TMI Thursday: The Secret Life

Some people have not been happy with my recent TMI Thursday entries involving my bathroom experiences. Therefore, I’m going to reveal something a little cleaner although probably more embarrassing. As a football fan, I obviously planned on spending all of last Sunday watching the NFL playoffs. I rooted for my second favorite NFL team to defeat the Ravens, but the Dolphins were unsuccessful. Then, I watched the beginning of the Philadelphia Eagles-Minnesota Vikings game. However, part-way through the first quarter, something happened that I never expected.*

During a commercial break, I went into the other room to see what my wife was doing.** She was watching a show on a station called ABC Family, which before Sunday, I would never be able to find. I caught a few minutes of the show, and went back into the living room. During the next commercial break, I flipped back to ABC Family, and as the afternoon continued, I ended up watching a marathon of the show’s first season and flipping to the football game during the commercial breaks. The show: The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

I admit it; I’m hooked on this show. I created a Rock of Love 3 fantasy league, but didn’t even watch Bret Michaels and company because I was watching The Secret Life. (VH1 will never air the show again, so how will I ever get caught up with the bus adventures?) On Monday night, as soon as the Rangers scored the empty net goal against the Penguins, I switched to ABC Family to watch the season premier. I haven’t been this into a drama since Lost or the first season of Heroes. And yes, I know that I'm 33.

The basic premise of The Secret Life (I think) is that a 15 year-old high school student got pregnant and everyone else in the show seems to be in a relationship or wants to be in a relationship with another character, both the teenagers and the adults, and then they rotate to a new person. Maybe that’s not the best explanation. Here’s a description from the ABC Family:

Amy and Ben are just your normal high school couple, except she's having a baby (and it's not his). Super-Christian Grace thought she and Jack were for keeps, but then he cheated on her with wild-child Adrian. This threw Grace into the arms of bad-boy Ricky (the father of Amy's baby). As secrets and scandals begin to surface at Grant High, will they bring the students and their families together - or tear them apart?

I missed the first few episodes so I don’t know how Ben and Amy got together or why he stayed with her after he found out that she’s pregnant with Ricky’s baby. Amy’s friends are also the worst friends a person can have.

OK, before you really make fun of me, I want to make a few points in my defense. The Secret Life features a pretty good cast including Steve Schirripa (aka Bobby Bacala), Molly Ringwald, Ernie Hudson, and Josie Bissett. Plus, I may have a new celebrity crush: Francia Raisa.



Finally, the ABC Family marathon included thousands of commercials for the Anne Hathaway-Kate Hudson movie Bride Wars. I think I’ve seen the entire move already. Plus, a brilliant move by First Response to advertise during this show.

Your turn. Are there televisions shows that you watch but are ashamed to admit liking?


* I’m trying to add suspense. Is it working?

** Proof that she’s not a football widow. Of course, the Steelers weren’t playing this past Sunday.