Origin Story: This is how Welcome to Plathville became a TV show

Ever since the homeschooled Plath family debuted on reality tv in late 2019, their lives have changed drastically.

The older children have struck out into the world after being sheltered all their lives, and the show has already seen two divorces with parents Barry and Kim Plath and oldest son Ethan Plath with his wife Olivia.

Their path to reality television began April 6, 2017 with a video Kim posted to YouTube of their family band. Within a week a producer pitched a reality show to Kim, and the rest is history, Kim told Today in a video-call interview.

The nine Plath kids were raised on a farm, homeschooled, and Kim Plath delivered all the children at home. They had very limited exposure to popular culture and media, so much of the early seasons of the show featured the older kids discovering the world they’d been sheltered from.

Ethan and his now ex-wife Olivia were newly married, and she was a huge driver in helping Ethan and the rest of the family try new things. Olivia was raised in a very similar family, which is how she ended up matched with Ethan. In hindsight, it seems like they got married to each other before they had a chance to find out who they were as people. Now that they’ve grown up, they aren’t compatible anymore.

For about four years family used to travel around as a band and even had their own CDs. Both Moriah and Lydia have released music, and there have been some recent efforts for the older siblings to perform together again. Some of their music is even woven into the show.

After appearing on the show’s first episode, their oldest child, daughter Hosanna, chose to step away from reality TV and social media in general.

“I don’t share anything public about her unless I ask her and get her permission,” Kim said about protecting Hosanna’s privacy.

Is Kim still living on the boat?

Season 6 of Welcome to Plathville shocked viewers with footage of Kim not only living on a small boat, but also bringing her three younger daughters on the boat to live with her when its their time to stay with her.

Kim is currently fighting for custody of Amber, Cassia and Mercy Plath, so it seems odd that she would want to have them all live on a cramped boat full-time.

In her interview with Today, Kim hints that her time on the boat might be short-lived.

“Viewers will have to tune in and see how long the girls and I can stand living on a small houseboat,” she said.

As for the custody arrangements, “Barry and I are still co-parenting. And … and that’s all I have to say about that.”