# Awkward (TV series)
**Awkward.** (the period is part of the title) is an American high school comedy series that aired on MTV from 2011 to 2016, created by Lauren Iungerich and starring [Ashley Rickards](https://www.edgepedia.org/ashley-rickards) as Jenna Hamilton, a teenager navigating school, friends, and romance with a snarky first-person voice-over drawn from her blog posts.[1](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-xpm-2011-jul-19-la-et-awkward-20110719-story.html) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663676/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/awkward/s01)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network and run | MTV, 2011–2016[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663676/) |
| Creator | Lauren Iungerich[1](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-xpm-2011-jul-19-la-et-awkward-20110719-story.html) |
| Lead | Ashley Rickards as Jenna Hamilton[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/awkward/s01) |
| Narrative device | First-person narration through Jenna's blog posts, with a snarky voice-over[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/awkward/s01) • [4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/awkward/critic-reviews/) |
| Critical reception | Metascore 75 (Generally Favorable) from 27 critic reviews: 25 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative[4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/awkward/critic-reviews/) |
| Content rating | TV-14[5](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/awkward/) |
| Availability | Streaming on Paramount Plus tiers and channels; purchase on Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, and Amazon Video; on DVD[6](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/awkward) |
## Premise and narrative style
The series follows Jenna Hamilton, a high school student coping with what Rotten Tomatoes' summary calls a new accident-induced identity, and she is hellbent on not letting it define her.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/awkward/s01) The narrative unfolds through Jenna's blog entries, read in first person, and this voice-over shapes the series' overall feel: in its first-season review, [Entertainment Weekly](https://www.edgepedia.org/entertainment-weekly) wrote that Jenna steers through the treacherous terrain of high school, friendships, nasty cheerleaders, and attractive boys, her sardonic narration making both her and the series effortlessly endearing.[4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/awkward/critic-reviews/)
The premise sits in familiar teen-comedy territory but with a more adult edge than tween programming. Television critic Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the show, like *[The Hard Times of RJ Berger](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hard-times-of-rj-berger)* on the same network, is built on the same tropes as Nick and Disney tweencoms but with sex sliced in, and that Jenna's dilemma and dreams are as old as Cinderella's; he judged it less sophomoric and sex-obsessed than its predecessor, with the spirit of *Juno* behind it rather than the ghost of *Porky's*.[1](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-xpm-2011-jul-19-la-et-awkward-20110719-story.html)
## Reception
Season 1 holds a Metascore of 75, classified as Generally Favorable, based on 27 critic reviews with 25 positive, 2 mixed, and 0 negative.[4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/awkward/critic-reviews/) The season 1 page on Metacritic draws on 13 critic reviews, and season 2 on 8.[7](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/awkward/season-1/) • [8](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/awkward/season-2/) Rotten Tomatoes' critics consensus for season 1 calls the series smartly written, well acted, and emotionally resonant, capturing the anxiety of teenage life with wit and insight.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/awkward/s01)
Individual reviews praised the writing and the lead. Nick McHatton of TV Fanatic gave the premiere 4.2/5, calling it perhaps the most aptly-titled show on television and noting that everything Jenna goes through fits the word, producing secondhand embarrassment and laughter together.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/awkward/s01) [Us Weekly](https://www.edgepedia.org/us-weekly)'s John Griffiths gave 3/5, describing fresh face Ashley Rickards as instantly appealing in this goofy high school comedy.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/awkward/s01) The Guardian's Elizabeth Sankey observed that while fictional teenagers who reel off witty one-liners are common, it had been ages since a sincere teen show appeared.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/awkward/s01) A later Guardian piece argued the show depicts the stupid mistakes people make when in love for the first time, such as posting a needy Facebook update, and that Jenna's mother develops beyond a cartoonish horror mum.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/oct/15/awkward-high-school-drama)
By the fifth season, critics found the drama sharpened by its endpoint. Entertainment Weekly's Ariana Bacle wrote in August 2015 that the fifth season is filled with as much teen-centric drama as ever, but it is more urgent and more compelling thanks to the characters' impending separation from one another.[4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/awkward/critic-reviews/)
## Availability
As of mid-2026, the series streams on Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, the Paramount Plus Apple TV channel, the Paramount+ Amazon Channel, and the Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, and can be bought as a download on the Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, and Amazon Video; it is also available on DVD from Amazon.[6](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/awkward) Paramount announced on July 16, 2026 that [Pluto TV](https://www.edgepedia.org/pluto-tv) would add Awkward in the U.S. beginning August 1, alongside [Jane the Virgin](https://www.edgepedia.org/jane-the-virgin), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, iZombie, Reign, and [Faking It](https://www.edgepedia.org/faking-it-american-tv-series), as part of the free streaming service's programming aimed at viewers 18 to 34.[10](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/pluto-tv/releases/?view=113206-pluto-tv-continues-to-expand-offering-of-instant-classic-and-fan-favorite-series-with-jane-the-virgin-crazy-ex-girlfriend-reign-awkward-faking-it-and)
## References
1. [TV review: 'Awkward.' on MTV, Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, July 19, 2011](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-xpm-2011-jul-19-la-et-awkward-20110719-story.html)
2. [Awkward. (TV Series 2011–2016), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663676/)
3. [Awkward.: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/awkward/s01)
4. [Awkward critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/awkward/critic-reviews/)
5. [Awkward Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/awkward/)
6. [Awkward. - watch tv show streaming online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/awkward)
7. [Awkward season 1 Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/awkward/season-1/)
8. [Awkward season 2 Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/awkward/season-2/)
9. [Is Awkward the US high school drama it's OK to like?, The Guardian, October 15, 2011](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/oct/15/awkward-high-school-drama)
10. [Pluto TV press release, Paramount Press Express, July 16, 2026](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/pluto-tv/releases/?view=113206-pluto-tv-continues-to-expand-offering-of-instant-classic-and-fan-favorite-series-with-jane-the-virgin-crazy-ex-girlfriend-reign-awkward-faking-it-and)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Genre and subject-scripted series › Teen and high school drama series › American teen drama series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license