Secret Life of the American Teenager, The (TV Series) (DVD)

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Season Two is primarily a countdown to delivery date, but with more of the soap opera relationship dramas that characterized the first season. But it's not just teen relationships. It's teens relating to each other, teens relating to siblings, and teens relating (or not) to parents. The cast includes the slutty Adrian (Francia Raisa) and her mother, who looks young enough to be her sister; and the hyper-Christian Grace (Megan Park) and her family, which includes a brother with Down's Syndrome named Tom (Luke Zimmerman). The latter is interesting because of the inclusion of a mentally challenged family member who's as normal as his family treats him. Unfortunately, too often Tom is used for comic relief, and to me that takes the shine off of any nobility that comes from trying to educate the public about people with Down's Syndrome.

One prominent negative of watching this series on DVD is that each episode begins with a one-minute "previously on" recap, and that can get tiresome. But I can see where this show would become addictive for the target audience-which, I repeat, is teens and tweens. Like the best soap operas there's something heated or simmering in every scene. It's just not all that believable.

Plotwise, it's "Juno" with melodrama rather than wit and sarcasm, though there are funny and witty moments. Many of them come in exchanges involving Tom, but others come from Amy's 13-year-old quasi-Goth sister, Ashley (India Eisley). But just as the characters are types, the plot unfolds with all the trickery of daytime soaps. "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" won its time slot with the target demographic when it first debuted, but in addition to the stereotypes it's really quite preachy. All of the promiscuity is explained as the result of complexes, and abstinence comes out a winner despite some cartoonish performances and writing along the way. What saves it are some sensitive performances more than the drama that the writers try to create via twists and turns involving Amy and Ben's "marriage."

ABC-TV and Disney have hidden the description of episodes behind the first disc on the inside of the cover liner. Twelve episodes are included this season:

The Secret Wedding of the American Teenager
Baked Nevada
The Father and the Son
That's Enough of That
Chocolate Cake
Unforgiven
Making Up is Hard to Do
Money for Nothing, Chicks for Free
Maybe Baby
Whoomp! (There It Is)
One Night at Band Camp
And Unto Us, A Child Is Born

Video:
The video quality is Disney decent-nothing special, but no deficiencies either. It's just a good-but-not-great picture with a fair amount of detail for a DVD, colors that seem true enough (especially skin tones) and a pleasing widescreen aspect ratio (1.78:1).

Audio:
Same with the audio, which is a solid-but-unspectacular English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround with French and Spanish subtitles. The bass isn't as rich or robust as I'm used to, but that's the only thing worth noting. Otherwise it's, well, decent.

Extras:
Not much. There's a short "dish" session with the cast talking about their characters and others in what amounts to nothing more than fluff. More fluff with "Cast Close-ups," which takes you on-set to hear the cast talk about what they like and hate. Whatever. Rounding out the bonus features is a music video by The Strange Familiar, "Secret Life (You and Me)."

Bottom Line:
If you liked Season One of this show you'll like Season 2, because it's more of the same. Parents and their storylines get more air time, it seems, but the emphasis remains on teen relationship problems. And parents, if you have a teen or tween that's into this show, your consolation is that you get to watch John Schneider from the old "Dukes of Hazzard" TV show play a straight-up suburban dad and Ringwald from "The Breakfast Club" get her cosmic payback as the mother of an Emo kid.

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