The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Season 1
  • Network: ABC Family
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 1, 2008
  • Season #: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5
The Secret Life of the American Teenager Image
Metascore
47 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critics What's this?

User Score
5.4 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 124 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Summary: Molly Ringwald stars as a mom to a pregnant teenager in the ABC Family series by the creator of "7th Heaven" and "Blossom."
  • Genre(s): Drama

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 15
  3. Negative: 6 out of 15
  1. Orlando Sentinel
    Reviewed by: Hal Boedeker
    80
    Secret Life feels a lot more authentic than many teen dramas.
  2. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    60
    Shailene Woodley is terrific as the teen in question. Unfortunately, other parts of the show feel so contrived they border on soap opera parody.
  3. Time
    Reviewed by: James Poniewozik
    30
    Campily depicting high school as a den of sluts and predators, Secret achieves the noble goal of making sex thoroughly unsexy.
  4. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Alessandra Stanley
    30
    ABC Family means well but could not have done worse. Secret Life doesn’t take the fun out of teenage pregnancy, it takes the fun out of television.

See all 15 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 73
  3. Negative: 34 out of 73
  1. LittleMama726
    10
    At first I really liked the show, just because it was from ABC and all of my friends liked it. But now, I have realized what a stupid show it really is. In just one conversation, all they really talk about is sex. My friends still like it, and they are always asking me what season I'm on, and I just say that it's a dumb show and does not have anything to do with a real high school life. They brag to each other about where they are in the seasons, it is so annoying! Kids should not be watching shows like this.… Expand
  2. NoOneAndEveryone
    8
    My mom got pregnanat at 16. She could have had a career, a future instead she got me. She had a genuis IQ, and probably could have gone into a great school. This show, admitidly is bad, has some truth in it. I'mnot saying wait till your married, heck i'm not even saying wait till you15, just girls make sure your in charge of the protection because most guys are a little flakey. And if you think getting pregnant will help you keep the guy you love, your dillusional, most guys will probably say the baby's not his, or don't want a baby. Most guys leave even if they do love you. You've got to remeber girls mature faster than guys, and evan though the father of the baby may love you it is not gaurenteed he will love the baby.… Expand
  3. joshp
    7
    I'm a 23 year old guy and my girlfriend loves this show. I started watching it with her and it's not THAT bad. I actually look forward to watching it now, but if you've only seen 1-3 episodes you'll want to hang yourself.. So much talk about teen sex, and arguably makes it look "cool" and "popular" to be a teen and pregnant... so some controversy there. One time i counted the word "sex" being used 72 times.… Expand
  4. CityGirl
    2
    I try not to watch this show because I turned it on and counted over 50 times that they said "sex" "abstinence" or made some other blatant sexual reference in one episode "Ashley, are you going to have sex?" "I'm not going to have sex. And if i was going to have sex i wouldn't tell you about sex" "Sex is something you should talk about. sex...." blah blah blah. Oh please, realistic this show isn't… Expand

See all 73 User Reviews

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