MTV has become known for dominating the reality TV genre thanks to shows such as The Real World, Laguna Beach, Jersey Shore and more recently 16 and Pregnant, which spawned two massively successful series Teen Mom OG and Teen Mom 2. After five seasons of 16 and Pregnant, and the failure of a third spinoff Teen Mom 3, the series ceased to produce new seasons, but now MTV is reviving it with a Teen Mom/16 and Pregnant mix. The new series called Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant, follows the journey of five young women becoming mothers for the first time. Here are 12 things you need to know about Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant:
12. Minds Behind
In order to hopefully achieve the same success they found with 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, MTV tapped the same minds for Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant. Morgan J. Freeman, Dia Sokol Savage, Larry Musnik, Lauren Dolgen and Kendra McLeod are all serving as executive producers on the new show. Of first coming up with the idea of 16 and Pregnant, Dolgen said, “I was flipping through People magazine, and I came across an article about teen pregnancy. It said that 750,000 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 get pregnant in the United States every year. It was like getting punched in the stomach. I couldn’t believe it because it was happening to our audience.” Dolgen was working in development at MTV for the time and pitched the idea to her boss, who instantly loved it, and now the rest is history.
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11. Premise
With a title like Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant, it shouldn’t be too surprising that essentially the new show is a perfect mix of the things that made 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom successful. Unlike 16 and Pregnant which did individual episodes on different moms to create a season, Young and Pregnant showcases the same five moms throughout the seasons, like Teen Mom. Unlike Teen Mom, however; the series goes back to the months leading up to the birth, and shows the women becoming young mothers, like 16 and Pregnant. Young and Pregnant isn’t just about teenage mothers either as was the premise of 16 and Pregnant, as two of the stars are 20, one is 18, and two are 17. It is being presented as a 14-episode docu-series and will “introduce the diverse stories and backgrounds of five new young women as they navigate the complexities of being a Gen Z mother,” according to the press release from MTV.
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10. Brianna’s Story
Although there are going to be five stories to follow over the course of the 14 episodes, Brianna’s is going to bring something completely new to the 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom franchise. The 17-year-old’s boyfriend, Danae, is transgender and the pair have always had an on-again, off-again relationship and during one of their breakups, Brianna hooked up with an old friend resulting in the pregnancy. There is a lot of drama to Brianna and Danae’s storyline without there being a pregnancy, but regardless Danae has promised to support Brianna and the baby and raise it as his own, but Brianna’s mother has a hard time believing it because of their tumultuous relationship. Brianna is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and moved to Chicago where she met Danae, but has since moved back to Wisconsin.
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9. Jade’s Story
Jade is a 20-year-old from Indianapolis who admitted she always saw young mothers and thought to herself she “never wanted that life.” Now, Jade is expecting a daughter with her boyfriend Sean, but their relationship has deteriorated since she got pregnant, and on top of that she has to take care of her parents. Growing up, Jade’s mother was in and out of jail and rehab, and so she and Jade’s dad live in Jade’s apartment with herself and Sean, putting too much pressure on the expectant mother.
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8. Ashley’s Story
Ashley is a 20-year-old party girl who moved to Vegas from California in order to party even harder with her boyfriend, Bar. Their partying came to an end quickly though when they discovered they were pregnant. Ashley and Bar said goodbye to Vegas and returned to California where Ashley’s mom, who is a pastor, was not happy about the pregnancy news. To make matters even worse, Ashley and Bar’s mom do not get along at all causing a lot of tension in their relationship.
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7. Kayla’s Story
18-year-old Kayla is from Cortland, Illinois, a rural town so small she said she saw someone walking their sheep once. Kayla was raised by a single mother, and never expected to become pregnant at a young age, but now that she is, she and her boyfriend of three years, Stephan have some hard decisions to make. Yet again, a lot of tension between Stephan and Kayla’s mom cause problems for the two, and Maci Bookout even said the pair reminds her the most of her own 16 and Pregnant story with her ex Ryan Edwards.
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6. Lexi’s Story
Lexi is a 17-year-old head cheerleader from Colorado, and while her mom is very open and made sure to get her daughter birth control when Lexi began having sex with her boyfriend Kyler, Lexi stopped taking the birth control because it gave her headaches and she became pregnant. Now, isolated by her closest friends, the former “it” girl now feels alone and like she is the subject of her small, conservative town’s gossip. Will she be able to recover her reputation, or will she forever be known as the good girl gone bad?
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5. The Host
With so much history established with MTV and reality shows based off young pregnancies, the network didn’t have to look too far for a host for the new show. Before the series premiered, MTV aired a Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant Meet the Moms Special, hosted by none other than Teen Mom OG‘s Maci McKinney.
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4. Meet the Moms Special
On Monday, March 5, a week before Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant premieres, MTV aired a Meet the Moms special. The special introduced all five moms, their significant others, and their families to give audiences a better idea on what the show will be like and how it will differ from both 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom. It is clear that Young and Pregnant will show not only had romantic relationships change once a baby is involved, but how family relationships change. While a lot of the parents of the young parents opted not to be a big part of the other shows, they play a large role in Young and Pregnant which will add another dynamic to the series.
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3. Another Season
With Teen Mom OG and Teen Mom 2 still going after seven and eight seasons respectively, it seems that MTV is trying to bring some fresh air to the franchise with Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant. While there has been no confirmation that the new series will have a second season, it has been speculated that the show is going to take over after Teen Mom OG and Teen Mom 2 inevitably come to an end, probably sooner than later.
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2. The Trailer
The sneak peek trailer for Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant introduced all five of the moms, but also revealed that their troubles go far beyond the stress of becoming young mothers. From issues with their partners to their parents, and of course, giving up their old life, it is clear the new series is making a point to clearly demonstrate that becoming a young mother isn’t glamorous or easy.
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1. Premiere Date
With the seventh season of Teen Mom OG wrapping up and no set date for the next season of Teen Mom 2, it seems that Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant will fill in the time between. Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant begins its 14 episode run on MTV Monday, March 12, at 10 p.m. ET.