What first grabbed my attention was that each episode ended with the patriarch of the family praying at the dinner table. It was a simple, Christian prayer of gratitude to God for his goodness and for family. Given all the TV shows that ridicule religion, mock marital fidelity, celebrate promiscuity, peddle soft porn, parade potty-mouth dialogue and wallow in consumerism, I never thought that I would see a TV show with the simple piety of prayer at the family dinner table or one that honored the traditional family.

“Duck Dynasty” is the one – and only – TV reality-show that I watch.

There, I’ve said it. I’ve disclosed to the well educated, culturally urbane, theologically moderate and social justice minded readers of EthicsDaily.com my “redneck” roots, comfort with guns and hunting, and simple piety.

At the other extreme, I also watch “Downton Abbey,” a TV show about an aristocratic British family at the turn of the 20th century who face the profound changes in technology – electricity, telephones and automobiles – and the radical changes in culture – the role of women, empire politics and employment. But my commentary on “Downton Abbey” is reserved for another day.

Return with me to a pro-traditional family TV show in which all the men have beards and wear camouflage clothing. It’s a show where not a word of profanity is heard and where no promiscuity is seen.

Not made for TV, right?

Wrong.

“Duck Dynasty” has been referred to as “A&E’s monster hit.”

During its third season, the final episode had 9.6 million viewers. That is, 4.3 percent of the 126,540,000 American adults between the ages of 18-49 with a TV in the house watched the show.

“That rating makes Duck Dynasty the highest-rated show last night – and not just on cable. The number is bigger than CBS’ Survivor (2.9) and bigger than Fox’s American Idol (3.3). As you can see, the fight wasn’t even close,” reported Entertainment Weekly.

Well, what is it that is likeable about this show?

What first grabbed my attention was that each episode ended with the patriarch of the family praying at the dinner table. It was a simple, Christian prayer of gratitude to God for his goodness and for family.

Read More