After the season four premiere of Duck Dynasty became the most highly rated reality show ever, the A&E hit is quickly on its way to another milestone: The most popular cable TV show of all time.
This season, the “guided reality” show about a Louisiana family and their duck hunting business is on track to be watched by more people than critically praised and culturally ubiquitous shows including The Walking Dead, Mad Men, Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones.
Unlike other cable reality based shows, such as Real Housewives or Jersey Shore, the formula for Duck Dynasty’s success isn’t a mix of scandal, sex and drama—it’s faith and family. Each episode of the show maintains a surprisingly self-aware, lighthearted tone and features genuine family connection, good-natured goofiness and even prayer.
As A&E General Manager and Executive Vice President David McKillop explained on The Today Show, “They represent some real values that people still cherish.”