Shailene Woodley in "The Secret Life of the American Teenager"
courtesy of ABC Family

“The Secret Life of the American Teenager” (ABC Family)

ABC Family is taking a risk with its new original series “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” This show, based on the first episode, frowns on teenage sex and features teens who favor abstinence. Well I guess we aren’t in “Juno” land here. That could be because the series is created and directed by Brenda “7th Heaven” Hampton.

In the show a fifteen year old girl named Amy (Shailene Woodley) returns from band camp where she has had sex for the first and only time. A few weeks later she takes a home pregnancy test and it is positive. Stunned she turns to her best friends who suggest she start dating a boy named Ben (Kenny Baumann) because he is nice and will probably marry her.

Amy wants to tell her parents (Mark Derwin and Molly Ringwald) but can’t find the right time. She also hates to disappoint them as they think she is a perfect girl who is studious and serious. Her mother is always urging her to have fun.

Other students at the school include a couple named Grace (Megan Park) and Jack (Greg Finley). They are Christians and are committed to abstinence, at least Grace is. Jack is led down the road to perdition by a temptress named Adrian (Francia Raisa). In the scene where she tempts him she takes a bite of an apple. How symbolic is that!

The reason the show will probably be a hit is that it is well written, well acted and has something to say. You get a lot of different viewpoints from the students at the school where Amy goes. They are not all drunks and promiscuous as we see in most Hollywood movies, but they aren’t perfect either.

Amy’s plight will play out over this entire season and if the series is renewed she will have the baby next year. It will be interesting to see how Hampton handles this situation and how she makes the parents and Amy’s peers respond.

This is one of the best original series ABC Family has offered in some time. It should bring a large audience to this cable channel. Brenda Hampton worked magic with “7th Heaven” and she could do the same here.

“The Secret Life of the American Teenager” airs Tuesdays at 8PM on the ABC Family Channel.
 

 

 

 

 

©2008 Jackie K. Cooper

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