6/23/2009

in

TLC has decided to give the show a break until August.

Alyssa DellaCamera

According to the New York Times, TLC announced on Tuesday its decision to place the reality show "Jon & Kate Plus 8" on hiatus for over a month. The cable channel made the move after Jon and Kate Gosselin announced their impending divorce on Monday night's episode of the show.  
  
The episode reportedly attracted a record-breaking 10.6 million viewers, but it appears that a hiatus was necessary in order to give the Gosselin family the time they need to adjust to the dramatic change.  
  
"It's hard to walk away from a big number," TLC President Eileen O'Neill said of the show's through-the-roof ratings. "But a hiatus really made sense so that everyone could adjust to the new circumstances" she added.  
  
New episodes of the show are expected to return on Aug. 3, the Times reports. In the meantime, viewers can re-live the high points of the Gosselin's relationship, as TLC is scheduled to air a show next Monday featuring all clips of the family's happier memories.  
  
As for the show's new, post-divorce episodes, O'Neill said the concentration will still aim toward illustrating the "parent-child relationship." Viewers will have to tune in to see for themselves how Jon and Kate's separation will alter the atmosphere of the show and the lives of those who star in it, especially the eight Gosselin children.  
  
Regardless of what changes may come, both Jon and Kate have reportedly confirmed that they will continue participating in the show, which has become their primary source of income. As Kate simply put it on Monday night's episode, "The show must go on."