One of the more popular reality shows in the early 2000s, ANTM is getting a makeover with a new Netflix docuseries about what happens behind the scenes.
Filled with interviews from ANTM’s key players, going over iconic moments, and detailing the highs and the lows of the show, it’s a docuseries worth clicking “Play” on.
What is the ANTM Docuseries About?
The three-part docuseries looks deeper into the reality show, which followed Tyra Banks as she searched for top models across the United States.
However, while it was entertainment back then, today, the conversation has switched to contention, as many of the things in the show are not considered “acceptable” today.
During each episode, past contestants, former judges, and executive producers Ken Mok and Tyra Banks talk about the most controversial aspects of the series.
America’s Next Top Model
America’s Next Top Model was created by Tyra Banks and developed by Ken Mok and Kenya Barris. The series ran for 24 seasons from 2003 to 2016.
Each season featured a new set of bright-faced models as they lived together, competed in challenges, and faced weekly elimination. The winner would be crowned “Top Model” and would be awarded a spread in a fashion magazine, plus contracts with a major fashion brand and modeling agency.
The series was known for pulling models from overlooked communities, outlandish stunt shoots, and shocking cosmetic transformations, from haircuts to dental surgeries.
While the series ended a decade ago, it had a brief resurgence during the pandemic when viewers rewatched their favorite episodes, and now are taking to social media to address the now-controversial moments and question the series itself.
When Does the Docuseries Premiere?
The three-part docuseries premiered on February 16th on Netflix. You can stream it now with a subscription.
The Dark Side of ANTM
Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model featured several of the show’s biggest controversies.
Among those is Tyra’s iconic “I was rooting for you” tirade against former competitor Tiffany Richardson, the infamous race-swap photo shoot challenges, and countless harmful comments about contestants’ weight and body image. However, there were also a few controversies raised that all fans might not be aware of.
This includes one contestant’s allegation that she was sexually assaulted on camera during filming, and another claiming she was made to take part in a photo shoot reminiscent of gun violence, even though producers were aware she’d lost a family member in a shooting.
Critics Opinions
Critics have flocked to review the new ANTM docuseries, and there is a range of emotions.
The Guardian commented that Tyra “comes across as a real piece of work,” and “For a show about beauty, Top Model was always ugly – but Reality Check’s conclusions are only skin deep.”
Metro gave three stars for the docuseries, making the critic question “how I ever enjoyed [ANTM] at all” due to its issues, “ranging from the offensive to the disturbing.”
HuffPost US culture reporter Njera Perkins agrees with the negative sentiment, stating the series did “very little to take those behind the show to task for the lasting harm inflicted on contestants in the name of entertainment. To its detriment, Inside America’s Next Top Model relies more on aggrieved contestants to address the show’s controversies instead of holding those responsible accountable.”