The embarrassment of high school girls has been a source of TV and movie comedy forever, but it takes sharp writing and especially adept acting to make that perennial topic come alive in new and hilarious ways. Ashley Rickards manages to convey teen Jenna Hamilton's perpetual embarrassment without hamming it up, and she delivers creator Lauren Iungerich's inventive dialogue without letting Jenna turn into a one-dimensional cartoon. Thanks in large part to Rickards' emotionally adept performance, the romantic yearning at the heart of 'Awkward.' came through loud and clear and this witty comedy emerged as a stealth hit for MTV.