DUGGAR FAMILY SHARES SECRETS OF COURTING IN NEW SEASON OF "19 KIDS & COUNTING"

-- Eighth Season Premieres Tuesday, April 1 on TLC --

(Los Angeles, Ca.) - Life can get busy with a brood of 19, but the Duggars always make sure to celebrate the special moments in their supersized family. And there's plenty to celebrate in the eighth season of TLC's 19 KIDS & COUNTING. In the premiere episode, the Duggars make an exciting announcement - Jessa and Ben are courting! Dating with the intent of marriage, Jessa and Ben refrain from kissing or holding hands and always have a chaperone on dates, phone calls and even text messages. Now that their courtship is official, the Duggar boys put Ben to the test, making sure he's ready to take care of their sister. Later, the tables are turned when Jessa visits Ben's hometown and gets hit with some serious questions during a double date with Ben's parents. And the whole family reflects on what it means that a Duggar daughter may soon be leaving the nest. This 10-episode season of 19 KIDS & COUNTING premieres April 1 at 9PM (ET/PT) and airs Tuesdays in the same timeslot through May.

This season will explore a changing family dynamic as the Duggar children continue to grow up, with many of the older kids considering courtships. The four eldest Duggar girls - Jana, Jill, Jessa and Jinger - announce that they have written a book and the family attends Erin Bates' highly-anticipated wedding. Michelle spends one-on-one time with each of her children and the whole family visits Josh and Anna in Washington, DC. Throughout the season, cameras will check in on the DC-based Duggars as Anna begins to homeschool her growing brood and the young family goes on a fun ski outing for a day. Two of the Duggars make a special trip to Nepal and the youngest children prepare a surprise dinner theatre talent show for Jim Bob and Michelle.

GROWING UP DUGGAR, written by the four eldest Duggar girls - Jana, Jill, Jessa and Jinger - releases in bookstores everywhere March 4, 2014. The book shares never-before-told stories of life in a large family, the qualities they're looking for in a man, their passion for making a difference in the world through politics, navigating the difficult years from being a little girl to becoming a young lady, their dreams for the future and more. For more information on GROWING UP DUGGAR, please visit: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Growing-Up-Duggar/Jill-Duggar/9781451679168

19 KIDS & COUNTING is produced by Figure 8 Films for TLC.

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