{alltv} MTV's 'Teen Mom' returns with more unwed woe

MTV gets back in the family way with the return of Teen Mom, chronicling the diaper and daddy dramas of four unwed mothers.

The third season, which premieres Tuesday (10 ET/PT), features the fecund foursome from the first season: Catelynn Lowell, Farrah Abraham, Maci Bookout and Amber Portwood.

This time, Lowell, who gave her daughter up for adoption, is still dealing with the aftermath while trying to finish school. Abraham continues rebuilding her fractured relationship with her volatile mother while raising daughter Sophia solo. Bookout goes to college while dealing with her rambunctious son Bentley and his dour dad, Ryan, her ex. And Portwood struggles to control her temper while dealing with baby daddy Gary and their daughter, Leah.

And they'll be back yet again: MTV has already greenlighted a fourth season. Teen Mom is one of its top shows, peaking last year with 5.6 million viewers. Audiences are "connected to these girls' struggles," says executive producer Morgan J. Freeman. "This is an unvarnished look into their lives."

Up to a point. You see the moms trying to scrape together cash for living expenses, when in reality they're paid to be on the show and are far from broke. "I can't disclose financials," Freeman says. "All I can say is that we continue to document their struggles across the board."

Lowell, for one, is happy to be back on TV; her paychecks are enabling her to start college in the fall. And there's the chance to make a difference, as she's "going around to high schools and speaking to them about their options. I teach them about adoption and contraceptives. We spoke in Tennessee a couple of weeks ago at a high school, and four girls came up to me and said they're choosing adoption because of my story," she says.

After the show first aired in 2009, the moms became tabloid fodder, gracing the covers of Us Weekly and other glossies. As they've become famous, there's been criticism that the show makes teen pregnancy appealing by turning unwed teens into TV stars. But Lowell doesn't buy it.

"I always say if you think teen pregnancy is glamorous, you haven't seen the show," she says. "(It) shows all the struggles. I've had a lot of girls tell me the show is their birth control."