The Busbys Don’t Need ‘OutDaughtered’ Season 4 To Keep Them Busy

TLC has turned confessional reality TV shows about big families into major trend, and OutDaughtered is the perfect mix of all the best elements in that genre. Will OutDaughtered return for Season 4? It has an absurdly challenging parenting situation, a charming mom and dad, an older sibling forced to be wise beyond her years, and a quirky grandma. But as the show's summer season comes to an end on Sept. 11, there's no news on its future.

While OutDaughtered has yet to be renewed by TLC, there's nothing about the third season's performance that suggests that the series will be cancelled, either. And given the show's history, it's hard to predict when OutDaughtered Season 4 would premiere, if the show does get that order.

OutDaughtered premiered with a short, four-episode season in May of 2016, and the Bubsys announced the show was renewed for Season 2 in August 2016. The second season premiered in fall 2016 and ran for 13 episodes, until January, then was immediately renewed in late January and took another six-month break before returning in July. If that pattern continues, then OutDaughtered could return as soon as February 2018. Given that the third season premiere was the highest rated episode of OutDaughtered ever, according to The Futon Critic, there's yet another good reason to expect the series to be renewed and to return soon.

This season demonstrated that the Busby family is dealing with more than just the logistical challenges of raising six children at the same time. And in the time since the show finished filming, the Busbys have continued to share their lives with their audience of fans on social media. The family doesn't stick to the positive stuff, either — they show tough parts, the same way that they do on the show. Their willingness to admit that their life is messy and complicated is a big part of what makes watching the Busby family on OutDaughtered so much fun.

And it looks like the family is also focusing on getting involved in causes together. In a recent Instagram post, Danielle shared a shot of Blayke and Mimi volunteering with displaced pets in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. "So blessed to have a 6 yr old with such a giving little soul," Danielle captioned her photo.

One serious aspect of the most recent season is that Adam has opened up about suffering from postpartum depression. That's a condition that already doesn't get enough attention when mothers are suffering after the birth of a child. But any parent can get postpartum depression, according to The Atlantic. "Postpartum depression may be more likely to go undiagnosed in men, though, as men are traditionally less likely to ask for help than women, and are more willing to report problems like irritability and fatigue than feelings of sadness or worthlessness," Julie Beck reported. So credit should be given to Adam for opening up about his issues.

"I’d be doing an extreme disservice to our fans if I hid this from the public," Adam told People. "I want men to feel comfortable opening up about their feelings and expressing the struggles they’re going through. I want to help end the stigma surrounding mental health."

The Busby family has gone through challenging times and fantastic times. But whether they're sharing their lives on their reality show or on their own social media accounts, they're not afraid to be honest. If OutDaughtered returns for Season 4 — and there's a good chance it will — chances are the Busbys will get even realer about their unique, large, and loving family.