TV Shows

TLC Has a New Number 1 Hit Series for 2017

People are loving TLC’s new reality show Unexpected, which in just two weeks has risen to be the […]

People are loving TLC‘s new reality show Unexpected, which in just two weeks has risen to be the network’s highest-rated show of 2017.

The show, which has been called Teen Mom but “real,” focuses on the lives of expectant moms Lexus, 15, Mckayla, 16, and Lilly, 16, as they navigate what it’s like to have a child in your teen years. All three of the girls were raised by teenage mothers themselves.

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The series premiered Nov. 12, and was the highest-rated freshman series premiere of 2017 for the network with 1.2 million viewers, according to TLC.

The previous holder of that record was 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?, which chronicles the lives of different couples as they navigate the K-1 visa process, which requires a foreigner to marry a U.S. citizen within 90 days of entering the country.

While shows like Unexpected and 16 and Pregnant have been knocked for what critics think is a glamorized view of teen pregnancy, TLC is working with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy to spark conversations about teen pregnancy.

In the most recent episode, Mckayla dealt with her formerly-estranged mother Shannon, who was hurt by her daughter’s unwillingness to include her in a joint baby shower. Lexus dealt with the reality of being induced to give birth and Lilly struggled to keep the father of her child interested in birthing classes.

Unexpected airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.

Photo credit: TLC