Watching the latest installment of the train wreck that was once the compelling and illuminating “Jon and Kate Plus 8” reminds those of us who are baby boomers that we’ve seen this show before. It was one of the first reality shows most of us of that generation can recall: PBS’s “An American Family,” shown in 1973. In that show, we also had front-row seats to watch the disintegration of a family as the parents headed to divorce.

Similarly, TV critic Ken Tucker writes in Entertainment Weekly about the latest “Jon and Kate” episode on TLC, wherein Jon is “now virtually begging for a divorce right on camera.”  Furthermore, with little interaction between Jon and Kate, Tucker says the show is now forced to bring in guest stars from other TLC programs.

—Chuck Ross