It is probably just dumb luck that some Massachusetts pregnancy pact has dominated the news about the time a new NBC show called Baby Borrowers debuts.

But smart parents will require their teen children to watch this show, whose debut I finally saw tonight. NBC markets the program by saying, "It's not a TV show; it's birth control."

I found that hilarious. Yet it's more than that, and I found the show to be brilliant, heart-warming and societally edifying.

Borrowed from a popular British show, Baby Borrowers was also immensely entertaining, in both a schadenfreudish sort of way with evil laughter at cocky kids thinking they're ready to be parents and in a softie sort of way at seeing genuine frustration in these same teens at how tough it is physically and emotionally to be a parent.

Plus, there are babies. Sweet little babies.

In a nutshell, here's how the show works: Five real-life teenage couples who have never lived together -- but who have talked about having kids soon -- move in together, emulate pregnancy, take care of babies, take care of toddlers, pre-teens, teens and even aging parents (old folks). Each for a few days or weeks. All the while, they will work jobs, deal with relationships, in-laws and, well, kids.

Watch the preview:

The hope is not that they will be scared from ever becoming parents but that they will learn what it is to become a selfless provider. That is the best way I can put it. Am I wrong?

A nanny is on stand-by within reach of the child if any immediate danger is sensed. And the parents have full video view of the proceedings and are in walking distance of the houses used, so that they can intervene when necessary.

Nobody gets voted off. There are no prizes. This is not a contest, and the primary motivation on behalf of these teens is to see whether they're ready for parenthood. Contrarily, the motivation of the parents who decided to participate is to help these teenage couples understand that parenting isn't a lifestyle choice.

It's work and sacrifice. One of the real-life parents noted that she became a super young mom and had to forego a lot because of it, and she hoped that participation might keep some unready couples from taking that step.

Our couples include Kelsey and Sean. Kelsey thinks she's ready to start dropping pups right now, and Sean takes great pleasure in this experiment, sure that they're not ready at all. What was odd about Wednesday night's episode (8 p.m. CDT, NBC) was that it turns out he's a natural and, perhaps, she's struggling.

Their big mistake on the first episode was in expecting a baby to just go to sleep without any prep. No bath. No change of clothes. No diaper change. Nothing. Then Sean "jokes" that they should just put "it" in the other room so it can cry itself to sleep, which brought the real-life parent marching over.

Good for her. She chewed them out royally but tactfully.

I laughed like hell through much of this show because teens, especially teenage girls really think they "get it." It ain't nothin' but a thang to be a mom. I can work. I can be mommy, and I can still have a social life.

The minute real work enters the equation, problems start.

And for Alicea, this was especially true. She and Cory decided at the end of Wednesday night's debut episode that "she" would be the parent to take a job, not because she thought she would be the financial provider for the family but because the real-life parent bitched her out for NOT FEEDING THE CHILD.

I'm telling you: This is a beautiful, wonderful show, and I feel slightly evil for taking pleasure in these teens' misery.

Kelly and Austin were described as a traditional values Southern couple, but she pussed out on wearing the pregnancy belly because "it hurt." She then cried and moaned because Austin laughed at her whininess.

Oddly enough, Austin showed a slab of maturity by noting that sometimes a partner just has to suck it up and wimp out, if you will, apologize and move on. Not so much compromise but surrender for the sake of peace and progress.

In fact, outside of the "it" mistake on Sean's part, the guys on Baby Borrowers have been surprisingly patient and competent. Competent for their ages, that is. Sean in particular had developed a stunning bond with his baby, something the real-life parent noted in her intervention. She noted how disappointing it was that Sean would have this bond with a beautiful little girl and then refer to her as "it," adding that while he protests that it was just a joke, he doesn't really "get it."

Amen. Amen. Amen.

The most able couple so far, to me, is Jordan and Sasha from Katy, Texas. Perhaps it's that they haven't had any major problems yet, although the way they worked together during their mock pregnancy, as partners, was impressive. Likewise, the way Jordan stepped to the plate to put the nursery together so Sasha could rest was commendable.

Skater couple Morgan and Daton from San Diego are using the show to put their relationship to the test, but while Daton has stayed pretty calm through this process, Morgan is struggling. In fact, outside of Sasha, all the "moms" are struggling.

It's only been a week, but my initial assessment is that these teenage girls vastly overestimate their ability and readiness to be mothers while the teenage boys probably underestimate their ability to step up. Not sure how this reflects on real life and the masses, but considering so many families have no father, I'm hoping some teenage boys watch this show, too.

I haven't introduced the parents, and I really don't have time to right this second. However, the show's creators, best I can tell, hit a home run by picking who they picked. One of the fathers intervened when he saw that his daughter was crying and crying, and he gave the teenage parents a valuable lesson about patience.

Plus, he missed his baby.

I don't watch shows like Extreme Home Makeover, but Baby Borrowers has that level of sappiness, potentially. On the other hand, there is real societal value here, potentially. There is no preachiness on the part of a narrator; it's all observation from our perspective.

And it's fascinating without any semblance of disingenuousness.

Home run, NBC.

Again, if you've got a kid between 13-17, make 'em watch this. This is good stuff, even for an old guy.