discovery Channel
Jeff Watson, whose beard is somewhat better trimmed than the well-known ones on Duck Dynasty, keeps bears as pets, though, in the premiere, it is not clear why. Assorted other characters with supposed-to-be-idiosyncratic names are also drifting about: Dirty Andy, another big-bearded fellow; Elvis Larry, who has the Elvis sideburns. There’s a rival junkyard on a rival ridge – Dog Killer Ridge, to be exact.
Wacky names and deep-woods dialect (subtitles are occasionally used in Porter Ridge) are all over reality television, and they’re amusing for about 15 minutes. That’s how long it takes to realize that life in a junkyard universe isn’t all that interesting if the people aren’t interesting themselves.
There is occasional wit in Porter Ridge, as when Terry Porter’s wife, Carrie, expresses a desire for a vacation.
“How long has it been since you’ve taken me on a trip?” Carrie asks Terry.
“Didn’t I take you to the Iron Skillet a week ago?” he says.
But those modest flourishes are few and far between; mostly, you’re just supposed to gawk at the rusticness of it all and be amused by antics like trying to open an old safe by dynamiting it.
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The conservative Louisiana family returns tomorrow night for Season 4 of their mega-hit A&E reality show Duck Dynasty.
The last time we the Robertsons was in April, when their Season 3 finale broke records for A&E, pulling in 9.6 million viewers to become the most-watched show in its history.
“It’s amazing how appealing these people are all over the country,” says Elaine Fontain Bryant, A&E’s senior vice president of nonfiction and alternative programming.
“We really haven’t come across many people who don’t love them.”
The Robertson family, which became millionaires selling duck calls – the whistles blown to flush out ducks – has proven to be popular even outside of reality TV.
Duck Dynasty returns tomorrow night for Season 4
They currently have two books on the New York Times bestseller list – Phil Robertson’s memoir Happy, Happy, Happy and Willie and Korie Robertson’s The Duck Commander Family – and three more books due out this fall, including another memoir, a devotional book and a cookbook.
The Duck Dynasty stars have got a Christmas album coming out in October, a theme cruise setting sail next summer (which is already sold out) and a line of prom dresses inspired by Sadie Robertson.
As if TV, books, music, travel and fashion weren’t enough, some Republicans are itching for Willie Robertson, the star of the show and CEO of the family business, to run for political office. An outside advisor to House GOP leadership told the Washington Examiner yesterday they hope for Willie Robertson to run for the 5th District Congressional seat left open by the exit of Louisiana Republican Rodney Alexander.
Of the tidal wave of fame, straight-shooting patriarch Phil Robertson tells The New York Post: “Our greatest fear is that we come out on the other side of this thing acting like Charlie Sheen.”
Duck Dynasty Season 4 premieres on Wednesday, August 14, at 10/9C on A & E.
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Duck Dynasty star Sadie Robertson is teaming up with designer Sherri Hill to create a line of prom dresses.
Willie Robertson’s daughter is finding herself in the spotlight once again after American Idol winner Scotty McCreery serenaded Sadie at her Sweet Sixteen party last month.
The Sadie Robertson Live Original collection, available next spring, will feature retro-inspired dresses with hem lengths that are “Willie approved”.
The Sadie Robertson Live Original collection, available next spring, will feature retro-inspired dresses with hem lengths that are “Willie approved”
That’s very important, as Sadie Robertson’s protective father has vetoed her prom dress choices in the past.
In last season’s Duck Be a Lady episode, the 16-year-old struggled to find a gown that both she and the stern Willie Robertson liked.
Now, Sadie Robertson and girls like her across the country won’t have to worry about finding appropriate evening wear.
Not only that, but Sadie Robertson will model her designs on the runway at Sherri Hill’s New York Fashion Week on September 9.
Duck Dynasty Season 4 premieres Wednesday, August 14, at 10 PM on A&E.
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Duck Dynasty stars have spent much of the summer doing the rounds on the speaking circuit, rubbing shoulders with everyone from Tim Tebow to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to Sarah Palin.
They conservative Louisiana family was just celebrated at Rick Warren’s church for a congregation-wide Duck Dynasty day – spreading a message founded on their Christian faith, promoting family values and, of course, the right to bear arms.
Phil Robertson, the family patriarch who is the family’s camo decked evangelist, joined forces with his oldest son, Alan, a Church of Christ minister to headline Warren’s event on July 21.
Warning members against “political correctness trumping Biblical correctness”, Phil Robertson preached multiple messages to the thousands who turned out for the festivities – which included a beard-growing contest.
The stars of the popular show, among cable’s most watched programs, still run their multi-million dollar hunting goods company and have expanded their empire to produce everything from camo-emblazoned Christian devotionals, cigars, onesies bearing the Duck Commander logo and duck calls that retail from $9.95 to $179.95.
Phil Robertson, who began the duck call manufacturing operation from meager beginnings in 1972, appears on Duck Dynasty with his wife, Miss Kay, and his hilarious brother with a sweet tea addiction, Uncle Si.
Three of Phil Robertson’s four sons – the straight talking Jase, Willie (who followed his father as CEO of the company) and the youngest, and indulged, Jep – have all appeared on the show since Season 1.
Duck Dynasty stars have spent much of the summer spreading a message founded on their Christian faith
The eldest Robertson, Alan, is the only non-bearded one in the mix and has just left his work at the local church to help his family manage their new fame.
Describing himself as the “normal one,” Alan Robertson will be joining Duck Dynasty Season 4 that premieres August 14.
The self-proclaimed rednecks, with a lovable loathing for yuppies, have not allowed their stardom get to their heads but have become some of the most sought after stars for engagements far and away from their homebase of Monroe, Louisiana.
This May, Willie Robertson – the family’s third born who runs the Duck Commander company – rubbed shoulders with GOP darlings at the NRA convention, and was even rumored to be under consideration to join the gun group’s board.
Then in July, Willie Robertson was the star at LifeWay’s Main Event, a men’s conference sponsored by the Southern Baptist convention.
Father of five Willie Robertson, 41, will return to Nashville in August to deliver an address at the Cornerstone church, where an estimated 10,000 are expected to turn out.
Though Willie Robertson gets a lot of attention on the show, the other Roberston family members can still bring out a crowd.
Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, invited Phil, Kay and Si Robertson to speak at their annual Don Meyer Evening of Excellence fundraiser in April.
In 2010, Tim Tebow had spoken at the event and the school was doubtful they could ever “top the buzz of Tebow” but the Robertsons did.
The event sold out so quickly, they added another talk and then a third talk in order to accommodate the demand.
People from 17 states purchased tickets and flew in from across the country to join the 15,000 who turned out to hear the Robertson trio banter on stage.
It was the biggest event ever in the school’s 125 year history.
Though much of the event focused on the hilarious antics of the family business, the talk closed with a spiritual message from Phil Robertson – where he presented the Gospel and invited attendees to accept Christ.
High says that the family’s Christian beliefs are a non-negotiable when they agree to speak.
“I’ve never seen them speak anywhere where there is not a specific, Christian faith element,” Phil Robertson said.
Back in April, Si Robertson told The Tennessean that though the show runs on A&E, the cable network isn’t the one in charge of the future.
“The Almighty is running this thing and he’s gonna take it where he wants it to go,” Si Robertson told The Tennessean, in between sips of iced tea.
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Several Republican strategists are pushing Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson to run for the seat being vacated by Rep. Rodney Alexander in September, according to a new report.
A well-liked conservative Willie Robertson may be the next pop culture icon to jump into politics, a new report claims.
Willie Robertson is receiving intense interest from several Washington operatives as a potential future Congressman, the Washington Examiner reported.
Republican strategists are pushing Willie Robertson to run for the seat currently held by Republican Rodney Alexander, who is slated to retire in September to take a job in Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s cabinet.
A special election will be held to fill the open seat in September.
Several Republican strategists are pushing Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson to run for the seat being vacated by Rep. Rodney Alexander in September
“My boys want to run Willie Robertson for the seat,” a key advisor to House GOP leadership told the Examiner.
The seat represents the state’s fifth district, which includes Willie Robertson’s home city of Monroe, where he and his brothers own and run popular hunting companies Duck Commander and Buck Commander, which are at the center of Duck Dynasty reality show.
But the stars of the show, among cable’s most watched programs, also devote time to a message of Christian faith, family values and the right to bear arms — all themes that would fit in well with a possible Republican campaign.
Willie Robertson, along with his brothers, has expanded his national profile in recent months, spending part of the summer on the Christian lecture circuit at events with Rick Warren, Tim Tebow and Sarah Palin. Earlier this year, he was even drafted to be included on the ballot for the NRA’s board of directors
But despite Willie Robertson’s rising star, some GOP insiders remain skeptical over his ability to cross over into politics.
“Why would a multimillionaire TV sensation give up that work to run for a congressional seat,” another prominent GOP strategist told the Examiner.
“I think it is a D.C. thing right now.”
Duck Dynasty’s producers are dishing out another family show – Porter Ridge – this time for Discovery Channel.
Porter Ridge features a tight-knit community whose code is simple: “Respect the Lord, love your family and watch each other’s backs.”
Scott Gurney, who is the executive producer for both Duck Dynasty and Porter Ridge, said he expects new show will appeal to a similar demographic.
“This is great show for families to watch,” Scott Gurney told FOX411.
“It’s a great show for all ages and for males and females. That’s one of the things that’s great about <<Duck Dynasty>>, it has such a broad audience, and I think this show will do the same thing.”
Fans of the A&E series about the Robertson family members who work together to produce duck calls has often praised the show for its good, clean message and family-friendly plot lines.
Duck Dynasty ends each episode with a prayer.
“We don’t tap into the religion as much in this show. It’s more about friendships, relationships and an older way of living… loving your neighbor.”
Still, Scott Gurney said Porter Ridge should also leave viewers with a warm, fuzzy feelings as the episodes come to an end.
Duck Dynasty’s producers are dishing out another family show, Porter Ridge
“I think that one of the big things that people love about <<Duck Dynasty>> is that it’s a positive takeaway, and I think the same thing is going to exist with this series.”
But the similarities likely end there, he declared.
“This is a different show. It’s not <<Duck Dynasty>>… It’s not so much family based and more friendship based.”
The series follows a group of friends – and rivals – living in Southern Indiana, in an area with no rules, no leaders and no streetlights. And yet, somehow everyone manages to get along.
“Cameras follow this interesting culture that if you didn’t see it on TV, you’d honestly think it doesn’t exist,” Scott Gurney said.
Scott Gurney insisted that the series is unscripted – even though it seems implausible that one of the show’s stars shares his home with eight grizzly bears.
Jeff Watson, 48, appears on Porter Ridge and spends his days with his neighbors and with his domesticated bears.
“They’ve been in my house, but they don’t stay in here all the time,” Jeff Watson said of the bears.
It is elements like his pets that make the series so dissimilar to anything else that’s on TV, Jeff Watson said.
“I don’t know if there is anything out there that I can compare this show to. I wouldn’t compare it to <<Duck Dynasty>>. So many people are making that comparison… The only similarity that I would see between our show and <<Duck Dynasty>> is funny characters,” he said.
In fact, Jeff Watson said – if anything – he thinks Porter Ridge is much more reminiscent of TV shows from an earlier time period.
“To me this show is a mixture of <<Dukes of Hazards>> meets <<Little House on the Prairie>>, meets <<The Waltons>>, meets <<Andy Griffith>>.”
And though it’s not a sitcom, Jeff Watson insisted the wholesome reality show wouldn’t be painting a picture of Indiana overall.
“We’re not trying to represent the whole state of Indiana… This is us. We’re just individuals. We’re not in any way trying to say <<this is Indiana>> or <<this is southern Indiana>>.”
Like Scott Gurney, Jeff Watson predicts the show will attract families.
“I’m sure there are people out there who would like to see a show that’s less cussing, more family values, camaraderie, rapport, relationship between the characters, not a lot of fighting between everybody… I think people are getting a little tired of too much drama and they want to see people getting along, and we get along around here.”
Porter Ridge premieres on Discovery Channel on Tuesday, August 13.
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Duck Dynasty Season 4 will premiere on A & E TV Wednesday, August 14.
Here is a list of ten fun facts you didn’t know about Phil, Miss Kay, Uncle Si, Jase, Willie, Jep Robertson and their wives:
1. Jase, Willie and Jep actually have a fourth brother, Alan. Alan Robertson is the oldest of the bunch, and he will make a special appearance in the upcoming fourth season of the show.
2. Miss Kay’s favorite meal to make is fried frogs, and apparently there are two ways to cook them. Jase Robertson recommends soaking them in lemon juice first, and Miss Kay says you can fry them or sauté them in butter to make them extra delicious.
3. Phil Robertson recently ran into his old football friend, Terry Bradshaw, at the airport. When the two men attended Louisiana Tech University, Phil Robertson played first string quarterback ahead of Terry Bradshaw.
Duck Dynasty Season 4 will premiere on A & E TV Wednesday, August 14
4. Contrary to popular belief, the tea Uncle Si Robertson always drinks is unsweetened.
5. The Duck Dynasty clan appeared in Darius Rucker’s Wagon Wheel music video, a remake of the popular Old Crow Medicine Show song.
6. Jase, Willie and Jep Robertson’s wives actually do love their husband’s beards, and prefer them to the “preppy look” the men used to have.
7. In addition to his huge truck seen on the show, Willie Robertson drives a camouflage BMW.
8. Miss Kay Robertson isn’t the only “Miss” of the family. Everyone calls the women of the show by their first names, and adds “Miss” at the beginning. It’s the proper Southern thing to do.
9. The Duck Commander warehouse actually has a store in it. People travel from all over to see the Robertsons, and sometimes hundreds of people are lined up outside at a time. The family claims to know which state is having Spring Break based on all the license plates in the parking lot.
10. Uncle Si Robertson’s favorite way to eat dove is with cream cheese, jalapenos and wrapped in bacon.
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Just few days ahead of Duck Dynasty Season 4’s premiere, A &E TV website has published a rare photo of Si Robertson with his then-girlfriend, now-wife Christine.
Si Robertson with his then-girlfriend, now-wife Christine
Duck Dynasty will premiere on A & E Wednesday, August 14.
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