America's Next Top Model

America's Next Top Model
File:ANTM logo.png
Created by	Tyra Banks
Starring	Tyra Banks J. Alexander Jay Manuel Nigel Barker Twiggy
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	ongoing
Production
Running time	42 minutes (60 with commercials)
Original release
Network	UPN (2003-2006) The CW (2006-)
Release	May 20, 2003 – present

America’s Next Top Model is a competitive reality television show created by supermodel Tyra Banks. It premiered in May 2003 and was one of UPN's highest rated shows. The show is the first of the shows among regular programming on UPN's successor network, The CW.

About The Show

Host and creator Tyra Banks

ANTM puts contestants against each other in a variety of competitions to determine who will win a $100,000 modeling contract with makeup manufacturer CoverGirl. Most cycles' prizes have also included a photo spread in Elle, and representation by Ford Models; the seventh cycle prize includes coverage in Seventeen and representation by Elite Models.

For the premiere season, the show is hosted by Tyra Banks, who also serves as one of the four judges, among them were Kimora Lee Simmons, Beau Quillian, and Eu Ric Thor, who bills himself as the world's first supermodel. By the second season, only Tyra and Euric remained judges. Subsequent seasons' judges have included ex-male fashion model and fashion photographer Nigel Barker and fashion editor and stylist Nole Marin. After season four, Janice (amid rumors of personality conflicts with some other judges) and Marin were replaced by Twiggy, who had attained modeling fame in the 1960s, and Miss J. Alexander, who had been the show's runway coach since the first cycle. The fashion model-aspirants are also coached through photo-shoots by Jay Manuel, a stylist and personal friend of Tyra Banks. Jay is known as the Mr. J to J. Alexander's Miss J. Janice Dickinson has continued to make intermittent guest appearances on the show after leaving the judging panel, giving advice to the contestants.

Format

Each season of America's Next Top Model has from ten to fourteen episodes and starts with ten to fourteen contestants. ANTM is in its 7th season. Generally, one contestant is eliminated per episode (though there have been cases of a double elimination or no elimination) by consensus of the judging panel. Makeovers are administered to all remaining contestants early in the season, and a trip to an international destination is scheduled at about two-thirds through the season.

Each episode of Top Model, covering the events of roughly a week of real time, features a fashion challenge, photoshoot, judging and critique of each contestant and her performance by the panel led by Tyra Banks, and the elimination of one or more contestants. Many shows are associated with themes 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 an animal. Usually one photoshoot per season is replaced with a commercial shoot, though in one episode of Cycle 2, the remaining contestants appeared in Tyra's music video for "Shake Ya Body" in lieu of a photoshoot.

The final segment of each episode is judging. First, contestants are 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. Then each contestant's photo is 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, each time saying "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.

The format varies slightly when only three contestants remain. In the series finale, the three remaining aspiring models compete in one last photoshoot 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 both their performance there and during the entire competition is considered when the judges declare a winner.

Tyra Co-Executive Produces the show with Ken Mok.

Janice Dickinson Feud with Kimora Lee Simmons

Janice Dickinson famously feuded with Kimora Lee Simmons during Cycle 1. On camera, Janice derided Kimora's opinions of the contestants. In her book Everything About Me Is Fake... And I'm Perfect, Janice had this to say about Kimora:

• "During one episode, I looked at Kimora's hideously long nails. [I said] 'Hey, Miss Thing, trim those hooker nails. Mine are fakes but at least they're good fakes.'" (By the next episode, Kimora's nails were noticeably shorter.)

• "Kimmy, I love your hair weave. But did you intend for it to look like the cheap fake fur they sell at Wal-Mart? Can't you pawn one of those rings and go to a real salon?"

• "Mrs. Kimora Lee Simmons made the rest of us judges wait around on the set forever for her to pull up in her brand-new Bentley."

ANTM with Veronica Mars and The CW

Cycle 4, Cycle 5 and Cycle 6 served as the lead-in to UPN's high school noir show Veronica Mars, and the two shows had several crossovers. Three ANTM contestants — Naima Mora, Kim Stolz, and Furonda Brasfield — have guest starred on Veronica Mars, with Mora's character being pivotal to the second season storyline.

It was announced on January 24, 2006 that ANTM 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 on January 20, 2006 committed to renewing the series through its eighth cycle [1], 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 premier of the new network on September 20, 2006. The dispute was chronicled in a July 24 interview on the website Television Without Pity with former TWoP recapper and current ANTM show producer Daniel J. Blau. As of October 2006, the dispute has not been resolved.

Criticism

ANTM is criticised because of the contestant choices and their lack of modeling potential. Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld commented on ANTM and rival Project Runway in the September 2006 issue of Harper's Bazaar. Lagerfeld says, "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."

ANTM has also been criticised by Allure magazine in the October 2006 issue. The magazine says ANTM, "hasn't exactly produced any actual supermodels". It also states that the real supermodel of today is Gemma Ward.

Cycle summary

Cycle/Main article	Began airing	Judges	Winner	Runner-up	Other contestants (in order of elimination)	Number of contestants	International destination
Cycle 1	May 20 2003	Tyra Banks, Janice Dickinson, Kimora Lee Simmons, Beau Quillian	Adrianne Curry	Shannon Stewart	Tessa Carlson, Katie Cleary, Nicole Panattoni, Ebony Haith, Giselle Samson, Kesse Wallace, Robbyne Manning, Elyse Sewell	10	Paris, France
Cycle 2	January 13 2004	Tyra Banks, Janice Dickinson, Nigel Barker, Eric Nicholson	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	Tyra Banks, Janice Dickinson, Nigel Barker, Nolé Marin	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	Tyra Banks, Janice Dickinson, Nigel Barker, Nolé Marin	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	Tyra Banks, Twiggy, Nigel Barker, J. Alexander	Nicole Linkletter	Nik Pace	Ashley Black, Ebony Taylor, Cassandra Whitehead, Sarah Rhoades, Diane Hernández, Coryn Woitel, Kyle Kavanaugh, Lisa D'Amato, Kim Stolz, Jayla Rubinelli, Bre Scullark	13	London, England
Cycle 6	March 8, 2006	Tyra Banks, Twiggy, Nigel Barker, J. Alexander	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	Tyra Banks, Twiggy, Nigel Barker, J. Alexander			Eliminated up unto this point: Christian Evans, Megan Morris, Monique Calhoun, Megg Morales, A.J. Stewart, Brooke Miller Remaining girls listed in alphabetical order: Amanda Babin, Anchal Joseph, Caridee English, Eugena Washington, Jaeda Young, Melrose Bickerstaff, Michelle Babin	13

Show statistics

• Total number of contestants: 89

• Oldest champion(s): Yoanna House (Cycle 2), 23 years old

• Youngest champion(s): Nicole Linkletter (Cycle 5) - 19 years 9 months old

• Oldest contestant(s): Robin Manning (Cycle 1) & Jade Cole (Cycle 6), both age 26

• Youngest contestant(s): Giselle Samson (Cycle 1), Shannon Stewart (Cycle 1), Catie Anderson (Cycle 2), Heather Blumberg (Cycle 2), Tatiana Dante (Cycle 4), Ebony Taylor (Cycle 5), Sarah Rhoades (Cycle 5), Kari Schmidt (Cycle 6), Leslie Mancia (Cycle 6), Amanda Babin (Cycle 7), Brooke Miller (Cycle 7), Jaeda Young (Cycle 7), Megg Morales (Cycle 7), Michelle Babin (Cycle 7) - all 18 years old

• Tallest champion(s): Yoanna House (Cycle 2) & Danielle Evans (Cycle 6), both 5'11"

• Shortest champion(s): Eva Pigford, 5'6.5" (Cycle 3)

• Tallest contestant(s): Sara Albert (Cycle 6) & Jaeda Young (Cycle 7), both 6'1"

• Shortest contestant(s): Eva Pigford, 5'6.5" (Cycle 3)

• Heaviest contestant(s): Toccara Jones, 180 pounds (Cycle 3)

• Lightest contestant(s): Melrose Bickerstaff (Cycle 7), 107 pounds

• Champion(s) with most challenge wins: Naima Mora (Cycle 4), 4 wins

• Champion(s) with fewest challenge wins: Nicole Linkletter (Cycle 5) & Danielle Evans

(Cycle 6), 0 wins (note: In one challenge in Cycle 6, the girls had to do go-sees. Because they were all late, no one won, but Danielle would have won.)

• Contestant(s) with most collective challenge wins: Yaya Da Costa, 5 wins (Cycle 3)

• Contestant(s) with no appearance in bottom two: Joanie Dodds (Cycle 6)

• Contestant(s) with most collective appearances in bottom two: Ann Markley (Cycle 3), Bre Scullark (Cycle 5), & Jade Cole (Cycle 6), all 5 times before eliminated

• Contestant(s) with most consecutive appearances in bottom two: Lluvy Gomez (Cycle 4) & Bre Scullark (Cycle 5), both 3 times before eliminated.

• Most consecutive weeks where the contestant eliminated was in the bottom two for their first time: 6 (Cycle 7), Christian Evans, Megan Morris, Monique Calhoun, Megg Morales, A.J. Stewart, and Brooke Miller all eliminated their first time in bottom two.

• First contestant eliminated after being called first the previous episode during the first half of the competition: Brooke Miller (Cycle 7)

• First contestant to be eliminated outside the judging panel: Magdalena Rivas (Cycle 3)

• First contestant to be eliminated in the same week as winning CoverGirl of the Week: A.J. Stewart (Cycle 7)

• First double elimination: Rebecca Epley & Tiffany Richardson (Cycle 4)

• First non-elimination: Nicole Linkletter & Jayla Rubinelli, both in bottom two but neither eliminated (Cycle 5)

• First contestant to win "CoverGirl of the Week" from start to finish: Naima Mora (Cycle 4)

• First contestant to voluntarily quit the competition: Cassandra Whitehead (Cycle 5)

• First twin contestants: Amanda Babin and Michelle Babin (Cycle 7)

• Most common names: Nicoles cycle 1, 3 and 5 , Sara(h)s cycle 2,4,5 and 6

International versions

The America's Next Top Model format has been franchised to many countries, with contestants being chosen from among its citizens. The host is usually a professional model native to the country, with the judging panel being comprised of experts from the local fashion industry. All versions credit supermodel Tyra Banks as creator and co-producer. America's Next Top Model itself is also shown in over 90 countries.

Australia

Australia's Next Top Model — airing of FOX8 and hosted by Erika Heynatz, It has recently finished its second season, with Eboni Stocks becoming the winner. The show is uncensored and features nudity and profanity, in contrast to the other versions.

Canada

Canada's Next Top Model — Aired on Citytv and is hosted by Canadian supermodel and star of Battlestar Galactica Tricia Helfer. A second season is expected sometime in 2007, but will be hosted by America's Next Top Model own, Jay Manuel.

China

First season to air in January 2007.

France

First season aired 2005. Season 2 will air in 2006.

Germany

Germany's Next Top Model — finished its first season; hosted by Heidi Klum, Season 2 is announced for march 2007.

Hungary

First season is currently airing. Hosted by Hungarian supermodel Viktória Vámosi.

Israel

First season aired mid-2005. Second season aired mid 2006. Hosted by Israeli supermodel Galit Gutmann.

Netherlands

Holland's Next Top Model has announced a second season. First champion was Sanne Nijhof. The show is hosted by Yfke Sturm.

Philippines

Philippines' Next Top Model — to be aired on RPN 9 and to be hosted by Ruffa Gutierrez-Bektas.

Scandinavia

Scandinavia's Next Top Model — with contestants from Norway, Denmark and Sweden. It is broadcast on TV3 and is hosted by Kathrine Sørland, Anne P, and Mini Anden(Cycle 1 & 2) and Malin Persson (Cycle 3) , each from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden respectively. Due to 3 countries being involved, the format differs somewhat from the original. So far it has completed three seasons.

Thailand

First season aired mid-2005 hosted by Sonia Couling.

United Kingdom

Britain's Next Top Model — airs on LIVINGtv and hosted by Lisa Snowdon. The second season premiered on July 24, 2006.

External links

• Official site from The CW
• America's Next Top Model at the Internet Movie Database
• Recaps and News