With 2009 drawing to a close, it's time to take a look back at the year that was.  The following is Reality TV World's 2009 Reality TV Year In Review, a 12-part, month-by-month review of some of the past year's reality TV headlines, highlights, lowlights, and milestones. 

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Today we continue our 12-day countdown with the tenth installment: October 2009.

- Jon Gosselin claims Jon & Kate Plus 8 has become "detrimental" to his children demands TLC halt production. While Jon subsequently claims his demand was due to an "epiphany," reports claim it was motivated by TLC's refusal to allow him to star in other reality shows.

- Kate Gosselin says she is "saddened and confused" by Jon's claim that the show is harming their kids, which she denies. While TLC slams Jon for his demands, it suspends production on the show.

- Fox insists a So You Think You Can Dance sixth-season hopeful who appeared to have flashed her private parts during her audition was wearing flesh-toned dance gear.

- Original Survivor winner Richard Hatch completes his prison sentence and is released. He subsequently says he was the victim of a "witch hunt."

- MTV premieres Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein's Gone Too Far intervention reality series despite his August death due to an accidental drug overdose. The series is subsequently moved to a late-night time period due to low ratings.

- Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi announces she's pregnant with her first child but declines to reveal the father.

- Jon & Kate Plus 8 star Kate Gosselin accuses her estranged husband Jon of emptying their joint account and claims she can't pay bills. Jon calls Kate's claims a "total fabrication," accuses her of "hiding money" and subsequently demands that she be forthcoming about the money he alleges she's hiding from him.

- Kate Gosselin files for child support and temporary spousal support and asks for a court to force Jon to return the money she claims he took out of their joint account without her approval, while Jon files a claim that Kate also made unauthorized money withdrawals. A judge orders both to return the funds.

- Jon Gosselin's attorney subsequently states his client is in "full compliance" with the judge's order to return the money, however Kate's legal team disagrees.

- A private memorial service is held for accused Megan Wants a Millionaire murderer Ryan Jenkins, and authorities reveal he left a suicide note on his laptop.

- One of Jake Pavelka's alleged bachelorettes reveals that ABC has tapped him to serve as The Bachelor's fourteenth-season star, which the network confirms two weeks later.

- Ashley "A.J." Jewell, the former fiance of The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss, dies due to injuries suffered during a reported fight outside of an Atlanta strip club. 

- Jon Gosselin publicly claims his estranged wife Kate is attempting to stop him from spending time with their twins on their birthday, however they subsequently resolve the dispute and are "cordial" with one another.

- Former Gosselin family nanny Stephanie Santoro -- who previously alleged to have an affair with Jon -- claims he hacked into Kate's cell phone and email records, which he denies. Kate says she is "disturbed" by Santoro's latest allegations.

- Indicted former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay withdraws from Dancing with the Stars ninth season after suffering injuries to both of his feet.

- The Biggest Loser opens a branded weight-loss resort and spa in Utah.

- TLC confirms Jon & Kate Plus 8 will no longer re-launch as Kate Plus 8 beginning November 2 and the reality show's last original Jon & Kate Plus 8-titled episode will now air in mid to late November. The network later confirms Jon & Kate Plus 8's last completed episode will air November 23.

- Jon Gosselin says he'll "probably continue on television" once the series is over but denies a report that he might appear on either Survivor or The Amazing Race. In addition, his representative denies he's doing a reality show with "Octomom" Nadya Suleman.

- Bravo formally orders The Real Housewives of D.C. -- the fifth installment in its The Real Housewives reality series franchise.

- TLC files a breach of contract lawsuit against Jon & Kate Plus 8 star Jon Gosselin and alleges his newfound claim that the show is "detrimental" to his children was part of a threat to try and get the network to release him from his exclusive contract. Jon's lawyer characterizes the lawsuit as "weak" and "baseless."

- BET orders a new docu-reality series starring paroled NFL star Michael Vick.

- Former Survivor: Amazon castaway Heidi Strobel gives birth to a baby boy.

- 18 Kids and Counting stars Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar welcome their first grandchild.

- Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is reportedly cast to compete on The Celebrity Apprentice's third season. Leaked photos confirm Blagojevich's participation once production on the season begins later in the month.

- Project Runway host Heidi Klum and her husband Seal welcome a baby girl.

- A report that Michael Jackson's kids are going to be part of A&E's upcoming reality series about the Jackson family surfaces, however his mom -- who received custody of the three children following his June death -- denies it.

- Dave Levey defeats Kevin Cottle to win Hell's Kitchen's sixth-season title.

- Fox Cable announces it is shutting down its Fox Reality Channel cable network.

- Former The Bachelorette fifth-season suitor Wes Hayden claims the ABC reality dating franchise is "full of s--t" and claims he has a project with NBC in the works.

- Choreographer Mia Michaels announces that she is leaving So You Think You Can Dance effective immediately to pursue "other projects." Nigel Lythgoe subsequently wishes Michaels "the best."

- The Heene family -- who twice appeared on ABC's Wife Swap -- are at the center of an incident that gains national media attention when they claim their son accidentally lifted off in a homemade helium balloon only to learn that he was hiding at their house the whole time. The family denies the incident was a hoax, but authorities disagree and label it a hoax in an attempt to land a new reality show.

- The FAA investigates the Heene incident and confirms criminal charges may be filed.  Heene family's mom gives an affidavit that the incident was a hoax.  Lifetime decides to pull a rerun of the Heene family's first Wife Swap appearance.

- Hulk Hogan reveals that his former American Gladiator co-host Laila Ali stopped him from attempting suicide.

- Hailey Glassman claims that her boyfriend Jon & Kate Plus 8 star Jon Gosselin sometimes has trouble with the truth and accuses him of being emotional abusive to her. Gosselin states he regrets causing Glassman "any pain," and the couple subsequently decides to take a break from their relationship.

- The Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel confirms she's engaged and pregnant.

- The Hills star Stephanie Pratt is arrested for suspicion of drunk driving.

- Big Brother ninth-season winner Adam Jasinski is arrested in Massachusetts for attempting to sell 2,000 oxycodone pills as part of a drug trafficking operation he allegedly operated. A judge subsequently orders he be held without bail.

- Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami star Khloe Kardashian and her husband Lamar Odom reportedly sign their prenuptial agreement.

- Big Brother eleventh-season houseguests Jordan Lloyd and Jeff Schroeder reveal they're dating.

- The Bachelor star Jason Mesnick and his second selected suitor Molly Malaney get engaged in New Zealand, and she subsequently reveals she "hadn't expected" him to pop the question.

- Liz Davis wins MTV's P. Diddy's Starmaker reality series.

- The Apprentice star Ivanka Trump weds publisher Jared Kushner.

- Antonio Sabato Jr. picks Brooke Barlow during My Antonio's finale, however word quickly surfaces that the couple had already split by the time it aired.

- Former Age of Love star Mark Philippoussis gets engaged to Jennifer Esposito.

- Julianne Hough reveals she is uncertain about when she will return to Dancing with the Stars.

- Former The Two Coreys stars Corey and Susie Feldman file for divorce.

Premieres: Wedded to Perfection (10/2); Bartender Wars (10/2); Superfetch (10/3); The Next Iron Chef, Season 2 (10/4); Parking Wars, Season 3 (10/6); Ghost Lab (10/6); The Girls Next Door, Season 6 (10/11); Leave it to Lamas (10/11); Million Dollar Listing, Season 3 (10/12); Gone Too Far (10/12); Little People, Big World, Season 5 (10/16); Storm Chasers, Season 3 (10/18); Living with Ed, Season 3 (10/21); The Academy: Orange County Fires (10/24); Monica (10/27).


About The Author: Christopher Rocchio

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