The broadcast of Sister Wives came at a time that polygamied and multiple marriages was a prevalent topic in American pop culture . Big Love , the hit HBO series about fictional Utah polygamist Bill Henrickson , his three sister wives , and their struggle to gain acceptance in society , had already been on the air for several years . In early September 2010 , the drama series Lone Star , about a con man on the verge of entering into multiple marriages , premiered on Fox but was quickly canceled after two episodes , and when Sister Wives debuted , actress Katherine Heigl was in the process of developing a film about Carolyn Jessop , a woman who fled from a polygamist sect .