Credit: TLC / Discovery Health

Cue the throwback vibes, because Netflix is bringing us the front-row tickets to a new documentary on Jon & Kate Plus 8. Is it just us, or did you also get slapped in the face with some serious nostalgia? If not, please allow us to jog your memory.

Back in the 2000s, Jon and Kate Gosselin became the reality TV parents everyone seemed to know, thanks to TLC’s Jon & Kate Plus 8, a show that followed the couple as they raised their twins and sextuplets with cameras capturing their family life.

From school mornings to birthday parties, the Gosselins turned the business of raising eight kids into must-watch television, and come on, can you blame viewers for getting hooked on a household where getting everyone out the door felt like a massive mission

But you know how reality TV works, right? Watching a family on screen can make you feel like an honorary neighbour, but a camera lens doesn’t capture the whole picture, and the Gosselins have quite a story beyond those familiar episodes.

What Happened to the Jon & Kate Plus 8 Family?

Back in 2007, Jon and Kate Gosselin became household names when viewers started tuning in to see them raise twins and sextuplets, and while the everyday madness made for addictive television, having eight kids and a camera crew under one roof was not going to be a walk in the park. Then came the couple’s very public divorce in 2009, and the show eventually carried on as Kate Plus 8, but the family’s story didn’t exactly wrap up when viewers changed the channel.

Things haven’t exactly been smooth for the Gosselin family over the years, and quite a bit of their personal drama has ended up out in the open. Collin Gosselin is all grown up now, and he’s written a memoir called In the Shadow of Eight, where he claims his mum, Kate, mistreated him when he was a kid. Kate denied the allegations, mind you, but it’s still sad stuff.

And the sad thing is, millions of people used to watch this family on TV and probably thought they knew them inside out. You’d see the kids going to school or having a birthday party and think it was just another family getting on with life. But there’s a lot you don’t see when the cameras are off.

What will the new Gosselin Family documentary explore?

Here’s the part long-time viewers will probably be most curious about: in its October 21st announcement, Netflix said the documentary will examine the different accounts that have emerged from inside the family, including how people who shared the same home remember their time in the spotlight differently, so don’t expect a straightforward nostalgia trip through the show’s greatest hits.

Jon Gosselin and two of his children, Collin and Hannah, are confirmed for interviews, which means some of the people who actually lived through that televised childhood will get to speak about it in their own words. But before anyone starts picturing a giant family reunion on screen, there’s a pretty big question mark hanging over Kate’s involvement, and Netflix hasn’t confirmed whether the other six children will take part either.

When will the Gosselin Family documentary release?

As for when you can actually watch it, Netflix hasn’t announced a release date or an official title yet, and there’s no trailer to pick apart either. Production is underway, though, so for now it’s a case of keeping an eye out for the next update rather than marking a date on the calendar.