Overview

Welcome to Plathville is a popular TLC reality series which is in its second season as of November 2020. It first made its debut in 2019 and focuses on an unconventional family who don’t use the influence of social media or the outside world in their everyday lives.

Similar shows which TLC has featured on its content roster in the past include Outdaughtered, Doubling Down With The Derricos and Counting On. This set of family is located in Georgia, living on a 5 acre farm.

The family are known for being devoutly religious, pointing to it as the influence which is responsible for creating their large, close-knit family. Parents Kim and Barry describe how they regularly ‘seek God on major life decisions as well as the minor day to day choices.’

Premise

This reality series focuses on the Plath family, which comprises 11 members residing on a farm which they describe as their own ‘slice of heaven’. The children have been encouraged to focus on music, farming and other more wholesome activities as opposed to those revolving around technology.

That said, the family does not cut itself off from the world at large. Some may even have heard of the Plaths, as they are known on the Southern Gospel band circuit with their own touring act. Hosanna, the eldest daughter, managed to meet her husband Timothy Noble at a music event. The pair now tour as a duo.

The family is made up of Ethan, 22, Hosanna, 21, Micah, 19, Moriah, 17, Isaac, 14, Amber, 11, Cassia, 9 and Mercy, 7. Barry works as a transportation planner, while Kim majored in music therapy before going into work as a naturopathic doctor. 

Those watching the show may not see Hosanna on the family residence too often – this is because she relocated to Ohio to be with her husband Timothy. 

Cast and characters

Ethan Daniel Plath

Hosanna Noble

Micah Plath

Moriah Jasper Plath

Lydia Joy Plath

Isaac Plath

Joshua Samuel Plath

Amber Plath

Cassia Plath

Mercy Shalom Plath

Kim Plath

Barry Plath

The name Joshua Plath may be referenced on occasion, and the story behind this member of the Plath family is a tragic one. In 2008, Kim wrote about how she accidentally ran over her 17 month old son and he died in hospital. She struggled for eight months before being ‘healed by God’ during Mother’s Day Weekend. She said that ‘I can’t explain it other than He rewrote the bad coding in my brain’. 

Filming locations

The family is located in Georgia, residing in a suburban residence just outside Cairo. This location is in southwest Georgia, making up part of Grady County. Those who are close to Florida or Georgia will know that it’s on the state line, and it is also a 34 minute drive north to get to Tallahassee. 

Cairo is a small town, comprising just under 10,000 residents. By comparison, nearby town Thomasville has nearly twice this population.

Episodes and reception

As with any reality show, particularly one which focuses on an unconventional family, there has been a lot of controversy and criticism about what really goes on behind the scenes. For example, rumours have flown around that the Plath family do not live in the property shown on the series full time – as it has been allegedly spotted on Airbnb for rental at $100 a night.

Furthermore, Barry and Kim have struggled with Ethan’s wife Olivia in the past. In one heated set of comments on Instagram, Olivia claimed that Ethan’s parents manipulated them into appearing on the show by saying Ethan would get to see his estranged siblings if they would participate.