There is finally good news out for fans of TLC’s 7 Little Johnstons . The series that features Trent and Amber Johnston, along with their kids Jonah, Anna, Elizabeth, Alex, and Emma, is returning to the network with new episodes at last. The show last aired in 2015 with 17 episodes split into two mini-seasons and has been on an extended hiatus since then. Season 2, which will feel like it is really Season 3 in a sense due to how TLC previously split up the initial shows, is set to begin in just a few weeks.
Why has 7 Little Johnstons been away from TLC for so long? Unfortunately, due to a legal dispute between the network and the production company, the Johnston family reality television show was essentially being held hostage along with several other fan-favorites including Dr. Jennifer Arnold and Bill Klein’s series The Little Couple . Accusations have flown and lawsuits have been filed, and while much of the drama has yet to be resolved, this TLC series has been able to break away from the contentious battle.
As Deadline has detailed, a bitter war developed between Discovery Communications, which owns TLC, and LMNO Entertainment, the company that produced 7 Little Johnstons , The Little Couple , Unusual Suspects , Killer Confessions , and a handful of other shows. The battle has been a juicy and twisted one that involved an accountant who was embezzling from LMNO, an FBI investigation, and accusations from the production company that Discovery took advantage of their situation to steal away their popular shows.
Due to this legal battle between Discovery and LMNO, fans have been on hold for quite some time now when it comes to TLC’s 7 Little Johnstons, Little Couple , and the other shows. A judge ruled back in December that LMNO had to turn over the Season 2 episodes of 7 Little Johnstons to Discovery, but the production company tried to fight back against the decision. Discovery had paid LMNO $2 million for the new episodes before terminating their contract and the judge determined that they were entitled to the material, despite the objections from LMNO.
Despite that December ruling, the Johnston family, along with all of the other shows caught up in the legal battle, remained on hold. Now, however, TLC has announced that Season 2 of 7 Little Johnstons is ready to begin airing and fans won’t have to wait long to get started. The fun kicks back into gear again on May 2, right after Little People, Big World .
Teasers indicate that there is a lot of action on the way with these Season 2 7 Little Johnstons episodes. Trent will celebrate his 40th birthday while Anna is left heartbroken when she’s told she can’t go to prom. The family will rally to give her a great 16th birthday party to make up for it, and People adds that both Amber and Alex will face medical issues. There will even be some discussion about whether the Johnston kids might be open to adding a baby brother to the mix of things, and TLC fans will be anxious to tune in and see where that discussion heads.
What does the return of 7 Little Johnstons mean for the other Discovery and TLC shows like Jen and Bill’s Little Couple? It doesn’t sound as if there has been any definitive progress on that front yet, but fans remain hopeful that the situation will be resolved soon. Tune in to TLC on May 2 to get started with Season 2 of 7 Little Johnstons and see what Trent, Amber, and the kids have been up to since they were last on television.
[Featured Image by 7 Little Johnstons / Instagram ]