Could you live without your phone, internet, makeup, electricity, or an indoor toilet?
One of the “Suddenly Amish” hosts, Emma. (Courtesy: TLC)
That’s what TLC wants find out when they send six everyday people to an Amish community in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in their new reality series, “Suddenly Amish.”
“In the Amish world, we abstain from electricity. We abstain from cars. We don’t wear makeup or jewelry. We work the fields. We go to church,” the Amish hosts reminds us in the beginning of the trailer.
But the Amish way of life is slowly dying out, with young people leaving in record numbers according to Bishop Vernon, the strict but respected leader of the community. Vernon is hoping one of the six would-be Amish people stick it out and join the flock.
Bishop Vernon hopes to welcome people into the Amish community in “Suddenly Amish. (Courtesy: TLC).{ }
Those looking to try out the lifestyle include Kendra (33, California) a former dancer and content creator who is seeking to shed body image issues and find a more purposeful path; Judah (22, Missouri), a young rapper with a taste for luxury and craving real belonging, though life on the farm may be a challenge with his germaphobia; Matt (34, Texas), a newly divorced dad with a rugged yet vulnerable side is looking for a spiritual reset and to rebuild his life on stronger values; Aaron (40, Michigan), a pastor’s son who is dedicated to his principles and drawn to the devotion of Amish life but has a hearing disability that requires modern technology to manage; Esmerelda (25, Texas), who wants the stability of a traditional family life that she never had growing up but also has so deeply intertwined her identity with glamour that she doesn’t know how to separate them; and Billie Jo (44, New York), a lifelong aficionado of Amish culture who already dresses in traditional clothing for whom officially joining Amish culture would be a dream come true.
Esme, Kendra, Judah, Matt, Billie Jo, Aaron are all hoping to find a new way of life on “Suddenly Amish.” (Courtesy: TLC)
The Amish lifestyle sounds appealing to the group, but they are met with quite a few challenges.
“It feels like jail,” Kendra declares.
And of course, it wouldn’t be a reality show if there weren’t fights, tears, and someone asking another person to “pray for them.”
“Suddenly Amish” premieres January 13 on TLC.
