America's Next Top Model

America's Next Top Model (often abbreviated as ANTM) is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry.

The show was created and is hosted by talk-show host and model Tyra Banks, who also serves as the head judge and executive producer of the show. The first "cycle" premiered in May 2003 and was one of UPN's highest rated shows. The show's seventh cycle was the first of the shows among regular programming on UPN's successor network, The CW, and thus far is the network's highest rated series.^[5] The opening theme is performed by Tyra Banks and is produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. Banks co-produces the show with Ken Mok and Anthony Dominici, and is an independent production of 10 by 10 Entertainment and Bankable Productions (part of the dummy company/joint venture Pottle Productions), distributed for The CW by Bankable Productions and syndicated internationally by KingWorld (and its successor CBS Television Distribution).^[6]

The show was renewed for 17th and 18th Cycle on April 26, 2011, with the 17th cycle being an "All-Star edition".^[7] Advertisers pay $61,315 per 30-second slot during the 2011—12 television season, the highest of any series on The CW.^[8]

Show format

Each season of America's Next Top Model has from 9–13 episodes and starts with 10–14 contestants. Each episode, one contestant is eliminated, though in rare cases a double elimination or no elimination was given by consensus of the judging panel. Makeovers are administered to contestants early in the season (usually after the first or second elimination in the finals), and a trip to an international destination is scheduled at about two-thirds of the way through the season (usually with five or six contestants remaining).

Judges

As of sixteenth cycle, the current judging panel includes Vogue editor André Leon Talley, and fashion photographer Nigel Barker. Previous judges included fashion icon Twiggy, models Janice Dickinson and Paulina Porizkova, fashion stylist Nolé Marin, runway coach J. Alexander, designer Kimora Lee Simmons and fashion editors Beau Quillian and Eric Nicholson. Photo shoot director Jay Manuel, though not a permanent judge, is featured every episode. Usually, an additional guest judge will sit in on the panel every week.

André Leon Talley will have been leaving the show by the end of All-Stars cycle, he is replaced by Kelly Cutrone as confirmed via Twitter.^[9]

ANTM with The CW

It was announced on January 24, 2006, that Top Model would be part of the new The CW network, a merger between UPN and The WB, when the next cycle started in September airing on Wednesdays. Prior to the announcement of merging with The CW, UPN had committed to renewing the series through its ninth cycle on January 20, 2006,^[10] for which casting was conducted throughout mid-2006. ANTM is the only show left on the network that was originally from UPN.

The program is currently the only primetime series aired during the regular television season on the five major English-language broadcast networks in the United States not to be aired in high definition; it has not been addressed why the program has not converted.

To celebrate its tenth cycle, ANTM aired a special installment called America's Next Top Model: Exposed in two parts on the CW on Wednesday, February 6 & 13, 2008. It reviewed the best cat fights, mishaps and most memorable photoshoots, personalities, defining moments and contained other segments about the show since Cycles 1 to 9, and featured a special opening fusing all three openings together. Camille McDonald (Cycles 2 and 17), Toccara Jones (Cycle 3), Eva Pigford (Cycle 3 winner), Bre Scullark (Cycles 5 and 17), Cassandra Whitehead (Cycle 5), Joanie Dodds (Cycle 6), Jael Strauss (Cycle 8), Dionne Walters (Cycle 8), Heather Kuzmich (Cycle 9), and Bianca Golden (Cycles 9 and 17) all returned to comment on events that happened in their or other cycles. After announcing that the seventeenth season will be an All-Stars version, Tyra Banks said on The CW upfronts in May 2011, that there won't be a "normal" season of the show anymore.^[11]

Syndication

The show is syndicated to NBCUniversal's cable division, with Oxygen as well as Bravo carrying the series, usually in marathon form throughout the daytime period on either network, and running through most of or an entire cycle. Former UPN sister networks MTV and VH1 have also aired the series in the past.

The Tyra Banks Show

America's Next Top Model is also very connected with Tyra Banks' talk show: several contestants have made appearances on it, most notably Natasha Galkina (Cycle 8) who worked as a correspondent for the show.^[12] The show's stage was also used for the Cycle 5 reunion show.

The Fiercee Awards had categories as follows. Bold names indicate the category winners.

• Biggest Makeover Meltdown (presented by CariDee English (Cycle 7) and Saleisha Stowers (Cycle 9)):
  • Jade Cole (Cycle 6)
  • Jaeda Young (Cycle 7)
  • Bianca Golden (Cycles 9 and 17)
• Craziest Phone Call (presented by Jaslene Gonzalez (Cycle 8) and Nicole Linkletter (Cycle 5)):
  • Shandi Sullivan (Cycle 2)
  • Natasha Galkina (Cycle 8)
• Lifetime Achievement (presented by Tyra Banks):
  • Toccara Jones (Cycle 3)
• Worst Walks & Wipe Outs (presented by April Wilkner (Cycle 2) and Heather Kuzmich (Cycle 9)):
  • Norelle Van Herk (Cycle 3)
  • Rebecca Epley (Cycle 4)
  • Jael Strauss (Cycle 8)
• Most Dramatic Exit (presented by Camille McDonald (Cycles 2 and 17) and Diana Zalewski (Cycle 8)):
  • Jade Cole (Cycle 6)
  • Ebony Morgan (Cycle 9)
  • Kimberly Rydzewski (Cycle 10)
• Ugliest Cry (presented by Jenah Doucette (Cycle 9) and Keenyah Hill (Cycle 4)):
  • Shandi Sullivan (Cycle 2)
  • Joanie Dodds (Cycle 6)
  • Jael Strauss (Cycle 8)
• Biggest Change (presented by Tyra Banks):
  • Shandi Sullivan (Cycle 2)

This ceremony was preceded by red carpet interviews of Toccara Jones, CariDee English, Jaslene Gonzalez, Camille McDonald, Keenyah Hill, Carol Alt, Quiana Grant, Melissa Baker and Tyra Banks, followed by an online fashion review by Toccara Jones and Jay Manuel. Amongst Jay's favourites were Jones herself, together with McDonald, while Jones liked Gonzalez. They agreed that Saleisha Stowers, Norelle Van Herk and Banks were amongst the best dressed while English was amongst the worst.

Modelville

Tyra Banks has decided to launch a new reality show, inside her Tyra Show, called Modelville which featured Renee Alway, Bianca Golden, Dominique Reighard, Fatima Siad and Lauren Utter vying for a $50,000 contract. Dominique won and received a contract from Carol's Daughter.^[13]

ANTM writers' labor dispute

On July 21, 2006, the writers of America's Next Top Model went on strike while working on Cycle 7, set to premiere on the new CW Network in September 2006. The writers sought representation through the Writers Guild of America, West, which would allow them regulated wages, access to portable health insurance, and pension benefits. These benefits would be similar to those given to writers on scripted shows. The strike was the focus of a large rally of Hollywood writers coinciding with the premiere of the new network on September 20, 2006.^[14] The dispute was chronicled in a July 24 interview on the website Television Without Pity with Daniel J. Blau, a former TWoP recapper who covered the series, and at the time was an ANTM show producer.^[15] In November 2006, the writers on strike were taken off payroll.^[16]

Criticism

Yahoo's "Shine" lifestyle website blasted the show's cruelty and elements of humiliation, saying that some of the girls' critiques from the "cruel and unusual" judges are "really cruel and cringe-inducing," and that the show "humiliates and degrades young women."^[17] They created a list called "10 reasons why 'America's Next Top Model' is bad for women, humans," citing such things as giving an unrealistic vision to girls (both on the show, and watching) about what life as a model is like, and "always espousing empowerment and female strength and then forcing the contestants into embarrassing scenarios far outside the realm of real-life modeling." One such scenario highlighted was when two final contestants "were made to wear bikinis so skimpy that the producers had to blur out Allison's butt cheeks," and performed a "creepily sexual mud fight," after which the contestant Teyona Anderson was "commended for taking her weave in her hand and whipping it around on the runway like a sexy feather boa."^[17]

Allure magazine criticized the show in its October 2006 issue, saying that ANTM "hasn't exactly produced any actual supermodels."^[18]

Ken Mok and Tyra Banks noticed that most of Cycle 8's girls were unusually heavy smokers. "Tyra and I understand the influence 'Top Model' has on a generation of young people, and we want to make sure we get the right message to our audience," Mok said, which then prompted the "green" theme of Cycle 9.^[19]

The winner of Cycle 9, Saleisha Stowers, was discovered to have been in a Wendy's commercial, on a catwalk in the Cycle 6 show and an episode of Tyra Banks Show prior to the Cycle 9 event. The CW network said she had revealed her role in the Wendy's commercial, and "after reviewing the commercial, it was determined that her appearance did not amount to 'modeling' experience, and therefore did not exclude her from participating in the show."^[20]

After filming Cycle 10, the producers of America's Next Top Model were served with a lawsuit from Michael Marvisi who owns the loft used as the Top Model house. The lawsuit claims that the contestants as well as the production crew caused an estimated $500,000 in damages to the loft. Marvisi claims the contestants engaged in food fights, made holes in the walls, caused water damage to the bathroom, damaged a $15,000 chandelier beyond repair, and caused $90,000 worth of damage to an electrical store. Also, the production crew has been accused of damaging the flooring and making holes in the ceiling for lighting equipment.^[21]

Partnership with Walmart

The ANTM franchise has released a clothing and accessories line based on the television show. The line is sold at most Walmart stores. The line ranges from cosmetic products to handbags.^[22]

Cycles

The first three cycles of America's Next Top Model were filmed in New York City and it was relocated in cycles 10, 12 and 14. Los Angeles has been filmed throughout most of the cycles started with the fourth cycle.

U.S. television ratings

For the 2006–2009 and 2010–2011 television seasons, America's Next Top Model was the No.1 show in average viewers on The CW.^[23]

^[a] America's Next Top Model, Cycle 1 does not have a ranking for the 2003 season because it aired in the summer of 2003 and not within the official 2002–2003 U.S. television season.
^[b] The finale for Cycle 14 was actually on May 12, 2010. The recap was shown a week after the actual finale.
^[c] Episodes aired Wednesdays at 8:00 pm during from February 23 to April 13, 2011, when the show moved to 9:00 pm at the following week. Re-airing of previous week's episode took the old time slot to avoid clashing with Survivor, Minute to Win It, and American Idol.^[31]

Contestants' crossover appearances

• In Cycle 3, Taye Diggs from Kevin Hill appeared in the acting challenge, which was won by Yaya DaCosta but it was the cycle's winner Eva Pigford who guest-starred on the show. She later starred on other UPN/CW shows such as Smallville.
• The winner of the following cycle Naima Mora also got to guest-star on a show, Veronica Mars.
• Kim Stolz (Cycle 5) and Furonda Brasfield (Cycle 6) were given small guest-starring roles on episodes of Veronica Mars. Kim and Furonda's roles were cameos in the same series.
• CariDee English (Cycle 7), who won the acting challenge in Episode 9, guest-starred in an episode of the series One Tree Hill. More recently, she had a cameo appearance in an episode of Gossip Girl.
• For Cycle 8, the acting-themed episode had Tia Mowry of CW's The Game give the girls a crash course in acting, although the "crossover" was limited to Mowry's appearance, as the challenge winner was not given a guest role as a prize. Instead, Renee Alway, who won the challenge, got a surprise visit from her husband and son in which she shared with Dionne Walters, whose family also showed up for a surprise visit.
• Also several contestants (winners or not) have landed roles in shows by UPN or The CW, such as Mercedes Scelba-Shorte, Ann Markley, Toccara Jones and Cassandra Whitehead.
• Analeigh Tipton and Samantha Potter (both Cycle 11) were featured in an episode of The Big Bang Theory which featured the main characters locating the top model house.
• At the E! News preshow for the 81st Academy Awards five contestants were featured modeling Oscar gowns: Ambreal Williams, and Saleisha Stowers (both Cycle 9), Samantha Potter (cycle 11), Nijah Harris and Natalie Pack (both Cycle 12)
• On May 12, 2010, Angelea Preston, Jessica Serfaty, and Simone Lewis from Cycle 14 appeared on a Jay Walking All-Stars segment on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Influence on pop culture

The show has been referred to in many series, such as ABC Family's GREEK and The Big Bang Theory and Fox's Family Guy. It also had its own E! True Hollywood Story episode, featuring past contestants Ebony Haith, Giselle Samson, Elyse Sewell, Adrianne Curry, Camille McDonald, April Wilkner, Mercedes Scelba-Shorte, Toccara Jones, Ann Markley, Amanda Swafford, Eva Pigford, Michelle Deighton, Brittany Brower, Naima Mora, Ebony Taylor,Lisa D'Amato, Kim Stolz and Bre Scullark as well as judges & personals Janice Dickinson, Tyra Banks, Nigel Barker, J. Alexander, Jay Manuel, Ken Mok and Michelle Mock-Falcon. It covered the first five cycles and recently reaired with a few added minutes of footage which cover cycles 6 to 10 and Stylista.

Oxygen Network, which has acquired the cable rights of ANTM, is going to air a series of documentary called Top Model Obsessed, featuring past contestants Lisa D'Amato, CariDee English and Bianca Golden.^[32]

The show has even inspired a game of the same name. The game was released on May 23, 2010.

Spin-off

On October 2008 The CW announced that it had ordered a spinoff pilot of America’s Next Top Model, titled "Operation Fabulous". The proposed show would star ANTM creative director Jay Manuel and runway coach Mrs. J. Alexander, as they travel the country to provide makeovers to everyday women. Tyra Banks and Ken Mok would executive produce the new show. However the network didn't pick up the pilot, to series.^[33]

International broadcasts

America's Next Top Model is currently shown on TV internationally in 170 countries and regions, namely: Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and the whole Southeast Asia (except Myanmar and Timor-Leste). The following table shows countries and regions that have aired this show:^[34]

Home video releases

To date, only season 1 of ANTM has been released domestically on DVD. This is because the home video license was formerly held by UPN, and was distributed for them by Paramount Home Entertainment. Since the series is now independently produced, the video rights to the remaining seasons are open for acquisition (and therefore, the remaining seasons have yet to be issued on DVD or Blu-ray).

See also

• List of television show franchises
• Make Me a Supermodel (U.S. TV series)

References

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:America%27s_Next_Top_Model America's Next Top Model] at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• America's Next Top Model at the Internet Movie Database
• America's Next Top Model at TV.com
• "List of America's Next Top Model Episodes". TVGuide. http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/americas-model/100032. Retrieved July 16, 2011.