Little People, Big World
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''Little People, Big World'' is an American reality television series that premiered on March 4, 2006, and airs on
TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...
. The series chronicles the lives of the six-member Roloff family farm near
Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
. Many of the episodes focus on the parents, Matt and Amy, and one of their children, Zach, who has
dwarfism Dwarfism is a condition wherein an organism is exceptionally small, and mostly occurs in the animal kingdom. In humans, it is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than , regardless of sex; the average adult height among people with dw ...
. On August 26, 2010, TLC announced that the sixth season would be the last for the show. However, the show was never canceled and remains on the air to this day. After its original final season, TLC aired several specials: "Conquering Mount St. Helens", "Breaking Down the Walls", and "Welcome to the Jungle". On October 5, 2012, TLC announced a spin-off series – '' Little People Big World: Wedding Farm''. It chronicles Matt and Amy as they jump-start their wedding business on the farm. The series premiered on November 13, 2012, and ran for six episodes.


Background

In 2010, Amy Roloff commented on the beginnings of the show: "TLC came to us about five or six years ago, and so we suddenly realized we were given a great opportunity to educate people about dwarfism. When it was offered that we do a show about our lives, my husband and I were like, "Wow, nothing like this has even been on the air." Nothing had depicted dwarfism in an everyday way. Lo and behold, a few episodes turned into six seasons. And here we are."


Premise

The show follows the daily lives of the Roloff family — parents Matt and Amy, and their four children: Zach, Jeremy, Molly, and Jacob. Matt, Amy, and Zach have
dwarfism Dwarfism is a condition wherein an organism is exceptionally small, and mostly occurs in the animal kingdom. In humans, it is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than , regardless of sex; the average adult height among people with dw ...
, while Jeremy, Molly, and Jacob are of average height. Zach and Jeremy are
fraternal twins Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
; although Jeremy is of average height, his brother Zach is a little person (4'4", or 132 cm). The family lives on the Roloff Farms, located north of Hillsboro in Helvetia, Oregon, a
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
of Portland. Although crops of
pumpkins A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus ''Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes use ...
are grown and sold by the family, much of the farm has been converted into a series of playground set pieces for the Roloff children. They were designed by Matt, who spent most of his childhood in the hospital. He has tried to make his children's lives the best possible. Episodes of the show typically showcase one or more members of the Roloff family engaging in everyday activities such as shopping, athletics, and dealing with household finances. The drama of the show arises because many of these activities are made more challenging due to the height of the little people in the family, as Matt and Amy are 4'1" (124 cm) and Zach is 4'4" (132 cm).


Family members


Parents

*
Matthew Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Ch ...
("Matt") – (born October 7, 1961, in
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
) ex-husband and father; Matt's career was in
computer software Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work. At the lowest programming level, executable code consists ...
sales. As the series began, Matt was no longer employed by the company, but was engaged in establishing the business he co-founded, Direct Access Solutions. The company markets accessibility kits for little people to the
hospitality industry The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, food and drink service, event planning, theme parks, travel and tourism. It includes hotels, tourism agencies, restaurants and bars. Sector ...
. As the first season ended, Matt started another job as a software salesman with
Amdocs Amdocs ( he, אמדוקס) is a multinational corporation that was founded in Israel and currently headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri, with support and development centers located worldwide. The company specializes in software and services ...
to provide the family with additional income. Matt's type of dwarfism,
diastrophic dysplasia Diastrophic dysplasia is an autosomal recessive dysplasia which affects cartilage and bone development. ("Diastrophism" is a general word referring to a twisting.) Diastrophic dysplasia is due to mutations in the ''SLC26A2'' gene. Affected indivi ...
, resulted in numerous childhood surgeries. He walks with the aid of crutches and uses a motorized cart when needed. *
Amy Roloff Amy Jo Roloff (née Knight; born September 17, 1962) is an American television personality, author, baker, and motivational speaker. Roloff is best known for her reality television role on TLC's ''Little People, Big World''. The show featured th ...
(née Knight) – (b. September 17, 1962, in
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
) ex-wife and mother; Amy's type of dwarfism is
achondroplasia Achondroplasia is a genetic disorder with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance whose primary feature is dwarfism. In those with the condition, the arms and legs are short, while the torso is typically of normal length. Those affected ha ...
, and she has experienced very few (if any) complications. Amy is a graduate of
Central Michigan University Central Michigan University (CMU) is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Established in 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, the private normal school became a state institution and renamed Cen ...
. When not acting, coaching, parenting, or teaching, she is a philanthropist. Her Amy Roloff Charity Foundation makes use of her celebrity by benefiting the needs of kids, at-risk youths, and disability groups. Amy has also given back to the
Dwarf Athletic Association of America The Dwarf Athletic Association of America (DAAA) is an American athletic organization that sponsors and organizes athletic events for people with dwarfism. History Founded in 1985, the DAAA's purpose is to develop, promote, and provide little peo ...
, helped fund an organization for foster care parents and the kids they have adopted, and supported low-income senior housing and a homeless shelter focusing on keeping family units together. Achondroplasia is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder with 80% of cases identified as a sporadic mutation.


Children

* Zachary Luke * Jeremy James * Molly Jo * Jacob George


Episodes


Ratings and Reception

The first season of ''Little People, Big World'' generated adequate ratings for TLC (especially in the 18–49
demographic Demography () is the statistical study of populations, especially human beings. Demographic analysis examines and measures the dimensions and dynamics of populations; it can cover whole societies or groups defined by criteria such as edu ...
), leading to the show's renewal for a second season.Crupi, Anthony. (April 24, 2006)
"TLC Gives Little People 2nd Run"
''Mediaweek''. Retrieved May 8, 2006.
Critical reviews of the series have been generally positive, citing the show's positive portrayal of little people.Gelman, Pam
Series review
''Common Sense Media''. Retrieved May 8, 2006.
Conversely, other reviews have claimed that the show has a
voyeuristic Voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of watching other people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other actions of a private nature. The term comes from the French ''voir'' which means "to see". A ...
bend to it (albeit a nonsexual one), but allows the viewer to feel good about watching because it is not outwardly or overtly exploitive.Kennedy, Dan. (March 24, 2006)
"Will TLC's new reality show change our perception of dwarfs?"
''Slate''. Retrieved May 8, 2006.
Heffernan, Virginia. (March 4, 2006).

''The New York Times''. Retrieved May 8, 2006.
The September 30, 2014, finale of ''Little People, Big World''s eighth season broke series records; 2.3 million total viewers tuned in to watch Jeremy Roloff marry his long-time girlfriend, Audrey Botti. The finale was the highest-rated episode in six years among women 25–54 and was number one on cable in the 10:00 pm timeslot among women 18–49 and women 18–34. The wedding finale capped the series' highest-rated season, in which it averaged 1.9 million viewers per episode. Since the show began airing, Roloff Farms has become an extremely popular tourist destination. While the farm and its many attractions have long been available for public viewing during pumpkin season (October), it began receiving far more visitors than can be accommodated. During the 2006 season, more than 30,000 people arrived to buy pumpkins and tour the farm, which only had space for a few hundred vehicles. The farm was shut down temporarily by Washington County deputies on one Saturday in October 2006, due to massive traffic. Area residents have complained about the
gridlock Gridlock is a form of traffic congestion where "continuous queues of vehicles block an entire network of intersecting streets, bringing traffic in all directions to a complete standstill". The term originates from a situation possible in a grid ...
caused by the visitors, as well as about the increased media scrutiny the show has brought. The Roloffs receive a large amount of correspondence. One report said as many as a dozen emails per minute arrive from supporters, however, the family did not confirm it. The increased exposure, however, has led to safety concerns for the family, who now deal with trespassers and fans. They have since installed a security gate on their property.


Controversies

In 2007, Matt Roloff was arrested on DUI charges. While he was found not guilty of the DUI, he was found guilty of refusing to submit to a blood alcohol test. As a result of his refusal, his driver's license was suspended for three years, because he had previously admitted guilt in a drunken-driving diversion program that he completed in 2003. In 2020, Jacob Roloff claimed that he was groomed and molested by former producer Chris Cardamone during the production of the series between 2007 and 2010, when Roloff was between the ages of 10 and 13 years old. While Roloff did not divulge details of the abuse, he emphasized that "all fault lies with the predator" and that "no fault lies with any of my family members." TLC responded to the allegations by saying "We are saddened and troubled by this very serious allegation, and TLC will work cooperatively with the authorities. Our main focus remains on supporting the Roloff family during this very difficult time.”


References


Further reading

*


External links

* * {{TLC Programming 2000s American reality television series 2010s American reality television series 2006 American television series debuts Works about dwarfism English-language television shows Television series about children Television series about families Television shows filmed in Oregon Television shows set in Oregon TLC (TV network) original programming Washington County, Oregon Hillsboro, Oregon 2020s American reality television series Television shows set on farms