MTV Recycles Its Bad Ideas With New Show Married Young

We thought Married Young, MTV’s new reality show in the 16 and Pregnant mode, was a pretty dumb idea. Then we realized it wasn’t even new.

According to InsideTV, MTV has ordered a pilot of the show, “a one-hour docu-series following the trials and tribulations of newly wedded couples.” A casting call reveals producers were looking for couples between the ages of 18 and 25 who were engaged to be married between March and June of this year. And according to the show’s Facebook page, the four couples who will appear on the show have already been selected. Says MTV,

If you did not receive a call, for whatever reason you were just not the exact fit we were looking for. But we sincerely and truly appreciate you all taking an interest in this fun project! Best of luck with your marriages!!!

The new show doesn’t sound like an especially good idea. It seems like Teen Mom without the babies — that is, a bunch of teens and grownups squabbling. And while squabbling is pretty much a reality TV staple at this point, that doesn’t mean we need more of it — or more shows where the hook is people doing something ostensibly adult at a very young age. What’s next — Teen Executive, a la Christina Applegate in Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead?

Making this even stranger, though, is the fact that MTV essentially already ran this show in 2007. It was called Engaged & Underage, and it followed 18-22-year-olds (who, it’s worth mentioning, are not in any legal sense “underage”) through “all the family drama, relationship tension and overall laughs that go hand in hand with planning a wedding.” As you can see in the clip above, this basically translates to a lot of yelling. Michelle and Ben, the unhappy couple of the episode in question, were divorced by 2008. At least three other couples split after the show wrapped. And yet MTV wants to treat us to even more “family drama, relationship tension and overall laughs.” Can’t wait!