Awkward - Seasons One and Two

MTV has abandoned music videos in favor of glorifying teenage pregnancy and documenting the rise of HPV infections on "The Jersey Shore." However, "Awkward" is a little gem in their line-up. It succeeds where shows like "My So-Called Life" and "Suburgatory" failed. It gives a heartfelt and hilarious take on the real life experiences of a teenage girl.

Jenna Hamilton (Ashley Rickards) has a complicated life. She is the love child of a former mean girl/teen mom, Lacey (Nikki Deloach). She lost her virginity to the most popular boy in school, Matty McKibbon (Beau Mirchoff) who wants to keep it a secret. She also just got a letter telling her what a loser she is. Plus, the entire school thinks she attempted suicide. The second season focuses on the requisite love triangle.

The first two seasons, available on DVD, include all the hilarious moments, sexy guy candy and new slang that will have you calling shenanigans on any other teen series. The DVD set includes a lot of bonus footage. The highlight is the various web series that were created to accompany the series. Kooky guidance counselor Valerie (Desi Lydic), sweet love interest Jake (Brett Davern) and sadistic super-bitch Sadie (Molly Tarlov) all have their own series of webisodes. They offer additional funny moments with the characters, jokes and help flesh out the "Awkward" world.

There are also tons of interview and behind-the-scenes segments. They were all featured on MTV.com. Sadly, they're all short and it can be labor intensive to click on all of them when, ultimately, they are about the making of the show. Sadly, there are no deleted scenes or a gag reel that would have been welcome bonus features.

"Awkward" is gut-busting, yet profound. It showcases the intelligence and wit of young woman while exploring issues we've all faced as teenagers. Say what you will about MTV, but "Awkward" is a must-see.

"Awkward: Seasons 1 & 2"
DVD
$26.99
www.mtv.com