Shocker? Kate Gosselin returns to TLC at same time as ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ gig

In case you are wondering, the word “shocker” in the title was more than a little bit sarcastic. Kate Gosselin was a staple on TLC for many years, and at one point, had almost enough viewers to even compare to “The Walking Dead.” Crazy, right? Well, it just goes to show that there is strangely as much interest in families falling apart as zombies eating brains.

If it were not for specific circumstances, we would be a little more surprised by the news that Kate and her eight children were returning to TLC. After all, they have been away for some time, and it didn’t seem like the network was going to be interested in going down this road again. What changed? Mostly, the mere fact that Kate has another TV gig coming up (at least per rumors) in “The Celebrity Apprentice,” and this could lead to a surge in attention for her. It’s good for Kate’s career, and the extra publicity could be good for TLC’s ratings.

The main purpose of this special (which will air in June) is to give viewers an update on where the Gosselin family is now … at least the ones that do not include Jon. This is not the network necessarily giving the family special treatment, though: They have done this with a number of their other shows over the years, as well, after they were canceled. Just look at the stars of “Little People, Big World” and how many other times they have turned up.

Cynical as we may be about this, mostly because we’d be more interested in a story that was not told through TLC’s lens, who knows? It could end up being a huge success. We’ll just have to wait and see when it airs.

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Photo: TLC