Teenager’s Secret is Out - Will Success Follow?

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Drama, Prime Time, Cable, Editorial

I’m not going to mince words, here - I’ve never been a huge fan of ABC Family‘s programming. I’ve stopped on the occasional PG movie and watched re-runs of Who’s Line, sure, but I’ve never been driven to see one of the channel’s original shows. At least, not until now. I accidentally came across a promo the other day for the network’s new The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and stunningly I found it absolutely gripping.

Even more amazingly, I really want to see the premiere. The episode airs July 1, but to whet your appetite the ABC Family’ site is showing the same promo which got under my skin, if you want to catch a glimpse.

Read More | ABC Family

I have a feeling this could be a really great show. Let’s review the evidence:

Exhibit A, Molly Ringwald is in it. She is a great actress and was the 80s teen “it” girl. She plays the Anne, mother of Amy Juergens (played by Shailene Woodley), who is the title teenager.

Exhibit B, it deals with a topic you wouldn’t expect to find on ABC Family - premarital sex amongst teenagers, and the repercussions therein. In the show’s premiere, Amy, 15, will learn that she’s pregnant thanks to a one-night-stand with the school “bad boy.”

Exhibit C, there’s a connection with super-successful series 7th Heaven, thanks to producer Brenda Hampton.

Exhibit D, it’s a teen-oriented show featuring a young, good-looking cast - and it’s on ABC Family. The clean cable channel can hardly be boycotted by parents, and teens will be drawn into the somewhat skewed representation of adolescence.

Exhibit E, Secret Life will enjoy a midsummer premiere at a time when network TV is struggling to pull in the expected ratings. It’s brand-new and it’s fully scripted - which already sets the series apart from other summer shows.