The secret inThe Secret Life of the American Teenagerbecomes all too  clear early on. After having sex for the first time, 15-year-old Amy (Shailene  Woodley) becomes pregnant. Scared and unsure of what to do, Amy keeps it a  secret from her parents, hoping she'll be able to figure things out. Created by  Brenda Hampton, the series is slightly edgier than Hampton's breakthrough series7th Heaven. Though controversial in topic,The Secret Life of the  American Teenagerstill is a family drama with a twist ofJunothrown  into it. In an adroit bit of casting, 1980s teen queen Molly Ringwald plays  Amy's mom, Anne. Loving and supportive (but at times clueless), Anne is  preoccupied by her philandering husband. The show tackles a myriad of subjects  not often seen in family-oriented programming: broken chastity vows and child  abuse. It also touches on the what differentiates a good girl from the class  “slut.” The script offers both preachy and snappy dialogue. When Anne tries to  rush Amy's younger sister to school, the girl snaps back, “At least I won't be  late for my period.” One of the defining elements of the series is that while it  clearly does not condone unwed pregnancy, it also doesn't condemn it. By having  the stereotypical good girl make a bad choice and wind up pregnant, the series  offers the premise that this could happen to anyone, even your Straight-A child  wearing a purity ring.The Secret Life of the American Teenagerdepicts  the shame of the pregnant girl, but also offers her hope and options. There's a  sweet romance between Amy and Ben (Ken Baumann), who knows she's pregnant by a  different boy but loves her anyway. Their verbal exchanges are reminiscent of  the dialogue between Angela and Brian fromMy So-Called Life, except Amy  appreciates Ben's adoration. The season finale is designed to leave viewers  wondering whether Amy will keep her baby, give it up for adoption or have an  abortion. Given that the series originally aired in 2008 on the ABC Family  channel, it's a good guess that the latter isn't a viable option. But it leaves  viewers curious as to how Amy will navigate pregnancy and childbirth with  finishing school and living out her own so-called life.--Jae-Ha KimStills fromThe Secret Life of the American Teenager(Click for larger image)