“Duck Dynasty” is a booming television show featured on the A&E network with more than 4.4 million viewers spanning all of the key demographic areas, the Robertson family reality show has taken watchers by storm.
“Duck Dynasty” follows a backwoods millionaire family running a duck call empire on the Louisiana bayou, after Phillip Alexander Robertson’s creation of the “Duck Commander” brought the family wealth. The Duck Commander is a revolutionary duck call that instead of making the usual mallard hen call, as all previous duck calls mimicked, his invention was the first ever to be able to successfully replicate the mallard drake or male duck call. Many before him had tried, but his was the first to sound authentic. The company has since expanded to include a spin off deer call titled the Buck Commander.
Phil Robertson had to sacrifice a lot to become what he is today. He left behind his football career. He was first string Quarterback ahead of the great Terry Bradshaw, at Louisiana Tech, to pursue his true passion: duck season. Phil Robertson was frustrated with the duck calls on the market at that time so he attempted to make one that actually sounded like a duck. He is quoted as saying “…no duck would even place in a duck calling contest.” What he meant was that the duck calls at the time sounded nothing like an actual duck. As we all know, he succeeded with the creation of the duck commander.
Before the world knew them as the back-woods hillbillies who made it big time, the Robertson men were already well-known to duck hunters everywhere. Their current reality show originated from multiple videos created in the 1980’s that were named after Phil’s revolutionary duck call invention the Duck Commander. So, in a sense, the family already had a reality show before the premier of Duck Dynasty, but it was simply scruffy men going out to do what they love: duck hunts. The videos are the original reason the Robertson men becoming famous.
The cast of Duck Dynasty consists of Phil Robertson, the creator of the dynasty; Mrs. Kay, his wife; Willie Robertson, his son and current CEO of the company; Korie Robertson, Willie’s wife, Jace Robertson, Willie’s brother and employee; Missy Robertson, Jase’s wife; Jep Robertson, the youngest son of Phil Robertson who currently edits hunting videos for the family; Jep’s wife, Jessica Robertson; Alan Robertson, a member of the family that doesn’t much participate in the series; and then there’s Uncle Si, Also on the cast are two Duck Dynasty employees, Justin Martin and John Goodwin, but it’s rare for them to go a whole episode actually working and not succumbing to participating in the Robertson family’s crazy antics. The show also features Mountain Man, a Robertson family friend.
Uncle Si is known for his funny insights and for referring to every one as “Jack,” and saying “Look here” before most sentences, and sometimes again in the middle. He is also a Vietnam veteran who makes odd references to his war experiences, like the time he went to career day at a local grade school and talked to the children there about “Nam” saying, “They may wake up in the middle of the night with nightmares, but that’s not always a bad thing.” Si Robertson’s antics have made him, by far, the favorite of all the cast.
The show simply follows the family’s crazy ordeals and their reactions to them. Each of the episodes ends on a happy, yet touching note showing the whole family praying and sharing diner together as the close-knit family they are. They also always add a sweet quote to live by at the end sort of live Robertson family words of wisdom. This family is truly a crazy yet enduring group, whose popularity with American viewers, has grown exponentially “Jack.” And shows no signs of slowing.