Teen Mom is one of television’s longest-running reality shows. Originally conceived as a spinoff of 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom has easily eclipsed the original show’s popularity, and has itself branched off into several other spinoffs. Still, many viewers turn to Teen Mom for drama and thrills galore, and even though the show has weathered a lot of controversy over the years, it has remained on the air. As much drama as there is in front of the show’s cameras, however, there is even more behind the scenes, as evidenced by a 2019 report that reveals showrunners have had to intervene in a number of frightening situations over the years. 

When did ‘Teen Mom’ debut on television?

In June 2009, 16 and Pregnant debuted on MTV. The show was only on the air for six months before producers aired the first spinoff, Teen Mom. After premiering on television in December 2009, Teen Mom ran for an initial four seasons, followed by another four seasons that began in March 2015, according to IMDb. Many of the moms who have been featured on the show over the years have gone on to become minor celebrities, including Farrah Abraham (who has also been responsible for much of the show’s controversy) and Bristol Palin.

While fans love Teen Mom and find themselves to be invested in the show’s plotlines, critics have slammed the franchise over the years for supposedly glorifying teen pregnancy. A few of the scandals that have involved Teen Mom stars have only served to add fuel to the fire, but in spite of it all, showrunners have soldiered on, producing new episodes and following along with all the drama. 

‘Teen Mom’ has spawned several spinoffs

In short order, the success of Teen Mom spawned several spinoffs. Over the years, the franchise has included shows such as Teen Mom 2, Teen Mom 3, Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant, and Teen Mom: Young Moms Club. Most of the shows tend to retain their focus on drama and intense familial situations, but in the case of Teen Mom: Young Moms Club, the show redirected its focus to feature a group of young mothers who are supportive of each other and remain friends throughout the course of filming. Still, it proved to not be nearly as popular as the preceding shows in the franchise, and it was pulled from the air after only a handful of episodes.

Through it all, Teen Mom has remained a force to be reckoned with in reality television. Additionally, the drama has never lessened behind the scenes, as revealed by a June 2019 report, which featured an interview with a behind-the-scenes employee. 

Producers have reached out to CPS on several occasions

A source who claimed to have worked on the set of Teen Mom recently revealed that sometimes, the police are called to the set because of scary situations that happen during filming. “We’ve called the police on cast members over the years, and let the cops handle the situation,” the source said, according to The Things. “We have also called CPS on cast members plenty of times when we see things in regard to the children that don’t seem right. Viewers don’t see everything. They would probably never know what’s happening behind the scenes. The cast member may not even know it was us, to be honest.”

The source didn’t give specifics but it is clear that the world of Teen Mom is not for the faint of heart — for viewers, employees, or cast members alike.