Maci McKinney, who's currently on Teen Mom OG but who got her start on MTV's 16 and Pregnant in 2009. (Photo by MTV)
MTV is doubling down on the success of Teen Mom by resurrecting the show that gave birth to it, 16 and Pregnant—although that won’t be the title.
Instead, MTV went with Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant, which makes sense because none of the moms are 16. Instead, two are 17, one is 18, and two are 20 years old.
The 14-episode series starts March 12 and follows five teenagers who are pregnant—or, excuse me, “navigate the complexities of being a Gen Z mother,” as MTV put it. (Someone let me know what annoying characteristics we’re supposed to associate with Gen Z.)
MTV’s press release is heavy on data supporting the show’s existence, perhaps to counter opposition to turning pregnant mothers into celebrities. Specifically, it cites:
- This study, which found that 16 and Pregnant “led to a 4.3 percent reduction in teen births in the 18 months following its initial airing”
- This survey, which found that 53 percent of girls ages 13 to 16’s parents “talked with [them] about a real-life situation relating to relationships, love, or sex because of something that happened on a TV show” that they “watched together.”
- CDC data that shows how much teen birth rates have declined since 2009, when the show began (46%).
discuss this story