What happened to Discovery Channel’s Alaskan Bush People?

Alaskan Bush People recap

Do the Alaskan Bush People get paid? We asked! Read our interview with the Brown family.

Alaskan Bush People Season 1 Recaps: Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | The Wild Life

Season 2 Recaps: Episode 1 | Episode 2Episode 3 | Episode 4Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8  | Wild Times | Episode 9 | Episode 10 | Episode 11 | Episode 12 | Episode 13 | Episode 14 | SHARK WEEK! | Episode 15 | Episode 16 | Lost Footage | The Wild Year

NEW! Is Alaskan Bush People Fake? Does It Matter?

Viewers of Discovery Channel’s Alaskan Bush People have been wondering if the four episodes of the Brown family’s adventures in the wilderness are all they’re going to get. The new show Siberian Cut takes over the Tuesday night time slot and no new episodes of Alaskan Bush People are currently scheduled.

[Update: A new episode of Alaskan Bush People, titled “The Wild Life,” premieres Sunday, June 15, at 10pm ET/PT on Discovery Channel. Based on the show’s description, it sounds like it might be a highlights/recap/additional unaired footage type of show: “After facing unparalleled obstacles, the Browns reflect on their past year of living in the Alaskan Bush while providing surprise revelations about the family’s lifestyle.”

Last seen, the Brown family suffered another setback as the boat they were using to scout a new home in southeast Alaska hit an object, took on water and sank at the dock. The family made it off the boat safely, but were left with an uncertain future.

They can’t possibly let the show end like that, can they?

Well, the news here is that there is no news. According to a Discovery Channel spokesman, the network has not announced whether or not Alaskan Bush People will be returning.

As for the Brown family, all nine of them were in Los Angeles in January for the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour and were on a panel to promote the show, which at the time was scheduled to air on Animal Planet. (So no, they didn’t starve or freeze or anything after their boat went down in Episode 4.) You can learn more about them and see some pretty interesting photos of the family at their official website. Also, do read this article by Zaz Hollander of Alaska Dispatch, who did some investigating into some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the show that have been debated in these recaps.

At the panel, Billy Brown summed up the origin of his family’s Alaskan adventure as well as how the TV show came into existence:

“I was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and my family died when I was 16, and I kind of hit the road. When Ami and I got together, we traveled all over the place, and we found that as we were going places, we never were really content where we were. We kept getting we’d go to the country, and it wasn’t really enough country. We kept getting deeper and deeper in, and then, when Alaska opened up to us, it was like a it was like a ready made home to us. And when we got up I have written children’s books for my kids and stuff and a book about my life, One Wave at a Time, and our guys went in when you go to the harbor shacks and stuff, we get Internet every once in a while, and our guys went in, Bam especially, and he put a website for the kids’ books. And through that, a guy got in touch with us, and we ended up here. And I am the one that didn’t want to come. …

This is, you know, not what we had planned. We spent 30 years of our lives trying to stay as far away from this kind of stuff as we could, and people. And we discussed it a lot, and I guess … it was Ami that really talked me into it more that we thought it would be cool if people could really see how we live because I don’t think you guys know people who really still live that way, because it’s not a movie. It’s us.”

Alaskan Bush People

Photo: Credit: Discovery Channel

24 Comments

  1. I love watching this Brown family. I’ve seen all 4 shows at least 5 times each. I WANT MORE —- LOTS MORE………!! Why can’t DISCOVERY give them pay roll enough to pay for a large houseboat?? BIGGER than
    20′ x 24′ to actually live comfortably inside. I am 70, retired and would be HONORED to donate $10 to this humble and decent American Bush Family. How do I donate now??? A Colorado City Gal = Carole Parker (MORE, more and more) See you soon, Brown’s xo

  2. We love this show and miss it. I hate when the network airs a show then it disappears. So not fair to the fans. Sometimes it seems like too many short series instead of long running series.

  3. can you please bring the show back it was a great show you can’t and it like that everybody has problems so can you bring it back and make it a good series because they are a real family

  4. This is the ONLY reality show that is reality. All of the others have people preforming for the cameras. There are only two that actually have real people being themselves, “Swamp People” and Alaskan Bush People.
    PLEEEEEEEZ bring it back!

  5. there are so many unanswered questions about this family. and like the Kilcher family — fans had to wait awhile for more shows. I think this is an interesting show. I still want to see how they survive in the winter. But we really didn’t get to see what they would do once they got in their shell of a home. Honestly, I don’t understand how they live and what they eat and how often, etc. I would prefer that we see more clearly a day or week’s routine with this family. Anyhow, I hope Discovery does decide to renew the show or some other channel take on the series.

  6. At worst it is another show like the Walton’s. Look how good they did? I love watching

  7. Please Please bring the show back. It was a great show and my fiancee and I looked forward to watching it every Tuesday!

  8. Bring it back not to many people have the brass to live life like this. So tired of watching fiction on t.v. my family and I Love the shows. Teaching my son there are several ways to live your life. The choice is yours.

  9. Best movie the family and I have watched in a long time and now you want to take it off??? What are you thinking? When will you people ever learn? Everyone is so tired of watching fiction, its nice to watch fact again and show our kids the real world is still out there! Not too many still have the brass it takes to live like that! Please bring it back!

  10. I love the show .its so refreshing to watch real people and their struggles makes your problems seem so small.please keep it on the air

  11. I can’t belive descovery channel would just shoot/air 4 episodes that is the stupidest thing I ever herd. Not to mention that the show is awsome and interesting, the brown family is fun to watch and you must bring it back ASAP. PS when ” Siberian cut” airs Ill be watching me a 4 episode marathon off “Alaskan Bush people”

  12. I love this show. Billy and Ami with all the kids make for a very interesting show. please bring it back. My wife and I enjoy the different personalities of the kids.

    • My wife and I love the show too, surely it can’t end like that a lot of people can’t understand their lives but I can. The wide web to me is messing up everything example I made the mistake of getting IPhones and that’s all my family does. So much violence I like Life Below Zero and Montain Men. Believe me people would not do well if something went wrong with our way of life as we know it. Yes please bring the show back !!!!!

  13. Discovery and all it’s bullshit affiliates are 95% fiction and 5% fractured truth. Reality tv, is a huge farce. With such gullible goons sitting in front of their televisions, and buying into this trash it is unlikely it will go away. No wonder, we have such a surplus of morons in this country, and media maggots wit insatiable appetites for revenue and ratings.

  14. please bring back this family.. What happend to them? They were so real and compelling. So sick of the Real House Wife’s and the other trash franchises.

  15. How can old Billy write a book when he can’t even form a sentence in proper english?

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About Ryan Berenz 2166 Articles
Member of the Television Critics Association. Charter member of the Ancient and Mystic Society of No Homers. Squire of the Ancient & Benevolent Order of the Lynx, Lodge 49, Long Beach, Calif. Costco Wholesale Gold Star Member since 2011.