Trivia / The Secret Life of the American Teenager

• Dawson Casting: Though some characters subvert this, as they are either as old as their characters or only a couple years older.
• Money, Dear Boy:
  • Poor Molly Ringwald.
  • In what might be a case of "Ratings, Dear Boy", show creator Brenda Hampton has said in regards to the many negative reviews that she'd rather the show get good ratings and bad reviews than bad ratings and good reviews.
• No Export for You: If you live in the Philippines, and you love this show so much, don't expect it to come there. The Catholic church leaders will just hound this show to death before it can air there. Fortunately this was averted, limiting the show's airing on local cable.
• Production Posse: In additions to sharing most of the same writing team from Brenda Hampton's previous show 7th Heaven, multiple actors from that show appear in Secret Life: Camille Winbush (Lauren), Alice Hirson (Mimsy), Bryan Callen (Ricky's dad Bob), Beverley Mitchell (Katelyn O'Malley), Mackenzie Rosman (Zoe), Deborah Raffin (Dr. Hightower), etc.
• Real Life Writes the Plot / Reality Subtext: Molly Ringwald's pregnancy was written into the storyline.
• Saved from Development Hell: The show was shopped around to different networks for about ten years before getting picked up by ABC Family.
• Star-Making Role: Ultimately subverted for Shailene Woodley (alongside her role in The Descendants), as people will now usually cite Divergent as her Star-Making Role.

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