Duck Dynasty
Duck Dynasty is an American reality television series that aired on A&E from 2012 to 2017. The series portrays the lives of the Robertson family, who became successful from their family-operated business, Duck Commander. The West Monroe, Louisiana business makes products for duck hunters, primarily a duck call called Duck Commander. The Robertson men—brothers Phil and Si, and Phil's sons Jase, Willie, and Jep—are known for their long beards and their conservative, Evangelical Christian views. The family was previously featured on the series Benelli Presents Duck Commander and its spin-off, Buck Commander, on the Outdoor Channel; Outdoor Channel acquired rerun rights to Duck Dynasty in 2016.
The fourth-season premiere drew 11.8 million viewers; the most-watched nonfiction cable series in history. In mid-December 2013, controversy from an interview Phil Robertson gave to GQ magazine resulted in an indefinite suspension by A&E, due to remarks he made which were being widely viewed as homophobic. Following public pressure on A&E to lift the suspension, he was reinstated nine days later.
The show earned $80 million in advertising sales for the first nine months of 2013, and merchandise has generated another $400 million in revenue. After 11 seasons, the series ended on March 29, 2017, with the hour-long finale "End of an Era".
Duck Dynasty has sparked spin-offs, including Jep & Jessica: Growing the Dynasty and Going Si-Ral. Like past shows, many Robertson family members, co-workers, and friends appear in the spin-offs.
Members
Robertson family
Phil Alexander Robertson
Phil, born, is the family patriarch and creator of the Duck Commander duck call. He was a standout quarterback at Louisiana Tech and was contacted by the Washington Redskins after his junior year. He chose instead to quit football because it interfered with duck hunting season.Phil graduated from Louisiana Tech with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education and later received a Masters of Arts degree in Education via night classes while working as a schoolteacher. Phil went through a "dark period" while running a bar that led to his separation from his wife. It was at this low point he reports that he found Christ and reconciled with his wife. It was then that he invented his duck call, and founded the Duck Commander Company in 1973.
Phil is known for his dislike of modern technology, calling himself "a low-tech man in a high-tech world," and his concern that his grandchildren are becoming "yuppies". At the end of each episode, the family is shown at the dining table, usually with Phil praying over the meal.
Marsha Kay "Miss Kay" Robertson
Kay Robertson, born, married Phil on January 11, 1966. She is usually addressed as "Miss Kay" by her husband and sons. Kay married Phil at age 15. She is the mother of Alan, Jase, Willie, and Jep. She loves cooking and often has her entire family over for a home-cooked meal after a hard day's work.Phil and Kay's children
| # | Name | Date of birth | Notes | Ref |
| 1 | Marshal Alan Robertson | Married to Lisa Gibson; the couple have two daughters | ||
| 2 | Jason Silas "Jase" Robertson | Married to Melissa Louise "Missy" West; the couple have three children | ||
| 3 | Willie Jess Robertson | Married to Leslie Koren “Korie” Howard; the couple have six children | ||
| 4 | Jules Jeptha "Jep" Robertson | Married to Jessica Pamela Strickland; the couple have five children |
Marshal Alan Robertson
Alan is Phil and Kay's eldest son. He left the family business to become a preacher, but rejoined the family both doing public relations at Duck Commander and appearing on the show since Season 4. He wanted to join the show to spread the Word of God to more people. Alan married Lisa Robertson, on November 9, 1984, and is the only adult male in the family without a beard.Alan and Lisa's children
| # | Name | Date of birth | Notes | Ref |
| 1 | Elizabeth Anna Robertson | Married to Jay Stone; they have three daughters | ||
| 2 | Katie Alexis Robertson | Married to Vinny Mancuso; they have one son |
Jason Silas "Jase" Robertson
Jase is Phil and Miss Kay's second son. He is in charge of the manufacturing aspects at Duck Commander. Along with other employees, Jase tunes the duck calls by hand.Reed Robertson
Reed, the eldest child and first son of Jase and Missy, attended Ouachita Christian High School, playing football and baseball. His graduation is shown in Season 6. He is currently attending Harding University, and is married to Brighton Thompson; their wedding is shown in Season 11. He started a music career in Nashville.Cole Robertson
Cole, the second son of Jase and Missy, attended Ouachita Christian High School and played baseball. His graduation is shown in Season 10.Mia Robertson
Mia is the youngest child and only daughter of Jase and Missy. She was born with a cleft lip and palate and, as of the end of Season 9, has had six surgeries to correct it.Willie Jess Robertson
Willie is Phil and Miss Kay's third son and CEO of Duck Commander. Willie has a bachelor's degree in Health and Human Performance from NE Louisiana University, with an emphasis on Business. He took Duck Commander from a family business to a multimillion-dollar empire. He and his wife Korie have six children.John Luke Robertson
John Luke, the son of Willie and Korie, is the second-oldest child of the family after Rebecca. He attended Ouachita Christian High School and is currently enrolled at Liberty University.Mary Kate Robertson
Mary Kate is John Luke's wife. Mary Kate and John Luke were married on June 28, 2015. She also attends Liberty University and studies Women's Leadership.Sadie Robertson
Sadie, the daughter of Willie and Korie, attended Ouachita Christian High School. Her graduation is shown in Season 10. Sadie now is an influential speaker and author.Bella Robertson
Youngest daughter of Willie and Korie.Rebecca Robertson
Rebecca is the foster daughter of Willie and Korie. The family originally hosted Rebecca when she was an exchange student from Taiwan and consider her one of the family. After completing a two-year fashion internship in Southern California, she returned home to West Monroe and opened a clothing boutique. She married John Reed Loflin in Mexico on December 3, 2016. Rebecca and John Reed have a son born in 2019.Willie Robertson, Jr.
Adopted son of Willie and Korie.Rowdy Robertson
Adopted son of Willie and Korie. His adoption is shown being finalized in Season 11.Jules Jeptha "Jep" Robertson
Jep is Phil and Miss Kay's youngest son who films and edits DVDs of the Robertson family's duck hunts. He is often seen at Duck Commander and at family dinners. Jep and Jessica have five children. They introduced the newest addition to their family, an adopted son they named Jules Augustus, on the premiere of their spin-off series Jep and Jessica: Growing the Dynasty on January 20, 2016, which had an audience of more than two million. The second season premiered on February 22, 2017.Jep and Jessica's children
| # | Name | Date of birth | Notes | Ref |
| 1 | Lillian Mae "Lily" Robertson | |||
| 2 | Merritt Decatur Robertson | |||
| 3 | Priscilla June Robertson | |||
| 4 | River Alexander Robertson | |||
| 5 | Jules Augustus "Gus" Robertson | Adopted son |
Silas Merritt "Si" Robertson
Si, born, is Phil's brother, a Vietnam War veteran, and uncle to Phil and Miss Kay's four sons. Si worked at Duck Commander; He made the reeds that go into every duck call. Si is known for his storytelling, and his constant use of the expressions "Hey!" and "Jack", and for his ever-present green Tupperware cup, ; ever-filled with iced tea. Si retired from the Army in 1993 with the rank of Sergeant First Class. Robertson is recognized for his military career with an exhibit at the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum in Monroe, Louisiana. Si has been married to Christine for 48 years — she, with the exception of the series finale, has declined to appear on the show. He and his wife Christine have two children, Trasa and Scott. Scott has not appeared on the show, although Trasa made a brief appearance in the episode "Stand by Mia".Si retired from Duck Commander on Season 11.
Si also appears in the show's second spin-off Going Si-Ral alongside Willie Robertson where Si studies the Internet.
Si and Christine's children
| # | Name | Date of birth | Notes | Ref |
| 1 | Trasa Lee Robertson | Married to Kyle Cobern; they have four sons | ||
| 2 | Scott Merritt Robertson | Married to Marsha Markert; they have four sons |
Other appearances
Recurring
- John Godwin – An employee at Duck Commander since 2002, mainly building duck calls, managing supplies, and overseeing the shipping department as well as being the decoy technician.
- Justin Martin – An employee of Duck Commander, who is often given grief over his large figure.
- Mountain Man – A neighbor who operates his own air-conditioning repair business, and co-hosts a local radio talk show on KXKZ.
- Jimmy Red – An old friend of Phil, Miss Kay, and Si; referred to as "Red" by Phil
Non-recurring
- Gordon – Phil's brother-in-law; appeared in the season 5 finale episode "Stand by Mia".
Guest
- Clint Bowyer – Appeared in the season 2 episode "Drag Me to Glory".
- "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan – Appeared in the season 5 finale episode "Stand by Mia".
- Kurt Angle – Appeared in the season 9 episode "Van He'llsing".
List of episodes
Ratings
An hour-long Christmas special premiered on December 5, 2012 as the Season 2 finale and became the most-watched A&E episode in the network's history.The February 27, 2013, the Season 3 premiere tallied 8.9 million viewers, including five million in the adults 25–54 demographic and five million in adults 18–49 demographic, making the premiere the most watched series in network history, beating the Season 2 finale. The one-hour Season 3 finale tallied 9.6 million viewers, with 5.6 million in the Adults 25–54 demographic and 5.5 million in the Adults 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated telecast in A&E history.
On August 14, 2013, the Season 4 premiere drew a total of 11.8 million viewers, an increase of 37% vs. the season three premiere, drawing 6.3 million viewers in the Adults 25–54 demographic, making it the most watched nonfiction series telecast in cable television history. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the fourth season averaged 9.4 million viewers. Ratings declined after Phil Robertson's controversial GQ interview.
Duck Dynasty topped the list of celebrity/pop culture-themed costume searches on Yahoo! in October 2013, according to data compiled by Yahoo Web trend expert Carolyn Clark. As of October 17, 2014, the show has averaged 8.3 million viewers for 2014. According to an October 2014 release from E! Online, the majority of the series's Facebook audience is Republican. In 2016, The New York Times reported that Duck Dynasty "is the prototypical example of a show that is most popular in rural areas. The correlation between fandom and the percentage of people who voted for President Trump was higher... than it was for any other" of the 50 shows with the most Facebook Likes. It was most popular in rural Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, and least popular in the Northeast US.
Seasonal ratings
Criticism
Editing controversy
In 2012, Phil Robertson stated on Sports Spectrum, a Christian sports publication, that he confronted producers about editors of the show telling them not to say Jesus' name while praying at the end of episodes, and that they added intermittent bleep censors over random portions of the cast's unscripted dialogue although there was no profanity being spoken. Robertson cited the issues as part of what is often called "spiritual warfare", that there was no swearing that needed to be edited out, and the prayers were being censored to avoid offending non-Christian religious people. A&E did not comment on the claims.''GQ'' interview
On December 18, 2013, A&E announced that it was suspending Phil Robertson from the show indefinitely over remarks he made during an interview with Drew Magary which had attracted outside criticism. During the interview for a featured article in GQ's January 2014 issue, titled What the Duck?, Magary asked Robertson: "What, in your mind, is sinful?" Robertson replied: "Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men."A&E stated they were "extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson's comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series Duck Dynasty". He said he is a "product of the '60s" but has since lived his life on Biblical principles. He added: "I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me."
The Robertson family released a statement about A&E's decision, refusing to do the show without him and supporting Phil by saying that while some of his comments were "coarse," his beliefs are "grounded in the teachings of the Bible." In the first public interview since the GQ interview, Robertson stood by his words and said:
Robertson's remarks were reported in the media, with reactions split. Many social conservatives, including his corporate sponsors, some religious groups, and some Republican politicians including Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal and Mike Huckabee, supported his right to such opinions. Robertson faced significant opposition from individuals viewing his comments as anti-gay and bigoted.
In response, Cracker Barrel removed some Duck Dynasty products. The products were replaced after one day after a public outcry. United Press International reported that A&E CEO Nancy Dubuc had received death threats for the decision to suspend Robertson indefinitely.
On December 27, A&E reversed Robertson's suspension. The network cited Robertson's and the family's regret for the use of "coarse language" in discussing body parts, and stated that A&E would launch a public service announcement across the channel's "entire portfolio" that would promote "tolerance and acceptance among all people." A Human Rights Campaign representative saw the reinstatement as a positive step and said they had been assured that "the Robertson family is now open to address the real harm that such anti-gay and racist comments can cause."
CNN said the controversy showed that a culture war was at play, in part because of what GLAAD characterized as "offensive depictions of minorities" in public discourse. Republican Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal and others, mostly conservatives, noted the issue as a First Amendment right to free speech, while liberals said that the First Amendment did not apply, since the question was not whether he had the right to speak his views, but rather whether sponsors and the network had the right to disassociate themselves from Phil and the program.
''Duck Dynasty''-related appearances on other media
- The Robertsons appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Scheduled musical guest Morrissey canceled because he objected to being on the show with those he called "animal serial killers". The band Churchill filled in for Morrissey. Phil Robertson responded, saying, "Whoever he is, I don't hold it against him." A parody video was made where they sold a carrot call, instead of a duck call, to call wild carrots to jump straight into their mouths.
- The Robertsons have appeared on Conan, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Live! with Kelly and Michael, Today, Katie, The Wendy Williams Show, and 700 Club.
- Willie Robertson appeared on FNC's The Five on August 13, 2013.
- The Robertsons guest-starred on the season three premiere of Last Man Standing.
- Members of Duck Dynasty are featured in the music video of the #1 country song, "Wagon Wheel", by Darius Rucker.
- Si Robertson lent his voice and personal appearance to the VeggieTales video, Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas, in which he narrates the video and appears as an okra mall janitor.
- Sadie Robertson was a contestant on Season 19 of Dancing with the Stars. Other members of her family appeared on one episode as well.
Christmas album