After having just recently returned on air this January, it seems TLC's reality television show about polygamy, "Sister Wives," is on the chopping block once again as rumors surface that the show will finally be canceled after the current season.
According to a report in Life & Style magazine that was later reported by In Touch Weekly, an insider source says that the latest season of "Sister Wives" is not doing well enough to warrant another season; in fact, it has not been doing well since last season.
The premier episode of season 11 managed to only draw in 1.8 million viewers, much lower than the expected number that TLC was looking for, especially for the first episode of a new season.
"TLC was less than impressed by the ratings," said the source.
The insider goes on to report that the only reason "Sister Wives" got renewed for a 12th season was because patriarch Kody Brown negotiated a massive cut in their salaries — going from $180,000 per adult in the family, to $180,000 total divided amongst all of them.
But despite the reduced costs to the network, it still is not enough to warrant a new season renewal.
"TLC has broken the news to Kody that it plans to cancel Sister Wives after the current season because ratings have been so tepid," the insider writes. "Kody can kiss any hope of a Season 13 goodbye."
If the poor ratings were not enough reason to axe the show, rumors are surfacing that Meri Brown, one of the titled sister-wives, is planning to leave the show. While this is mostly speculation based on her actions in recent episodes as well as how the show seems to portray her relationship with the rest of the cast, it would definitely be a massive blow to the show's already dwindling numbers if it were true.
The next episode of "Sister Wives" is scheduled to air on Sunday, Feb. 11, at 8 p.m. EST on TLC.
