SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE
Docuseries | Amazon Prime | 2023
Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets is a four-part docuseries examining the Duggar family’s rise to fame through reality television and their deep-rooted ties to the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), a controversial Christian fundamentalist organization. The series explores how IBLP’s teachings shaped not only the Duggar household but also influenced a broader movement that reached into education, politics, and religious communities across the U.S.
Produced by The Cinemart in collaboration with Amazon Studios, Story Force, and Chick Entertainment, the series takes a careful and respectful approach to telling the stories of former IBLP members and insiders, many speaking out for the first time. Through interviews, archival footage, and investigative reporting, Shiny Happy People traces the impact of an ideology that has long operated out of the public eye, and how that influence intersected with the family’s media presence.
The Cinemart’s role spanned from development through post-production, helping shape the editorial voice and visual tone of the series. Known for its focus on culturally relevant stories, The Cinemart approached this project with sensitivity to the subject matter and a commitment to platforming voices from within the community. Upon its release, the series received critical attention for its thoughtful presentation and became one of Prime Video’s most-watched documentary debuts of 2023.
CREDITs
Julia Willoughby Nason: Director, Executive Producer, Writer
Michael Gasparro: Executive Producer
The Cinemart: Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production
Featured Press
“A show that is initially about an odd corner of American celebrity morphs into a recounting of abuse within the family, to abuse propagated and protected by IBLP, and to the inroads fundamentalist, authoritarian-leaning Christianity has made in US schools, government and civic life.”
“Their experiences are far from unique and that means their story might demonstrate to someone on the other end, watching wide-eyed or furtively, that a different life away from their particular cage is not just possible, but joyful.”
“A brutal takedown of the Arkansas clan, led by testimony from two of its own.”
“Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets offers first-hand testimony about the day-to-day behaviors of its titular family, as well as the inner workings and intentions of an organization bent on remaking America in its own hyper-Christian, male authority-loving image.”