It's a well-known fact at this point that a "dolla" makes Honey Boo Boo Child "holla." And apparently, for TLC, that feeling is mutual. The TV network announced Sept. 26 that it was ordering new episodes of its breakout reality hit, "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Child."
Since premiering in early August, the reality series which portrays the everyday life of pint-sized beauty queen Alana and her crazy "redneck" family living in McIntyre, Georgia, has become a runaway success averaging 2.3 million viewers per episode. Besides titular star Alana, the family includes "Mama" June, chalk-mining, forever half-asleep dad "Sugar Bear," and sisters 12-year-old Lauryn "Pumpkin," 15-year-old Jessica "Chubbs," and 17-year-old Anna "Chickadee."
"'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo' has become a pop culture phenomenon," said Amy Winter, general manager of TLC, in a statement. "What you see is what you get and we are excited to share even more of Alana and her family's unbridled hilarity, sincerity and love with our viewers."
TLC has reportedly ordered an unspecified amount of new episodes. The additional episode order from TLC includes Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas "HOLLAday" specials.
The show's cast had reportedly been locked in a salary negotiation with TLC, and was asking for raises that would bring their individual salaries up to $10,000 per episode.
TLC has been rumored to pay big salaries to the casts of their biggest shows. Although networks typically do not disclose the deals made with individual families, details about TLC's reality stars' salaries have surfaced.
Jon and Kate Gosselin of TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8," which first aired in 2007, earned $22,500 per episode, Jon told Larry King during an interview with CNN in 2009.
The Duggars of "18 Kids and Counting" are believed to have raked in even more, and they're far more terrifying. Reality families usually make a salary 10 percent of a show's per-episode budget, reality producer Terence Michael told E! News. Michael estimates TLC budgeted about $250,000 to $400,000 per episode, which would mean the Duggars earned between $25,000 and $40,000 for four or five days' work.
Keeping those figures in mind, if the Honey Boo Boo family really is asking for $10,000 an episode, TLC is still making out like bandit. Certainly begs the question: To just what extent is the network taking advantage of this family?
"Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Child" has become such a pop-culture phenomenon, that when Zimbio, an entertainment website reaching more than 25 million fans, released its list of the "2012 Most Influential Women in TV Under 30" on September 24, Honey Boo Boo herself made the list.
Zimbio's reasons for choosing seven-year-old Honey Boo Boo as an "Influential Woman in TV" are certainly understandable.
"Even if you don't like Honey Boo Boo, you probably spent at least part of your summer talking about her," says Zimbio. "It's hard to say just how long America's love affair with Honey Boo Boo will last, but it's safe to say that Alana and the rest of the Thompson family are loving their ride on the 15 Minutes of Fame train," the site added.
Since debuting in August, the TV show has become a ratings sensation for the network, with more than 2.1 million viewers tuning into its Sept. 13 episode. The show even topped all individual cable and network broadcasts of the Republican National Convention on Aug. 19 with a 1.3 rating with adults 18-49.
"Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" has become such a sensation for the network Honey Boo Boo now even has her own bodyguard. Sources say Alana and her new bodyguard have been spotted all over town lately, from trips to Wal-Mart, to fancy galas at the Rite-Aid.
The reality hit wrapped up the first part of its initial 10-episode season Sept. 26 with the one-hour episode titled "It Is What It Is."
With TLC's order of "HOLLAday" editions of the TV show though, we'll likely only have to wait until Halloween - or is that HOLLAween? - to get another buttery, sugar-filled taste of the Shannon-Thompson clan. We can't wait to see what the family dress up as. Suggestions?
How to make Honey Boo Boo's infamous "Sketti."