This week, it was announced that "Duck Dynasty's" current season will be its last on A&E. According to reports, it was a joint decision between the Robertson family and the network to wrap things up at the end of the current installment, and the family decided to make an announcement so that viewers could enjoy the final episodes of the reality series.
The Robertsons said that this season will be their "best season yet" and that fans might see them in upcoming specials in the future. The announcement was aired during Wednesday's season 11 premiere, and after the show aired, some of the family members took to social media to thank fans for their support.
Willie Robertson tweeted, "Thanks to everyone for the past 5 years! They've been awesome! This last season will be great!"
Meanwhile, his daughter, 19-year-old Sadie, also took to the microblogging site and wrote, "It's out! This will be the final season of 'Duck Dynasty' after 5 years. It's been an amazing ride. Thank y'all for the incredible journey."
It all started when patriarch Phil Robertson founded the Duck Commander company in 1972, and they sold a line of custom-made duck-hunting calls which replicated the sound of a real duck. Phil eventually sold half of the company to son Willie, and together they made a DVD series about the family's duck hunts which eventually led to a show on the Outdoor Channel. The success of the show led to "Duck Dynasty" which became a huge hit when it premiered on A&E in March 2012.
The show had its share of controversy as Phil made anti-gay remarks in a GQ interview that was published in late 2013. As a result, Phil was suspended from the show, and at the time, the network decided not cancel the series.
Season 11 of "Duck Dynasty" will continue to air on Wednesdays until Jan. 18, 2017, and will go on hiatus until March 1 for the final episodes. The series finale is set to air on April 12, 2017, on A&E.
