The Secret Life of the American Teenager is an American teen drama television series created by Brenda Hampton which centers on teenage pregnancy, taking a closer look at the lives of six teenagers as they face the dramas and issues that define who they really are and what they are capable of.
The series aired in the USA on ABC Family from 1 July, 2008 to 3 June, 2013. There are 121 hour-long episodes in five seasons.
The Secret Life of the American Teenager premiered in South Africa on DStv's GO channel (which later became Vuzu) on Friday 17 October 2008, at 18h30. It later moved to DStv's M-Net Series channel and to M-Net Series Showcase for the final few episodes. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 5 premiered on M-Net Series on Tuesday 9 April 2013, at 20h30. After 12 episodes the series went on hiatus. New episodes broadcast weekly.
Season 5 resumed on new channel M-Net Series Showcase with Episode 13 on Sunday 4 August 2013, at 18h30. New episodes broadcast weekly. There are 24 episodes in the fifth and final season.
Synopsis
Amy Juergens (Shailene Woodley) is a smart and talented girl who plays the French horn in the school marching band. Her life is turned upside down when she discovers that she is pregnant with Ricky Underwood’s (Daren Kagasoff) child.
Luckily, her best friends Madison and Lauren are there to support her all the way.
The only problem is that Amy couldn’t find the right timing to reveal to her would-be boyfriend Ben Boykewich (Kenny Baumann) her present situation.
Ricky Underwood, on the other hand, is the school’s resident bad boy known for his womanizing. He never plays by the rules and is often seen hanging out with the band’s sexy majorette Adrian Lee (Francia Raisa).
Being the school’s resident bad girl, Adrian is just about the perfect pair for Ricky. With her flight attendant mom seldom at home, she gets to break the rules with anyone she chooses to be with. Her only problem is she wants to get serious with Ricky.
Meanwhile, Grace Bowman (Megan Park) is the wholesome cheerleader coveted by every guy in school. She is in a steady relationship with her long-time boyfriend Jack Pappas (Greg Finley).
A devoted Christian, she pledged to wait until she gets married before doing it with Jack. Her parents even gave her a promise ring as a reminder of her purity pledge with her boyfriend.
Molly Ringwald also stars in the show as Amy’s mother.
The Secret Life of the American Teenager is produced by Brenda Hampton (7th Heaven) and directed by Ron Underwood (Eli Stone).
Seasons
Note: seasonal broadcast information is incomplete due to unavailability of information from the broadcasters. The South African broadcasters also number the seasons differently to the USA, splitting each season into two parts. The first half of Season 5 aired on M-Net Series; the show moved to M-Net Series Showcase for the final 12 episodes.
Season 1 (23 episodes)
Channel: GO | Premiere: 17 Oct 2008 | Finale: 8 May 2009 | Fri: 18h30
Season 2 (24 episodes)
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 17 Nov 2009 | Finale: 27 Apr 2010 | Tue, 20h30
Season 3 (26 episodes)
Broadcast dates unavailable
Season 4 (24 episodes)
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 15 Jun 2012 | Finale: 24 Aug 2012 | Fri, 19h30
Season 5 (24 episodes)
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 9 Apr 2013 | Episode 12: 25 Jun 2013 | Tuesdays, 20h30
Channel: M-Net Series Showcase | Episode 13: 4 Aug 2013 | Finale: 20 Oct 2013 | Sun, 18h30