MTV’s ‘Teen Mom’ Coming Back in Unexpected Way

Teen Mom is coming back.

TMZ reports that the MTV reality show will be the subject of a new documentary.

Production sources reveal that Paramount+ and MTV are working on their own documentary about both the Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant franchise. The network is reportedly in the early stages of development. The cast-driven retrospective would feature select former and current cast members reflecting on their journeys and experiences over the years on the shows. Filming has not started as producers are still recruiting participants.

While sources say that the documentary would focus on the long-term cultural impact of Teen Mom and 16 & Pregnant, the reason is much bigger. Allegedly, an outside production company, the same team behind ID’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, is producing a separate documentary about the MTV franchises that could “take a more critical or investigative tone.”

Sources say that Paramount wants to release their documentary before the competing one is out so they get ahead of the narrative. It’s described as a strategic move and somewhat of a test project, “meant to demonstrate Paramount’s new ownership,” that the Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant franchises still have strong fanbases.

Created by Lauren Dolgen, 16 and Pregnant premiered on MTV in June 2009, following the stories of pregnant teenage girls in high school. That December, the network premiered Teen Mom, focusing on the lives of four of the teen moms featured in 16 and Pregnant. The series, which originally ended in 2021 after nine seasons, spawned several spinoffs, including Teen Mom 2, Teen Mom 3, Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant, and Teen Mom: Family Reunion. In 2022, Teen Mom merged into Teen Mom 2, with cast members from both shows transitioning to a combined series, Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, which premiered in September 2022.

16 and Pregnant, meanwhile, ended in 2021 after six seasons. Along with the Teen Mom franchise, 16 and Pregnant spawned another spinoff, 16 and Recovering, which premiered in September 2020. It was a limited series to mark National Recovery Month.

As of now, additional information has not been revealed on the official Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant documentary, but it’s likely details will be announced in the coming months, especially if Paramount wants to get ahead of the other documentary. Fans can watch the shows on Paramount+.