• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, Yesterday

TV has had dozens of family reality docuseries since around 2000, but for me, only four truly broke out of the pack.

They were “The Osbournes” (2002-05, MTV), which established a kind of gold standard for the family docuseries; “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” which turned the Kardashian brand into a billion-dollar juggernaut; “American Chopper,” about a family that builds one-of-a-kind motorcycles in upstate New York; and “Duck Dynasty.”

This show about a family business in Louisiana that manufactures and sells duck calls and other duck-hunting accessories became the phenomenon of its era.

It effectively combined characteristics of unscripted docudramas and scripted sitcoms to create a hybrid reality series that became one of the highest-rated shows in the history of basic cable.

No wonder then that A&E is bringing back the Robertson family who drew the attention of the nation when “Duck Dynasty” had its first sensational run 

The new one, titled “Duck Dynasty: The Revival” takes up the Robertson story eight years since the series finale of “Duck Dynasty” in 2017. The A&E show ran for 11 seasons totaling 131 episodes in five years -- 2012-17.

In the premiere episode of “The Revival,” we are reintroduced to the Robertson family, which has seen its share of changes since we last saw them.

Willie and Korie Robertson (photo above) are positioned this time as the patriarch and matriarch of the clan. 

Willie had long been the man in charge of the family company, Duck Commander, which also employed his similarly bearded brothers and his Uncle Si, who became a particular viewer favorite. They’re all back too.

But the family has grown. Willie and Korie have seven grandchildren now that their children are all grown up and married.

There is also ample visual evidence to suggest that the Robertson’s have made out very well since they became nationally famous on the first show.

They have assembled a huge rambling property that includes a new, and probably custom-built house for Willie and Korie, plus homes for some of their children and their families.

The property also has its own private duck-hunting pond which is seen at the outset of the new show’s first episode. 

Can’t stomach seeing ducks shot out of the sky? Then don’t watch the opening of “Duck Dynasty: The Revival” because that is exactly what happens. 

As for the family company, it is now housed in a sprawling warehouse-like structure that contains a variety of businesses -- duck call manufacturing, “Duck Dynasty” merchandise, at least two podcast studios, and tourist attractions such as a self-styled “Duck Dynasty” museum.

The museum includes all of the furnishings of Willie Robertson’s office, which creates a problem for Willie in Episode One of “The Revival.”

In the episode, the storyline has Willie returning to the office for the first time in more than a year and finding a lot of changes he did not know about.

One of them is the “repurposing” of his office/man cave into a feminine workspace for one of his daughters, who has made a name for herself with an inspirational podcast and a series of books. This is why his old office has become a museum attraction.

Willie also finds his underlings -- his brothers, Uncle Si, and other colorful long-timers who were first seen in the original show -- up to the same old hijinks as before, most notably, working as little as possible.

The very good news about “Duck Dynasty: The Revival” is that it makes itself at home right away. It is great to see the Robertsons once again and best of all, they are as entertaining as ever.

“Duck Dynasty: The Revival” premieres Sunday, June 1, at 9 p.m. Eastern on A&E.