The Secret Life of the American Teenager

Series overview

In season one, fifteen-year-old Amy Juergens, a French horn player at Grant High School, discovers she is pregnant after having sex at band camp with playboy Ricky Underwood. She confides in her best friends Lauren and Madison, and they consider abortion, adoption, or keeping the baby. Amy begins dating Ben Boykewich, the son of sausage mogul Leo Boykewich, and tells him the truth; Ben proposes marriage. Ricky, upon learning he is the father, wants to be involved, causing jealousy in Adrian Lee, Ricky's casual relationship.

Ricky also shows interest in Grace Bowman, who was dating Jack Pappas until he cheated on her with Adrian. Grace and Adrian become friends despite being romantic rivals. Ricky and Ben compete for Amy's attention. At season's end, Amy gives birth to a son, named John by her sister Ashley, and decides to keep him after struggling with the decision.

In season two, Amy's parents Anne and George Juergens divorce. Anne begins dating her boss David but discovers she is pregnant despite David's fertility issues, leading her to assume the baby is George's. Grace loses her virginity to Jack on the night her father dies in a plane crash and feels guilt, blaming the encounter for his death; Jack starts drinking, breaks up with Grace, and dates Madison. Ashley begins freshman year, befriends a gay classmate named Griffin, and they pledge abstinence.

Ben returns from Italy, and Amy argues with Ricky over custody of John. Ben's jealousy leads to his breakup with Amy. Ricky and Adrian date officially, but Ricky is unfaithful. Grace's mother Kathleen remarries her late husband's coworker Jeff Tseguay.

Ricky and Amy kiss, prompting Adrian to cheat on Ricky with Ben; Ricky breaks up with Adrian and refuses to forgive Ben.

Broadcasting

The Secret Life of the American Teenager first aired on ABC Family on July 1, 2008. Season 1 consisted of 11 episodes from July 1 to September 9, 2008, followed by 12 episodes aired from January 5 to March 23, 2009, marketed as season 2, for a total of 23 episodes. In Canada, the first season aired on City starting September 3, 2008, but was removed in early 2009; MuchMusic then aired season 1 from November 30, 2009, and season 2 from December 7, 2009.

In the United Kingdom, the series is available on ABC Studios via Sky on Demand, broken into eight seasons, with reruns on Channel 4. The pilot episode set a record for ABC Family's highest-rated debut with 2.82 million viewers, surpassing Kyle XY. The season one finale drew 4.50 million viewers, beating that night's Gossip Girl episode. The mid-season premiere became ABC Family's most-watched telecast among viewers ages 12–34, with over three million viewers.

ABC Family announced renewal plans on January 31, 2009, with an official press release on February 9, and the show was added to the lineup on April 7, 2009. The second season premiere attracted 4.68 million viewers ages 18–34, the series' largest audience. The third season premiered on June 7, 2010. On January 10, 2011, a fourth season was announced for summer 2011, with season three resuming on March 28, 2011.

The second half of season four aired on March 26, 2012. On February 2, 2012, ABC Family renewed the series for a fifth season.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 38% approval rating based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 5.50/10. The critics' consensus describes the show as showing teens behaving like real teenagers but suffering from forced dialogue and a lack of originality, leaving it stranded at the border of soap opera parody. On Metacritic, the first season scores 48 out of 100 from 15 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. The New York Post praised the series for having characters from diverse family backgrounds.

However, most mainstream critics were critical, with Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly likening it to an after-school special filled with didactic messages and wooden acting. The New York Times called it a 'Prime-Time Cautionary Tale' and claimed it took the fun out of television. Variety reported that the show wanted to be a slow-motion version of Juno but settled for being an obvious, stereotype-laden teen soap. ReporterMag's Andrew Rees called it possibly the worst scripted drama on television, citing gag-worthy dialogue, horrific plot twists, terrible acting, and shallow characters.

Some critics praised developments in the second season. Jean Bently of EW Popwatch noted that the pregnancy plot had completed, allowing exploration of the frustrated young mother plot and other topics, and expressed hope that the writers would allow time for characters to grieve, deal with Anne's accidental pregnancy, and explore emotionally complex aspects of teenage sex.

Soundtrack

The series theme, sung by Molly Ringwald, is an upbeat version of Cole Porter's 'Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)'. The first and last episodes of season one feature Avril Lavigne's 'Girlfriend', which also appears in season two episode 22; a piano version plays during the mid-fourth-season finale. In season two episode 15, Jack plays Asher Roth's 'She Don't Wanna Man' while dancing with Madison. At the Mother-Daughter Dance in season two episode 19, Taylor Swift's 'Love Story' plays as Amy, her mother, and Ashley sit on bleachers.

In season three episode 4, Tom plays Joe Cocker's 'You Are So Beautiful' on his cell phone before dancing with Adrian. MGMT's 'Kids' appears in season three episode 5 during a slideshow of Amy lost in New York. Tamar Kaprelian's 'New Day' plays at a party in the Bowmans' guesthouse. Bruno Mars' 'Just the Way You Are' plays in the final moments of the first half of the third-season finale, including during Ben and Adrian's wedding.

Sarah McLachlan's 'Angel' plays after Ben and Adrian learn their baby is dead, closing the season. John Mayer's 'Daughters' is featured in the season's first episode during Amy's clinic visit. In season four episode 5, Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep' plays during Adrian's walk and as she sits in the empty nursery after punching holes in the wall. In season five episode 1, Bruno Mars' 'Marry You' plays as Amy and Ricky leave the chapel.

In the last episode, Nicole Scherzinger's 'Try with Me' plays as Adrian recollects her school years, and Puddle of Mudd's 'Blurry' plays during Ricky's flashback.

Did You Know?

• A tie-in novel titled The Secret Diary of Ashley Juergens was published on June 15, 2010, written by Kelly and Courtney Turk.
• The novel includes original characters not depicted in the television series.