Bibliographic Information: Ringwald, Molly. The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Season one[videorecording]. ABC Family ; Burbank CA : Distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2008. 3 videodiscs (ca. 475 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.. ISBN 9780788894435
Genre: Television series, Teen melodrama
Age Level: 14+
Creator and Executive Producer: Brenda Hampton
Producer: Lindsley Parsons III, Hrag Gaboudian
Consulting Producer: Paul Perlove, Elaine Arata, Jeffrey Rodgers, Jeff Olsen, Chris Olsen
Associate Producer: Daniel Cahn, Hrag Gaboudian
Awards: Teen Choice Awards: Choice Summer TV, 2008.
Note: Created for television by Brenda Hampton. Television series broadcast on the ABC family network.
Reader’s Annotation: A modern day look at life as a high school from the point of view of teens that have
Contents: Disc 1. Episode 1: Falling in love ; Episode 2: You are my everything ; Episode 3: I feel sick ; Episode 4: Caught — Disc 2. Episode 5: What have you done to me? ; Episode 6: Love for sale ; Episode 7: Absent ; Episode 8: Your cheatin’ heart — Disc 3. Episode 9: Slice of life ; Episode 10: Back to school special ; Episode 11: Just say no.
Plot Summary: Fifteen year old Amy Jergens is a good student and and comes from a stable loving family but the Summer that she went off to band camp changed her life forever. Her sound judgement went out the window and she slept with Ricky Underwood, a good looking drummer and all around playboy. Now, as the new school year begins, she must deal with the added pressure of being pregnant. Ben Boykewich, the shy quiet boy who has always had a crush on Amy steps up and offers to marry her before the baby comes so that the baby can grow up in a loving family. Amy hesitantly accepts his proposal because she doesn’t feel that she will have support from anyone else in her family. Grace, a devout Christian is having thoughts of a physical relationship with her boyfriend Jack and the pressures that go along with it. Everyone’s secrets and stories begin to surface and their parents begin to find out.
Critical Evaluation: Between their love triangles, secrets, drama, accusations, gossip, confusion, and scandalous rumors, there’s never a dull moment. Towards the end of this season, we begin to get a deeper look into the lives of the parents of these troubled teens. This perspective is one that is rarely seen on television and many parents can learn different techniques about how to approach their teen. This show could be a very valuable tool if as a means to open up the lines of communication regarding once taboo subjects. Some of the dialogue about sex and sexual urges seems to be overacted but it may very well be an accurate representation that is not usually seen. I was surprised to see that Amy did not receive too much criticism from fellow students when she showed up to school pregnant and how easily she accepted motherhood. Her friends even threw her a baby shower including many parents.
DVD Talking Ideas:
Discuss the pressures today’s teens face involving being sexually active.
Have you known a pregnant teen? What are some of the challenges they faced, adjustments they had to make.
Discuss safe sexual practices and resources available.
Challenge Issues/ Defense:
Challenge Issues: Sexual activity, Teen pregnancy
Challenge defense ideas:
“With our show it kind of really glorifies the consequences of what happens in high school, whether it’s teen pregnancy or gossip, how rumors can start like this one sleeping with this one or that one. So it’s really true to reality, which is why I think a lot of kids can relate to it and enjoy watching the show.” -Daren Kagasoff, actor. Retrieved from: http://www.buddytv.com/articles/the-secret-life-of-the-american-teenager/the-secret-life-of-the-america-22418.aspx.
Why was this item included?: It gives a realistic view of the challenges and trials of today’s teens and it is a popular television show.
Editor Information: Hampton grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. Her father was an electrical engineer for AT&T and a television repairman.She studied journalism at the University of Georgia, graduating in 1973. After finishing her university studies, she worked as a technical writer for the U.S. Navy, wrote speeches, technical manuals and corporate newsletters. In the 1980s, she moved to Los Angeles and began writing for Sister Kate, an American situation comedy which aired on the NBC television network in 1989 and lasted one season. After Sister Kate finished, she worked as a story editor on the CBS television comedy, Baghdad Café, featuring Whoopi Goldberg. Hampton has worked on a number of television programs, including, the CBS sitcom, Lenny, the NBC comedy-drama, Blossom, and the NBC comedy, Mad About You. In 1994 she worked with David Landsberg to develop and executive produce the CBS series Daddy’s Girls, featuring Dudley Moore and Keri Russell in her first main television role.
Hampton has three adopted children.
Hampton created, wrote and executive produced the drama series 7th Heaven, which lasted 11 seasons and was nominated for and won a range of awards, including, numerous Young Artist, and Teen Choice Awards and an Emmy nomination.
In 2008, Hampton’s new television show, The Secret Life of the American Teenager was released. The show, created, executive produced and written by Hampton, is filmed in Los Angeles by Hampton’s production company, Brendavision. It is a youth-oriented drama series, aired on the ABC Family network. When The Secret Life of the American Teenager premiered, it became ABC Family’s most-watched series premiere.
On February 10, 2010, Hampton accepted the Francis M. Wheat Community Service Award for her work as a child advocate, and for her work on The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
(Author biography obtained from Wikipedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenda_Hampton)
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