'Duck Dynasty' season finale brings in record viewers

By Greg Hillburn, The (Monroe, La.) News-Star

Show focuses on Louisiana%27s Robertson family
Duck call makers look forward to fourth season

Duck Dynasty's meteoric rise as TV's most watched reality series broke its own A&E Network record this week as 9.6 million viewers tuned in for the season three finale featuring the Robertson family in Hawaii.

Al Robertson, known as the "other brother" because he has made only cameo appearances on the show so far, said shooting on season four could begin in as soon as three weeks.

"We feel great about it," Al Robertson said Thursday at the family's Duck Commander company warehouse in West Monroe, La. "Everybody is engaged and hitting their stride creatively."

The series follows the lives of the Robertson family, led by patriarch Phil Robertson, who founded the Duck Commander company in the 1970s, and his wife Kay.

Sons Willie, Jase and Jep and Uncle Si and all of the Robertson wives play integral parts.

And now Al Robertson, who left the ministry last year to join the family business, and his wife Lisa will become regulars on the Wednesday night show in season four.

"Look for some surprises in season four; maybe even a beardless Robertson will make a debut," said Al, the only clean-shaven Robertson man. "Lisa and I are excited about it."

Robertson dismissed any notion that season four could be held up by a contract dispute between the family and A&E.

"A&E is a great company; we'll work it out," he said. "It's just business negotiations."

'Duck Dynasty,' A & E |Seasons: 3 (2012-present) Family dynamic: The Robertsons are a Louisiana clan whose duck call manufacturing business has made millions -- and scored record ratings for A & E. The show features company founder Phil, his sons (Jase, Willie and Jep) and his younger brother, Si, at work and on the hunt. | Don't try this at home: Making the squirrels and dumplings recipe from the 'Duck Dynasty' site. | What has this show taught us? The family that picks stuff out of their beards together, stays together. | Level of dysfunction: Low. The Robertsons haven't really tried to conform to reality or even redneck conventions; they just are who they are: smart, funny people. And that approach
is as successful as their duck calls.

The Duck Commander parking lot was full of fans on Thursday.

Some got to watch CBS filming part of a segment for a Good Morning America story about the Robertsons set to air on May 7. Phil Robertson will appear live on GMA that morning, the same day his biography Happy, Happy, Happy is scheduled for release.

"We had two tour buses and three school buses here today," Al Robertson said.

All four of the brothers are set to appear on a segment on Katie Couric's show at an undetermined date, and the Robertsons are scheduled to appear on The View on May 8.

Al said the family hasn't grown weary on the growing demand on their time as their fame continues to skyrocket. "It energizes us," he said.

But there are drawbacks, like a rumor on social media Wednesday night that Phil was admitted to the hospital with a serious health issue.

"We were in church and I started getting texts from family members worried about Dad," Al said. "But I looked back and Dad was there doing fine.

"There are several Facebook pages out there claiming to be family members but are not. Warning to the public: Don't assume people claiming to be the Robertson family on Facebook are authentic. In typical Dad fashion, when I told him about the latest rumor that had him in bad shape, he reminded me that this is why he has never turned on a computer."