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'''America's Next Top Model''' (often shortened to '''Top Model''' or abbreviated as '''ANTM''') is a reality television show created and hosted by former Victoria's Secret model Tyra Banks. 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^[1][2]. The show will continue until at least the 2009-10 season. ^[3] The opening theme is sung by Tyra Banks and is produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. Banks co-produces the show with Ken Mok and Anthony Dominici.^[4] For the 2006-2007 Television Season, ANTM was the #1 show in average viewers on The CW. ^[5]

Contents

Show Format

Cycle summary

ANTM Crossovers

ANTM with The CW

ANTM Writers' Labor Dispute

Criticism

International versions

See Also

References

External Links

Show Format

Each season of ''America's Next Top Model'' has from 9-13 episodes and starts with 10-14 contestants. Episodically, one contestant is eliminated, though there have been cases of a double elimination or no elimination 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 (the remaining five or six contestants).
Each episode of ''Top Model'' covers the events of roughly a week of real time (however, while overseas, an episode roughly covers three to four days, totaling two weeks of filming abroad), and features a fashion challenge, photoshoot or commercial, judging, and critique of each contestant and her performance by the judging panel led by Tyra Banks, and the elimination of one or more contestants. The current panel includes fashion icon Twiggy, photographer Nigel Barker and runway coach J. Alexander. Each episode is usually associated with a theme in the world of modeling, such as dealing with the press in interviews, selling a commercial product, or appearing in a runway show.
An episode usually begins with the contestants receiving training in an area concurrent with the week's theme. For example, contestants may get coached in runway walking, improvisational acting, or applying make-up to suit various occasions. A related challenge soon follows, such as a mock runway show or interview, and a winner is chosen by a judge. She receives some prize, such as clothing, a night out, or an advantage at the next photoshoot, and she is usually allowed to share the benefits with a certain number of other contestants of her choice.
The next segment is a photoshoot, and each contestant's performance will reflect heavily on her judging for that week. Each season features photoshoots such as bikini or lingerie shots, beauty shots, posing nude or semi-nude, posing with a male model, and posing with animal(s). Usually one photoshoot per season (excluding Cycle 4) is replaced with a commercial shoot, though in one episode of Cycle 2, the remaining contestants appeared in the music video for Tyra's single, "Shake Ya Body" in lieu of a photoshoot.
The final segment of each episode is judging. During judging, contestants are often given a challenge in some area such as posing, selling a product, runway walking, or choosing a representative outfit or make-up look to satisfy a given prompt, known as a pre-evaluation task. Each contestant's photo is then shown and evaluated by the judging panel. After all photos have been evaluated, the contestants leave the room as the judges deliberate. The elimination process is ceremonious, as Tyra reveals and hands out the photos of the contestants that have not been eliminated one-by-one, in terms of merit, each time saying, "Congratulations. You are still in the running towards becoming America's Next Top Model". The last two contestants who have not received their photos are brought up as "the bottom two," and Tyra critiques each one before revealing which of the two has been eliminated. However, there have been two exceptions, as Cycle 4 had a double elimination, and in Cycle 5, both of the bottom two were spared.
The format varies slightly when only three contestants remain. In the season finalé, the three remaining aspiring models compete in one last photo shoot and/or commercial, followed by a judging session in which the judges eliminate the contestant they feel to be the weakest. The final two then compete in a runway show in front of the judges and a live audience, before both their performances there and during the entire competition is considered when the judges declare a winner.

Cycle summary

'Cycle Number'	'Began Airing'	'Winner'	'Runner-Up'	'Other Contestants (In Order Of Elimination)'	'Number Of Contestants'	'International Destination'
'Cycle 1'	May 20, 2003	Adrianne Curry	Shannon Stewart	Tessa Carlson, Katie Cleary, Nicole Panattoni, Ebony Haith, Giselle Samson, Kesse Wallace, Robin Manning, Elyse Sewell.	10	Paris, France
'Cycle 2'	January 13, 2004	Yoanna House	Mercedes Scelba-Shorte	Anna Bradfield, Bethany Harrison, Heather Blumberg, Jenascia Chakos, Xiomara Frans, Catie Anderson, Sara Racey-Tabrizi, Camille McDonald, April Wilkner, Shandi Sullivan.	12	Milan, Italy
'Cycle 3'	September 22, 2004	Eva Pigford	Yaya Da Costa	Magdalena Rivas, Leah Darrow, Julie Titus, Kristi Grommet, Jennipher Frost, Kelle Jacob, Cassie Grisham, Toccara Jones, Nicole Borud, Norelle Van Herk, Ann Markley, Amanda Swafford	14	Tokyo, Japan
'Cycle 4'	March 2, 2005	Naima Mora	Kahlen Rondot	Brita Petersons, Sarah Dankleman, Brandy Rusher, Noelle Staggers, Lluvy Gomez, Tiffany Richardson, Rebecca Epley, Tatiana Dante, Michelle Deighton, Christina Murphy, Brittany Brower, Keenyah Hill	14	Cape Town, South Africa
'Cycle 5'	September 21, 2005	Nicole Linkletter	Nik Pace	Ashley Black, Ebony Taylor, Cassandra Whitehead, Sarah Rhoades, Diane Hernández, Coryn Woitel, Kyle Kavanagh, Kim Stolz, Jayla Rubinelli, Bre Scullark	13	London, United Kingdom
'Cycle 6'	March 8, 2006	Danielle Evans	Joanie Dodds	Kathy Hoxit, Wendy Wiltz, Kari Schmidt, Gina Choe, Mollie Sue Steenis-Gondi, Leslie Mancia, Brooke Staricha, Nnenna Agba, Furonda Brasfield, Sara Albert, Jade Cole	13	Bangkok, Thailand
'Cycle 7'	September 20, 2006	CariDee English	Melrose Bickerstaff	Christian Evans, Megan Morris, Monique Calhoun, Megg Morales, AJ Stewart, Brooke Miller, Anchal Joseph, Jaeda Young, Michelle Babin, Amanda Babin, Eugena Washington	13	Barcelona, Spain
'Cycle 8'	February 28, 2007	Jaslene Gonzalez	Natasha Galkina	Kathleen DuJour, Samantha Francis, Cassandra Watson, Felicia Provost, Diana Zalewski, Sarah VonderHaar, Whitney Cunningham, Jael Strauss, Brittany Hatch, Dionne Walters, Renee Alway	13	Sydney, Australia
'Cycle 9'	September 19, 2007	TBA	TBA	Ambreal Ward, Bianca Smith, Chantal Abelknowe, Ebony Martines, Heather Rhetson, Janet Mills, Jenah Woodbrink, Kimberly Leemans, Lisa Cossé, Mila Fabarsevic, Saleisha Cooper, Sarah Hartshorne, Victoria Gardner	13	Beijing, China

ANTM Crossovers

Cycle 3, Cycle 4, Cycle 5, Cycle 6 and Cycle 7 have provided guest starring opportunities for contestants winning acting challenges and for the champions. The model rarely appears in more than one episode of the show.
Contestants who have won guest-star roles include:

★ Eva Pigford (Cycle 3) got the opportunity to guest star on the short-lived UPN show ''Kevin Hill'', was in the movie ''Crossover'', and did a cameo on CW's ''The Game'' where the joke was that a character thought she didn't win the title of America's Next Top Model. She will next appear in an episode of CW's Smallville

★ Naima Mora (Cycle 4), Kim Stolz (Cycle 5) and Furonda Brasfield (Cycle 6) had guest roles on the TV series ''Veronica Mars''. Naima Mora won the acting challenge in Cycle 4, and was offered a role on ''Kevin Hill'', which she refused. She was eventually given a small guest-starring role on the second season premiere episode of ''Veronica Mars''. Kim and Furonda's roles were cameos in the same series.

★ Kim Stolz has signed on to MTV's TRL as a news reporter. She is also a reporter for the LOGO network.

★ CariDee English (Cycle 7), who won the acting challenge in Episode 9, guest-starred in an episode of the series ''One Tree Hill''.
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. However, Natasha Galkina won a correspondent job for ''The Tyra Banks Show''

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. Prior to the announcement of merging with The CW, UPN had committed to renewing the series through its ninth cycle on January 20, 2008. ^[6] for which casting was conducted throughout mid-2006.

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.^[7] 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.^[8] In November 2006, the writers on strike were taken off payroll.^[9]

Criticism

Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, commenting on ''ANTM'' and ''Project Runway'' in the September 2006 issue of ''Harper's Bazaar'', slammed it as "trash that is funny for five minutes if you're with other people. If you're alone, it's not funny. Those girls will ''never'' be the next Gemma Ward. There is no justice in the fashion business."^[10] Ironically, Ward was discovered as an audience member in Australia's Search for a Supermodel, a similarly-themed model reality show. Lagerfeld served as a photographer for the French version of ANTM.
Allure (magazine) criticized the show in its October 2006 issue, saying that ''ANTM'' "hasn't exactly produced any actual supermodels." Compared to ''ANTM'', participants in American Idol are thought to have a better chance at a good career in their field, even if they don't actually win the contest.^[11]

International versions

'Australia:' ''Australia's Next Top Model'' — aired on FOX8 and the first two cycles were hosted by Australian supermodel Erika Heynatz. The third cycle aired in March 2007 and was hosted by Jodhi Meares.
'Brazil:' ''Brazil's Next Top Model'' — Canal Sony has confirmed the show, successful applicants will be announced on July 2007 and airing will commence in October; will be featuring 13 girls. The host is Brazilian supermodel Fernanda Motta.
'Canada:' ''Canada's Next Top Model'' — Cycle 1 aired in the summer of 2006. It was hosted by Canadian supermodel Tricia Helfer. Cycle 2, hosted by Jay Manuel, began airing on May 30, 2007 and ended on July 18.
'Central America:' ''Super Model Centroamérica'' — will air in October 2007.[1]
'China:' ''China's Next Top Model'' (CNTM閃亮模坊)— will be produced by Shanghai Media Group's Dragon TV and will be filmed in Shanghai. First cycle will air in August; hosted by Chinese supermodel Qu Ying^[12]
'Denmark:' ''Denmark's Next Top Model''
'France:' ''France's Next Top Model'' — first cycle aired; hosted by French supermodel Odile Sarron.
'Germany:' ''Germany's Next Topmodel'' — finished its first two cycles; hosted by German supermodel Heidi Klum.
'Ghana:' ''Top Model Ghana'' — first African version of the franchise.
'Honduras:' ''Amiga Top Model'' — currently airing.
'Hungary:' ''Hungary's Next Top Model'' — finished its first season; hosted by Hungarian supermodel Viktória Vámosi and later by Panni Epres.
'Israel:' ''Models'' — has finished two cycles. Third cycle will start in January 2008.
'Indonesia:' ''Indonesian Model Indosiar'' — only aired for one cycle and finished on August 2004.
'Italy:' ''Italy's Next Top Model'' — first cycle will start in fall of 2007.
'Kazakhstan:' Я красивая, or "I'm Beautiful", finished airing in October 2005 on Hit TV. The show was associated with the Russian version of ANTM. ^[13]
'The Netherlands:' ''Holland's Next Top Model'' — has finished two cycles; hosted by Dutch supermodel Yfke Sturm.
'Nigeria:' ''Nigeria's Next Top Model'' — second African version of the franchise.[3]
'Norway:' ''Norway's Next Top Model'' — was originally part of Scandinavia's Next Top Model; hosted its own version in 2006.
'Portugal' ''Portugal's Next Top Model'' — hosted its own in 2009.
'Philippines' ''Philippines’ Next Top Model'' — aired in 2007; hosted by Filipina beauty queen Ruffa Gutierrez-Bektas.
'Russia:' ''Russia's Next Top Model'' — airs on CTC, hosted by Russian director Fyodor Bondarchuk (Федор Бондарчук) and has had finished three cycles.
'Scandinavia:' ''Scandinavia's Next Top Model'' — consists of contestants from Norway, Denmark and Sweden. It is broadcast on TV3 and is hosted by Kathrine Sørland, Anne P, and Mini Anden (Cycles 1 & 2) and Malin Persson (Cycle 3), each from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden respectively. Due to 3 countries being involved, the format differs from the original. It has completed three cycles.
'Slovakia:' ''Slovakia's Next Top Supermodel'' — called H'lada sa Supermodelka, the first cycle aired from January to March of 2007.
'Spain' ''Supermodelo 2006''— first cycle aired on Channel Cuatro.
'Sweden:' ''Sweden's Next Top Supermodel'' — was originally part of Scandinavia's Next Top Model.
'Switzerland:' ''Switzerland's Next Supermodel'' — will air in September 2007.
'Thailand:' ''Thailand's Next Top Model'' — has finished its first cycle; hosted by Thai supermodel Sonia Couling.
'Turkey:' ''Turkey's Next Top Model'' — called "Top Model Turkiye's", has finished one cycle, hosted by Turkish supermodel Deniz Akkaya.
'United Kingdom' ''Britain's Next Top Model'' airs on Living. The first cycle was hosted by Lisa Butcher. The second cycle premiered on July 24 2006, and the third started on July 2 2007. Both were hosted by SuperModel Lisa Snowdon.

See Also

★ List of television show franchises

References

1. http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-12-06-CW-cover_x.htm
2. http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=112806_09
3. http://entertainment.tv.yahoo.com/news/va/20070722/118516573800p.html
4. http://www.cwtv.com/shows/americas-next-top-model/about
5. 2006-07 primetime wrap ''HollywoodReporter.com''
6. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/calendar.aspx?view=renewals
7. Strikers on the Catwalk
8. The DJB Interview
9. Top Model Takes Strikers Off Payroll
10. ''Harper's Bazaar'', September 2006 retrieved August 24, 2006 Actress/Former Model Rebecca Romijn, comments how the show isn't realistic and stuff like this doesn't happen in the fashion industry.
11. 'Idol' looks like a better ticket to a dream career, Melanie McFarland, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, February 26, 2007
12. http://news.17dian.com/cntm/1279.html
13. [2]

External Links

★ Official Site

★ ''America's Next Top Model'' at the Internet Movie Database

★ ''Apply for Cycle 10!