The TV Chick

Secret Life of the American Teenager is a regular part of my Monday night ABC Family routine. (Don’t worry, all the other amazing Monday night shows are DVR’d too). This week’s episode had some pretty interesting developments. Ben went out on a date with Grace, Amy went out on a date with her new beau Jimmy, and Madison and Lauren went out on a double date with Jack and Lauren’s new guy. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Megan Park, who plays Grace, about her character, the show’s controversial topics and what’s coming up this season.

What have been your most memorable moments from filming this particular season of the show?
My most memorable moment, that’s so hard! The most memorable episode to film was ”Just Say Me,” which actually just aired, because the cast obviously had a lot of fun joking about it, and lots of inside jokes happened. We still always joke about it, so that one was pretty memorable. In terms, of specific moments, there are just so many fun things that happen on set. A lot of them probably happen off-camera and just in our trailers, hanging out. We have a lot of good times.

Why do you think people continue to tune in and watch the show?
I think it’s really entertaining because there is so much drama going on and people get hooked into the characters and the love stories. I think people are really invested in what’s happening between all of us. Also, I think that everybody can relate to somebody on the show, or a storyline that’s happening, and even the parents can relate to it. Lots of parents like to watch it. I think the storylines are things that kids are actually thinking about, and talking about, and going through. The characters are pretty dead-on portrayals of kids in high school today, and so people can find it relatable. It’s also informative, for parents.

Secret Life touches on some serious and controversial subjects. Do you think those are important issues, because I think a lot of TV shows shy away from addressing those topics?
Yes, I think that’s the appeal of the show. There are so many shows that glamorize high school life, or teenagers, or are really far-fetched from real life, which can also be entertaining, but I think that people get so invested in our show because it is really realistic and that they can relate to the characters. They are controversial storylines, but I think we deal with them in a realistic way and we show the consequences of things. It’s not just showing the fun side of it. It also shows the dramatic side of things. I think kids are actually talking and thinking the things that we’re talking about even if they are a little risqué. Kids are so smart these days and they mature so quickly, and I think it’s realistic.

Read more…

I absolutely adore ABC Family’s original programming. Secret Life of the American Teenager may have started off as a guilty pleasure show for me (I’m not sure I’m in the right demographic), but it has quickly become a favorite of mine. It tackles a lot of tough issues — teenage pregnancy, sex, relationships, death…you name it, which many other shows shy away from. It has a great cast and interesting storylines and I am so excited for its mid-season premiere. I recently had the chance to chat with Ken Baumann who plays Ben Boykewich about what’s coming up this season, how he relates to his character, and his ideal guest star.

What’s coming up on this season of Secret Life?
Let’s see, what can I give away. Infidelity, maybe a new pregnancy, maybe — oh my God, there’s so much drama, it’s hard to keep up with!

Your character, Ben, has been going through a lot of issues. How do you relate to your character?
You know, it’s interesting because I never fell in love with a girl who got knocked up by the bad boy. I would say that there are a lot of parallels to my high school experience. I’m kind of the geeky guy, so I feel very akin to Ben in that way. So yeah, I understand what it’s like to navigate school, which is very tricky.

Other than the show, is there another genre you want to work in– do you want to do movies?
I kind of feel like — Stanley Kubrick, one of his favorite quotes, when people ask him what kind of movies he’d like to make, he said “good movies.” And I know it’s like inexplicable, but I just want to do good projects — good movies, good TV.

Read more…

I absolutely adore ABC Family’s original programming. Secret Life of the American Teenager may have started off as a guilty pleasure show for me (I’m not sure I’m in the right demographic), but it has quickly become a favorite of mine. It tackles a lot of tough issues — teenage pregnancy, sex, relationships, death…you name it, which many other shows shy away from. It has a great cast and interesting story lines and I am so excited for its mid-season premiere. I recently had the chance to chat with Shailene Woodley, who plays Amy Jeurgens about what’s coming up, which relationship she is rooting for (Ben vs. Ricky) and fan reaction to the show.

Is there anything you can share with us about what to expect when the show returns?
Yes, there’s a lot of new things. Another maybe pregnancy, weddings; there’s a lot of confusion as far as in Ben and Amy’s relationship; there’s a lot of up and downs with Ricky’s character and trying to figure out who he is and what he wants.  A lot of the characters are going through that stage in high school where you’re starting to become a person and in that recognition of who you are there’s a lot of confusion and you get scared.  And I think a lot of teenagers react in not the best ways and I think the whole next season kind of discovers that and goes into depth of that confusing state of adolescence.

You play a very serious character with a lot of responsibilities. What has that been like for you?
Well the first season, I was just like “please let her smile,” because every day I’d read the script and be like “Oh, I have to cry again tomorrow.” But it’s really cool being able to play a teen with all this turmoil in her life because she is developing a maternal [instinct] in such a quick way for a fifteen year old.

Do you have a favorite part of filming the show so far?
Yeah, I guess for some scenes there’s just two or three characters who work at the same time, and then sometimes like once every month, we’ll get like all the fifteen people who work at the same time, and it’s awesome. We all jam, we all play guitar together and hang out. The girls go into a trailer together and blast Spice Girls, and just sing for hours, we have fun.

How have you been able to relate to your character? Obviously, you’re not with-child.
I guess, just putting all the pressure that I had in high school and then adding pregnancy. That’s kind of the only way I could do it, and even that was almost impossible. I don’t mind playing pregnant, because I don’t plan to be for a very long time.

Amy went through a personality change after the baby was born.  What do you think the writers were trying to do there, was that like postpartum depression or just that she was kind of overwhelmed?
I think that all teenage girls kind of go through that mean stage where the world revolves around them.  I think it’s very hormonal and especially after having a child I think that your hormones are all out of whack and it causes a lot of mood swings.  So I think they were just trying to portray that life isn’t perfect after you have baby, you are going to go through exactly like what you said, post dramatic depression.  You’re going to go through a lot of things that you wouldn’t necessarily go through if you hadn’t had a child at 15.

Read more…

1. “My Dinosaur wanted to Jurassic Park here,” “I really hope you don’t suck,” “Are you talking to me or the Democrats in your head?” and “She’s a teenage Kim Jong Il”…all lines from the new series 10 Things I Hate About You (which premiered last night) which made me laugh. I love Meghan Jette Martin (of Camp Rock fame), and I really, really want this show based-on-a-movie-based-on-a-Shakespeare-play to succeed. It needs to be a a lot more grounded for that to happen. The acting is good but it feels more like a fake high school than a real one, and really, would there ever be a high schooler so passionate about universal healthcare?

2. ABC Family original movies. Hello Sister, Goodbye Life starring Lacey Chabert and Wendie Malick, My Fake Fiance starring Melissa Joan Hart, and the Au Pair movies.

3. Kyle XY…very sad it’s gone.

4. Secret Life Of The American Teenager, and most of their original programming is pretty entertaining.

5. They show reruns of Gilmore Girls, Full House, and Sabrina The Teenage Witch…need I say more?!

6. Very much looking forward to the new series with Alexa Vega “Ruby and The Rockits”

7. Harry Potter marathon before the new Harry Potter movie comes out.

8. Despite the fact that the channel has changed hands (from just plain old Family Channel, to FOX Family and now ABC Family), it is still going strong and really continuing to develop great content.

9. I can forgive them for showing a million episodes of Americas Funniest Videos.

10. They pick some pretty good movies to show…even if they are perhaps geared towards a younger audience.

Summer lovin’ happened so faaaast…Ahem…

For my first post, I thought it would be appropriate to write about the shows I am watching (and lovin’) this summer. While I may not have caught up with “Wipeout” or “I Survived A Japanese Gameshow” there are many other shows that have my full attention.

Make It Or Break It: Mondays, 9pm on ABC Family: Full disclosure here, I love gymnastics and would probably love this show even if it was truly terrible. But it’s not! I think it provides an entertaining look at elite gymnastics, with interesting story lines and snappy dialogue. As long as they keep flipping, I’ll keep watching.

Army Wives: Sundays, 10pm on Lifetime: Back for its third triumphant season, Army Wives is better than ever. Even Roland, the army husband, is given his due. I think the premise is incredibly strong, and the actors convey (what I imagine to be) a realistic portrayal of life on the base. And I don’t mind looking at Trevor LeBlanc (Drew Fuller) for an hour each week!

The Closer: Mondays, TNT, 9pm: The Closer is the top-rated (ad supported) cable show on television, and for good reason. Brenda Lee Johnson (played by the charming Kyra Sedgwick) leads a team of hilarious (but great-at-their jobs) detectives, as she closes cases (get it, the title of the show…). My favorite continuing storyline: the obvious sexual tension between Assistant Police Chief Pope (the wonderful JK Simmons) and Deputy Chief Johnson. And of course, who doesn’t love Flynn and Provenza?

Secret Life of The American Teenager: Mondays, ABC Family, 8 pm: What I thought might be an outlandish look at a teen pregnancy, has really proven itself to be just the opposite. It may have some of those moments but in it’s 2nd season, Secret Life (for short) is as good as a lot of teen shows get these days. I may not be in ABC Family’s target demographic, but I do enjoy the drama that centers around a group of friends, and their families.

Top Chef Masters: Wednesdays, Bravo, 10pm: I’m a big fan of the regular Top Chef, but was pretty skeptical about this offshoot. Where’s Padma? Why aren’t there the same contestants week-to-week? Stop confusing me Bravo! But, all that aside, it has exceeded my expectations. The chefs are real masters and it’s fun to drool over their creations. I encourage more shows like this in the future.

“It turned colder that’s where it ends…” or shows I wish hadn’t ended so soon:

Party Down: Starz network: I plan on writing a bigger feature on this show, but Rob Thomas captured my heart again. And he does so in extreme fashion with every episode (or just about) featuring a cameo from Veronica Mars. He had me laughing (and crying from laughter, and awkward moments) at Ken Marino’s antics as the head of Party Down, a Hollywood catering company. Lizzy Caplan, Adam Scott, and Ryan Hansen round out the cast, all playing actors or former actors with their own issues. And Jane Lynch adds hilarity to the party as well. Get it, party?!

In Treatment: HBO: I realize that this show didn’t extend into the summer, but Dr. Paul Weston (played by the sexy blue eyed Gabriel Byrne) was back for a 2nd season with all new patients. This show is one of the most unique on television, in that it makes you feel like you are going through therapy with each patient. If you can handle some self discovery each week, I know you are waiting with baited breath for the 3rd season like I am.

So tell me, what are you watching?? What should I watch? I want to check out Hung, and I definitely plan on catching up with True Blood once I finish the books (which I highly recommend if you are a fan of vampire lovin’). There are also some new ABC Family shows coming our way that I plan to check out as well.

Show me some comment love!