She's the latest proof that movie and TV stars never fade away, actually -- they just become cable leads. From Kyra Sedgwick in The Closer to Glenn Close in Damages to Mary-Louise Parker in Weeds to Holly Hunter in Saving Grace, cable has become a pretty sweet landing pad for parachuting actresses, especially. The movies get inhospitable, or network TV isn't interested -- cable seems to come through.

Ringwald, who somehow turned 40 when we weren't looking, is far from the only one on American Teenager we know well from elsewhere. Playing Ringwald's husband is Mark Derwin, seen on network TV opposite Bonnie Hunt in both Life With Bonnie (Bonnie as a TV host, for ABC in 2002) and the earlier Bonnie Hunt Show (Bonnie as a TV reporter, for CBS in 1995). Not to mention his long run as soap heroine Viki's squeeze Ben on One Life to Live.

Also on board in American Teenager, playing the strict Christian parents of the school's hot cheerleader: Melrose Place cutie Josie Bissett and John Schneider of The Dukes of Hazzard and Smallville. Even the American teen herself, Shailene Woodley, may be familiar at her young age from playing Jill Hennessy's younger self on Crossing Jordan, as well as from stints on Jack & Bobby and The O.C. (as Kaitlin Cooper).

Keep an eye on American Teenager, too, for recurring appearances by Ernie Hudson, long the warden on HBO's prison series Oz (as well as more recently that intrepid detective on Desperate Housewives), plus Steve Schirripa, memorable as schlubby Bobby on The Sopranos.

But here's where The Secret Life of an American Teenager really strikes a chord in terms of brilliant TV talent. Ringwald's new show reminds us that her old show, ABC's 1996 sitcom Townies, didn't merely bring her back to the tube. Its tale of three girlfriends tight in a too-small fishing town -- think of it as Sex and the Seaside -- also brought to our attention a couple of other actresses in its less than three-month run. Jenna Elfman played her wild-and-crazy friend, a season before Elfman's sitcom smash in Dharma & Greg. And Ringwald's single-mother pal was played by Lauren Graham, who would hit her own network paydirt in 2000 with Gilmore Girls.

Wow. How many people even remember Townies? And how many would like to see it now, to glimpse Elfman and Graham pre-stardom, to find out what we missed and whether we'd have spotted their special appeal? The show isn't out on DVD, and may not turn up there, since it's owned by Carsey-Werner, the boutique studio whose shows have tended to be too quietly released by ineffective companies (The Cosby Show, A Different World) or sold off to distributors whose DVD sets sometimes included edited syndication episodes (Roseanne, 3rd Rock From the Sun).

But with only 15 episodes produced -- and with such other supporting players as Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) and Ron Livingston (Band of Brothers) -- Townies could make an inexpensive DVD release that fans of many series might pick up just to see their faves before they were famous.

And long before that seemingly obligatory new second life as cable series stars.

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