After weeks of tumbling ratings and a never ending barrage of tabloid stories, TLC announced today that they have decided to take the show in a different direction – minus Jon!

“Given the recent changes in the family dynamics, it only makes sense for us to refresh and recalibrate the program to keep pace with the family,” TLC president Eileen O’Neill said in a statement. “The family has evolved and we are attempting to evolve with it; we feel that Kate’s journey really resonates with our viewers.”

Also in the works is a project with Kate for 2010, possibly the talk show we’ve heard rumors of?

“Kate Plus Eight” will continue to focus on the eight Gosselin children — 5 year-old sextuplets and 8 year-old twins — but now “include a deeper focus on Kate’s role…and her journey as a single mother.”

Last week, only 1.7 million viewers tuned in to “Jon & Kate,” nearly 80 percent down from the season premiere.

TLC also said that they would continue their “exclusive” relationship with Jon Gosselin and that he would continue to appear on the series but on a less regular basis.

“Kate Plus Eight” will premiere Nov. 22.

Will you watch?

Related Articles:

• Kate Gosselin To Co-Host On ‘The View’
• Jon and Kate File For Divorce

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ABC is adding Kate Gosselin to the list of guest co-hosts who will sit at the table when “The View” returns in September.

The Jon and Kate Plus 8 star will be subbing in for regular “View” co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck on Sept. 14 and 15. Elisabeth is on maternity leave after giving birth to her third child, Isaiah, earlier this month.

Kate may have a bonding experience with the 4 other ladies on ‘The View’. They are all single moms like herself and all, but Barbara, are divorced.

ABC has previously announced Meghan McCain, E.D. Hill and LaToya Jackson as guest co-hosts for the daytime talk show.

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Tonight, for the first time since June 22 when the couple announced they were separating, Jon and Kate Plus 8 will air on TLC .

In that time, Jon has been to France with Hailey Glassman, dated Kate Major and moved to New York City.

This is definitely not the family we met 3 years ago. They use nannies when the other is not around and only appear to be having a good time when they’re filming.

TLC president Eileen O’Neill spoke last week about upcoming changes for the show.

“Jon and Kate have never said they were perfect, which has made them relatable and created an undeniable connection with the viewers. We will continue to capture this family’s journey in a respectful and sensitive way.”

“You’re still going to see two parents that love their kids, but you’ll be seeing them parenting separately,” she went on. “You’ll see what it’s like when Kate has to put up a tent for a backyard camping experience by herself. Or, you’ll see Jon trying to cook up a pizza for the kids.”

Viewers may even see Jon and Kate date, O’Neill said.

Added O’Neill, “As far as new people and places that may be cycling into Jon and Kate’s life, we are taking it on a case-by-case basis.”

I guess viewers will have to figure out why they fell in love with this family and see if the new format fits into their values.

I’m still not sure why the ’show must go on’.

Will you be watching?

{SPLASH}

Even though they recently filed for divorce, Jon and Kate Gosselin showed a united front yesterday by celebrating the Fourth of July as a family.

The Jon and Kate plus 8 stars spent the day picking berries, playing games and light firecrackers.

People reports the couple agreed weeks ago to set aside their differences for the holiday.

“Jon pointed to the July 4 holiday and said, ‘What are we going to do about that?’” Kate told the mag in a recent cover story. “I absolutely cannot imagine not spending every single holiday with my kids. I don’t care what it takes. I will be there.”

{SPLASH & INFPHOTO.COM}

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos pose for the camera while out today with their sons Joaquin and Michael.

The showbiz couple is holding a casting call this weekend in Chicago to find “women with fabulous ideas and great personalities.”

Milojo, their production company, plans to begin a new series on TLC that will help female inventors turn their innovative ideas into a real business. In each episode, women will compete for a chance to have their invention featured on the Home Shopping Network.

{Anthony Dixon / WENN}{SPLASH}

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The saga of Jon and Kate Gosselin of Jon and Kate plus 8 rolls on…

In an exclusive interview with People Magazine Kate Gosselin admits that she and Jon ‘have been privately struggling for months’.

Here are some highlights:

On first hearing Deanna Hummel’s name:

“I don’t know that we’re in the same place anymore, that we want the same thing,” she says quietly. “I’ve been struggling with the question of ‘Who is this person?’ for a while. I remember where I was the first time I heard her name. It’s one of those things where you can try to make it go away, but there’s blaring, red flashing lights.”

On a possible split:

For Kate, who has referred to her husband as “my balance, my strength and my stability,” to now consider a future apart has been heartbreaking but not impossible. “You can’t imagine yourself in a certain position when all this first happens, but you can do it over some months,” she says.

“It’s a lot like when I was first pregnant with the babies, and it was pure shock and denial. But over time I imagined six cribs in my house, and six car seats. When your mind is ready to go there, you can accept any number of scenarios.”

Kate does have hope, however, that her marriage can be saved. “I will never give up hope that every member of our family can be absolutely happy again,” she says.

This really is a shame. I hope for the kids sake that Jon and Kate and get back on track.

I wonder if any of this will appear in the season premier next week…

TLC president Eileen O’Neill has confirmed several production companies affiliated with the network have contacted the 33-year-old Californian mom Nadya Suleman — who gave birth to octuplets last month — about the possibility of developing a reality series.

“We’re certainly watching [Suleman's] story unfold,” O’Neill told EW. “There are a lot of decisions that go into greenlighting a family for any of our shows. What kind of characters are they? How would they come across on TV?”

Nadya’s story has received a lot of media attention and public scrutiny since she already had six other children under the age of 7 before having the the octuplets. All of her children were conceived via in vitro treatments and she also receives food stamps.

The network knows that their audience is vocal, so they have a [waiting] period to see if there’s something that we as a network feel makes good sense.

Know for their projects involving large families, TLC is expected to premiere Table for Twelve — another reality series about a New Jersey couple with sextuplets and two sets of twins — sometime next month.

I hear a boycott coming. The world is NOT fond of this woman. The last thing anyone wants is to see her benefit financially from this horrible situation.

The sad part is that the kids will be ones to suffer from the backlash. The octuplets are going to need a lot of care, a clean environment and lots of space when they come home. This money could definitely provide that.

This is such a crummy catch 22. All of these kids deserve to have every opportunity to succeed, but instead they will spend the rest of their lives competing for their mom’s time.

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Deliver Me is a pregnancy drama that follows 3 unbelievable Obgyn’s at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles.

Two of the three doctors met while in medical school and all three bonded during their residency. They now share a practice, clients and their love for babies.

The show takes you through a typical day at the hospital, highlighting many of the common complications that some expectant moms may experience.

I love how these three doctors take the time to fully explain what is happening before continuing on with the drama, allowing viewers who are not in the medical profession to follow along.

I find it interesting to see what is happening behind the scenes. Moms who have had any type of complications during their pregnancy will find it familiar to see other women who are experiencing what they have already been through.

Deliver Me premiere’s Tuesday March 4th on Discovery Health at 10:00pm Please visit the official site for more information and additional airing dates.