Will MomTok survive this?! One of the most popular reality tv series of 2024 was undeniably The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which followed the lives and drama of eight moms in Utah who are known for their TikTok channels. All of the episodes have already been available to stream on Hulu for several months now, but the show is now getting a special broadcast run on ABC.
It's very rare for a show made-for-streaming to get a weekly broadcast run, and even more rare for a reality series to be put in this position. Following the industry strikes with the AMPTP in 2023, we saw popular series like Only Murders in the Building and Yellowstone re-air on broadcast television to help fill vacant spots in schedules, but it's incredibly unique that a show like The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives finds itself in a primetime spot.
When does The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives air on ABC?
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives will officially be part of ABC's Winter Programming Line-Up, with new episodes airing on Mondays at 10/9c. The first episode will debut on Monday, Jan. 27, following a two-hour episode of The Bachelor that starts at 8/7c. The series has eight episodes in all, which will each air on subsequent Monday nights.
The show follows the lives of a group of moms in Utah who refer to themselves as "MomTok" because they collaborate on TikTok videos together and have landed impressive brand partnerships on their channels. Their income relies on their friendship and fame. One of the leaders of the group, Taylor Frankie Paul, also went viral in 2022 on the app when she revealed that she and some of the other couples had been swinging (scandalous!). The show does touch upon the drama, but mostly follows new drama as the moms navigate conflicts with their lifestyle and religion.
With the show already having been renewed for a second season, it makes sense that Hulu and ABC would want to expand its audience and get the series additional attention to help boost the season 2 ratings even further. But, it's also an incredibly low-cost way for ABC to fill a spot in its line-up with something "new," because they aren't paying to create a new series and they don't have to pay anyone involved with the show residuals (something that I think absolutely needs to change). Nonetheless, I'm happy that ABC is seeing the value in embracing the series.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 1 premieres Monday, Jan. 27 on ABC. And if you'd prefer to watch the full series now, all episodes are still available to stream on Hulu.