Netflix’s ‘America’s Next Top Model’ Docuseries ‘Reality Check,’ Explained
Reality television shows — particularly the wildest early 2000s-era competition series — have been put under the microscope a lot lately, and Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model is the latest example of that.
The new Netflix docuseries examines the ups and downs of the modeling competition series that captivated the nation at the time… and has people looking back at it with disdain now.
Here’s what to know about Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model.
When does Reality Check premiere?
The three-part documentary series drops on Netflix on Monday, February 16.
Who will appear in the documentary?
ANTM host Tyra Banks will be appearing in the documentary. As she says in the trailer, “I haven’t really said much, but now it’s time.”
Also interviewed for the feature are Jay Alexander, Nigel Barker, and Jay Manuel, as well as former contestants, judges, and producers of the series.
What is Reality Check about?
The series examines both the popularity and problematic nature of America’s Next Top Model. The official description tells us, “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model is the definitive, must-watch chronicle of America’s Next Top Model — and the chaos in front and behind the camera. What started as a glamorous launchpad for aspiring models became a pop-culture juggernaut defined by explosive drama, public meltdowns, and controversies that still fuel viral moments today.”
Why is the show courting controversy?
Former America’s Next Top Model winner Adrianne Curry bashed the series when it was first announced and revealed on social media that she refused to participate in it: “I say no to all of these. I have 0 trust in any producers, no desire to be really public in this day and age…. and am hard retired from Hollywood,” she wrote. She also added that she thought it was “absurd” to be “psychoanalyzing it over 20 years later with a woke lens.”
What else is there to know about Reality Check?
The series is directed by Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan, and it’s executive produced by Ryan Miller, Jason Beekman, Vanessa Golembewski, Jon Adler, Amanda Spain, Ian Orefice, and Jonna McLaughlin.
Of the show, Adler said, “America’s Next Top Model was a groundbreaking force that forever shaped pop culture, but there’s more to its complicated legacy than meets the eye. Whether you tuned in weekly or recently discovered the show, Reality Check will reveal fresh insights and intimate reflections on the drama, controversy, and personalities that defined this iconic series.”
Beekamn added, “We can’t wait for Netflix’s global audience to see what really happened behind the scenes of America’s Next Top Model and the cultural moment it created. Reality Check is a fun, fast-moving nostalgia trip that also examines real issues of gender, race, exploitation, and personal conflict.”
Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, February 16, Netflix
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