Brenda "Cookies" Hampton's new series gets its own thread so we no longer have to talk about it in the 7th Heaven thread! In what is sure to be a touching series, a quirky high school girl gets pregnant and has a lot of growing up to do (Juno? Never heard of it.) It will premiere on ABC Family on July 1 at 8/7c. The trailer can be seen on the ABC Family site.

At the dawn of a new snarkalicious show, there are so many questions. Will viewers feel old with Molly Ringwald playing the girl's mother? Will it continue Hampton's grand tradition of telling teens that sex is evil? Can we get Sarah M to come out of her 7th Heaven-proof padded cell to recap this? Discuss!

Originally, Hampton was trying to pitch this series a while ago. However, the difference was, originally it was about several teen age girls having sex and what comes about it. Example: Pregnancy, STD, social shunting, ect. No network wanted it, then she redid it into this. Thanks to the success of Juno (not to mention an Oscar for best script). They decided to green light it and sadly Molly Ringwald and John Schnieder decided this was for them. Now, Brenda wants to stretch the pregnancy over several seasons because "there are so many great stories to tell." Basically, a season would be a month or a month and a half and then another season would be the same time frame. They would mean stretching the series to 5 years, which of course how will they explain how the "kids" would age then. The "pregnant teen" is 17 in real life. You look different from 17 to 22.

Originally, Hampton was trying to pitch this series a while ago. However, the difference was, originally it was about several teen age girls having sex and what comes about it. Example: Pregnancy, STD, social shunting, ect. No network wanted it, then she redid it into this. Thanks to the success of Juno (not to mention an Oscar for best script). They decided to green light it and sadly Molly Ringwald and John Schnieder decided this was for them. Now, Brenda wants to stretch the pregnancy over several seasons because "there are so many great stories to tell." Basically, a season would be a month or a month and a half and then another season would be the same time frame. They would mean stretching the series to 5 years, which of course how will they explain how the "kids" would age then. The "pregnant teen" is 17 in real life. You look different from 17 to 22.

Interesting idea, and balls-y on ABC Family's part.

I know who it's by, and yet I think it looks rather interesting.

I must be a glutton for punishment.

According to Zap2It's TV Gal -



Is it wrong that that's what makes me sort of want to watch it? That, and the fact that one of Pregger's "high school" friends in the promos looks damn near 40.

Whee! Good to hear the Hampton hasn't suddenly come down with a case of talent. The commercials have been pretty painful (the lead actress gives some particularly awful deliveries), so I'm glad they're apparently representative of the whole.

And, yeah, I now have a strange urge to watch, too.

I haven't seen anything on the series other than the print ad campaign (and my own knowledge of 7th Heaven), but Matt Roush reviewed the series (or at least the Pilot) in TV Guide. Some excerpts:



Source: TV Guide, June 30-July 13 2008 (pg 44)

*slams head against wall*

Why does she still get to work? What's her creepy obsession with teen pregnancy? Why will my self-loathing force me to return to the Hampton fold?

*slams head against wall*

Same casting director as 7th Heaven? The ages of characters were all screwy. The 50 year old "young, hot" teacher. The 30+ Jeremy London as 22-ish year old perpetual sadsack Chandler.

You know I'm waiting for the day Family Guy makes fun of Brenda Hampton's TV shows or 7th Heaven all together. You know it's going to happen before too long. Glad to hear everyone is saying this just bad TV and that means it'll last at least 3 seasons.

And let's not forget the superhot, early twenty-something Venus (AKA Martin's potential molester, with whom he bonded over the trauma of having a father fighting in Iraq, the country, over in the Middle East, where there's a war) as played by 34-year-old Martha Plimpton! Yes, these casting directors do a bang-up job.

I have to say, it's deeply refreshing to see so many negative reviews already. 7th Heaven was treated with kid gloves by most critics; even Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly gave it a freaking B- in its penultimate (SHOULD HAVE BEEN ultimate) season, while Matt Roush seemed to regard it -- at least prior to the unholy resurrection -- as a show that had its uses, even if it was essentially dreck. So this response is quite heartening.

I saw some discussion about this on the Smallville board since John Schneider is in it..is anyone else excited? I think it'll be good, obviously similar to 7th Heaven but i think without a lot of the cheesiness. I also just really want to watch and see how Molly Ringwald does in it..

The snark on Brenda Hampton's Juno rip-off has already begun here.

Super Special Sneak Peak. I don't know why I'm surprised to be underwhelmed. I think I was expecting something atrocious, not something . . . meh. The posts on the ABC Family blog for the show from girls who can't wait to see the show because they are, themselves, pregnant 16-year-olds make me sad.

That's nothing compared to the gems I found on the forum for the show. It's more scary than sad, IMO.

As for the clip, I like the friends, and laughed when the girl ignored the boy who tried to introduce himself to her -- I somehow doubt that's the reaction they're going for, though.

You can say that again. SMH.

I'm looking forward to this show, for a few reasons. I like Molly Ringwald, and honestly, it's odd seeing her in this role and thinking about her role in For Keeps? Plus, I'm interested in the scare tactics the writers will try and use, and of course, the snark factor.

Really? I guess that shouldn't surprise me- with pregnancy pacts and abstistence-only education being taught in schools. I hate to say this, but I'm glad I went to high school during a time when they taught about safe sex. Enough of my political rantings...

I thought this show looked interesting, until I found out it was about teenage pregnancy. Then I found out it was a Brenda Hampton show and I think it's probably enough for me to give it a pass......

Every once in awhile I'll try to go to the forum our of morbid curiosity and I really can't read it for that long without getting so disgusted I have to shut it down.

It's one thing to rail against society and its failings. It's one thing to have an abstract idea of how stupid people are or how bad it is out there. But when you actually come face to face with actual evidence and that evidence not just proves how correct your cynicism is but that you even might be underestimating how terrible it actually is; that's when you have to close out the forum and cower in fear.

There is one thought I had in my head about the clip, and if true, really disgusts me: Were they actualy setting up a love triangle involving a pregnant girl?

I'm hoping the show puts equal focus on not only the girl, but the boy that got her pregnant, too.

So, I was reading the character descriptions on ABC Family and while most of them are pretty ridiculous, this one takes the cake...

Adrian, the school's resident bad girl, often hangs around Ricky when she's not sauntering through the hallways twirling her baton.

Because that's what the bad girls at my high school did - they twirled baton.

My school was so crowded she would've knocked out 1/4 of the student body.

Can I just say I feel old when I see these actors and actresses I watched as children now playing parents of teenagers?

Adrian's profile also says she is a delinquent because "her seldom-home flight attendant mom leaves her plenty of room to break the rules." Does Brenda Hampton have a vendetta against flight attendants? I'm half expecting Amy to be drunk on half a beer the night she gets pregnant. We should have a contest to see how many 7th Heaven elements recur in this series. As for the ABCFamily Forums, I'm waiting for one of them to spell "Yale" with a 6.

I might as well use the time to vent about the character Grace taking an abstinence pledge because she is a Christian and that's appearantly what they do. Evangelical Christians do not own abstinence (or morality, for that matter.) There are probably a lot of Christian denominations and religions that also emphasize abstinence without making a production out of it, and even athiests and agnostics who are abstinent (by choice, even!) There are plenty of secular reasons for abstaining, yet on TV it's always linked to Christianity.

Review from TV Gal.

Some highlights from the opening

So-so true. I don't think any of us can explain what the hell happened in those final seasons but it was neither good, nor bad but some place where the two met like when time and space enter infinity.

But the good news, my fellow 7th Heaven-ites, we're back in business.

The original title of this series was "The Secret Sex Life of the American Teenager."

Do you suppose that was too racy for Brenda or ABC family?

I really want to believe those posts on the ABC Family forum aren't real. Someone mentioned their brother's girlfriend is pregnant...at age 12.

Well, I heard it was also originally developed for FOX, so that title sounds up their alley.

I just think ABC Family felt like it was an inaccurate title. Knowing Brenda, the title of this show should be "Two Really Bad People Have Premarital Sex and Suffer Major Consequences While Lots of Other People Talk About It Without Ever Saying the Word Sex".

I'm glad they changed the title. The original sounds way too preachy.

Chocolate Cakes And The American Teenager?

To me the title sounds like it would be a nature documentary on PBS sponsored by Mutual of Omaha. I was talking to my dad (who is well aware of my 7th Heaven hatred) about this show, and he said rather dejectedly, "Am I going to be hearing detailed updates on this show every week?" Yes. Yes he is. And since no one has done it yet, I'm going to have to go for the obvious.

"This one time, at band camp . . ."

The title might have been but originally Fox apparently said the concept was too: "Stupid!" I'm not kidding that was the rumor a few years ago. It's all Juno's fault. Why good movies have to convince cable networks to green light shitty TV shows from preachy and insane producers, I will never know.

I wonder if she considered HBO at all?

I wonder if they'd show the graphic consumption of the 'chocolate cake' going on if it were on HBO.

I wonder how BH's supposed desire to strech out the pregnancy because of the fantastic storyline will affect the timeline. Because if she wants to strech the pregnancy to two seasons or so, then it means something dramatic will have to happen every single day.

Or worse they bring on another pregnant teen to live with them after the main character has her kid.

Or the fact the characters will still age, get different hair styles. Lose or gain weight as she "stretches" out the series. If they get past season 1 that is.

Maybe she could just move to Kevin and Lucy's Unwed Mother Town.

I will pay a compliment to the casting director for the girl playing Amy. She does look like a pretty normal high school girl.

Honestly, that might be the only thing that would make me watch the show. Maybe they'll allow the flight attendant mom to use her "magical buddy passes" to fly in various characters from Buffalo.

Did she get knocked up by T-Bone?...frankly I'd watch if that were the case because the snarks would be never-ending.

I'm going to have to watch the show just so I can post in this wonderful thread. I can see it will be epic.

If I can find any, would people want spoilers?

Wow.

How many times do you think the word "Christian" was said in this episode?

Show so bad...can barely form thoughts...

Must go have sex with first drummer I meet to clear my head. Off to bar. Who will help me pray the sin away later?

I thought perky Christian cheerleader was Haylie Duff at first.

And i think I have a tiny crush on the kid who played Amy's date. Probably because he reminds me of a young Adam Brody.

The marching band drummer who knocked her up is sleazy. He made watching this show more difficult than it would have been otherwise, which was plenty difficult.

I don't think ABC Family is the right channel for this show. I doubt it'll find its audience.

I see our Brenda hasn't broken her habit of using alliterative names for her male characters -- e.g., Ben Boykewich and Marc Molina (and I'll count George Juergens as well because the "g" sound is the same for both).

And was that Sgt./Lt./Capt. Michaels as the football coach?

So, I'm a sucker. I actually thought this looked good from the commercials. As soon as I saw the words "Brenda" and "Hampton" I realized what I stepped into. Honestly, I feel like I opened up an email that looked valid only to realize it was an ad for penis enlargement. I need to go shower the bad acting off of me...

I think it's going to take a week for me to process that. So where to start? I thought the church was having it's own party, but that looked like a school-sactioned party in a church, especially with the coach (Coach/Sgt./Detective Michaels!) and the counselor there. Being Jewish, if I went to that high school I probably would have called the Anti-Defamation League to send over one of their lawyers to the principal about all the ways they violated the Establishment Clause. And of course a young man can't have sex because he's horny, he has it because he has deep psychological issues! And of course they have to make masturbation seem pathological, too.

Who is the most offensive character so far? Actually, Grace doesn't bother me much since they seem to be heading into Hilary Faye territory with her. Plus, a chief complaint I have about "True Love Waits" people is that they tend to get married after high school which proves absolutely nothing except that they want to have sex just as much as everybody else. Grace seems to have a plan other than early marriage, so she's not all bad. So far I'm angry at Ben. All the pre-show info touted him as the "nice boy." Did he sound like a "nice boy" when he said, "I'm 15 and if I don't want to be a virgin then I have to start somewhere?" And delibrately picks a less popular girl to start off with since she will be easier to seduce? Right now he is reminding me of a friend of mine who I am really mad at right now. Sweet, nerdy exterior with a disrespectful, womanizing interior.

Not as many times as the word: "sex"

I actually thought the previews made this look cute, and ABC family has had some decent summer shows, but then I heard Brenda Hampton was behind it. I could barely get past through the episode. Awful, awful, awful. Worse than 7th Heaven. And yes, that is possible.

What is up with Amy's friends and the "brilliant" advice to get a 15-year-old boy to fall in love with her, sleep with him so he will think he is the father of her baby, and then marry her? Is there a worse way to handle an unwanted pregnancy?

Word. That was just terrible, and it made me respect Amy's friends even less.

And I don't know why, but Amy's father constantly saying that "boys like nice girls" just really grated.

I didn't realize that Brenda was behind this show ourelse I wouldn't have given it a chance. Usually ABC Family has some good shows but this sucked. Plus I'm still not sure it this was supposed to be a comedy or a drama, but it could be the incredibly bad acting that is causing this confusion.

For refugees from the 7th Heaven board, a small aside: This page on the Secret Life... section of the ABC Family website talks about "Brenda Hampton's heavenly touch" for creating teen dramas (gag) and notes that 7H was "the show that launched Jessica Biel's career." (Now they take credit for her success.)

Wow... that was awful. No, it was worse than awful. So awful that its awfulness has no name. What's strange is that, at some points, I thought the show was trying to be satirical because the dialogue and acting were so bad. With the exception of the main character, who I could at least tolerate, everyone else was a bad stereotype. Like the Christain couple drinking milk at lunch (I felt like I was getting a milk=purity message), and that other girl (Adrian was it?) who tempted the Christain dude with an apple. This show couldn't get more cheesy if it tried.

I never watched 7th Heaven and don't really know what this Brenda Hampton woman is capable of, but if this is what she has to offer I think I'll bail now.

Wow, if it wasn't for the actor that played coach/sgt/detective Michaels I wouldn't put it past that some of the Camden/Kinkirk clan showing up in future episodes. What is the BH policy on the continuity dealing w/casting of characters? If she is lax then we will get a 7th Heaven actor playing their character to come and condemn/pray for a character.

I'm now convinced that any future BH show will now use the annoying 7th Heaven music, and that is what is making this show annoying imo.

Well, we don't quite get PAX around here, so I'd reckon ABC Family's the next best thing. The WB-cum-CW has gone trashy (see: Gossip Girl...such good fun) so it's got no hopes there.

The show was pretty terrible, but in that amazingly awesome way. Christian family with stereotypical mentally challenged child? Check! Token smart Asian girl? Check! Ladies man who has "emotional issues"? Check! I could go on and on....Add in the fact that most of the actors on that show portraying high school students are well into their late 20s/early 30s and you've got a winner.

Not to mention the dialogue was just completely ridiculous. Amy's friend's speech in the bathroom of "You need to go see your doctor, maybe there's something else wrong with you causing your pregnancy tests to show a positive result when really you're not pregnant at all!!" Hello, fifteen year-olds don't talk like that. Not to mention the fact that Amy seems WAY too uptight/stick up her ass childhood to have let some guy have sex with her randomly.

Still, this show is addicting. You know my ass will be watching this again next Tuesday.



Oh, well it was supposed to! We were supposed to think, "Yeah, if he only KNEW how much boys like nice girls, heh heh"-- the problem is, like 99.9% of this show, everything's so heavy-handed that it can't exist as what it's trying so hard to represent.

Boy, I sure love Christian propaganda TV in which abortion doesn't exist. The word was mentioned all of once, in passing, and was immediately shunned as the most vile of ideas. Blerg!

This show sucks horribly so far. Like am I the only one getting all the guys confused? Cause I had a hard time telling which one got her pregnant, and which one was now pining after her.

Also the ending scene made me want to pull my hair out... Well the whole show did, but "I can't cheat again, cause I'm a Christian." Or how about not cheating, cause it makes you a total douche.

Her friends advice was stupid as all hell.

Her father grated on my last nerve. Boy's like nice girls... Uh yeah.