In the years since the original Tyra Banks-hosted America’s Next Top Model went off-air, there have been plenty of deep dives into the, frankly, insane stunts the show pulled. Search for ANTM on YouTube, and you’ll find compilations of the judges’ worst remarks and video essays exposing behind-the-scenes secrets. Plus-sized model Sarah Hartshorne’s book You Wanna Be On Top? about her time on the show is a must-read for those looking for dish. But without access to the main creative team behind the series, many of these accounts have relied on leaks and hearsay. And we’re still waiting for our own TyraMail to show up at our doors!
Now, Netflix is giving fans access to the most visible faces of the show – Tyra herself, along with Miss J. Alexander and Jay Manuel, IYKYK – in a new documentary that promises way more dish. And maybe… accountability? Here’s what we know about the ANTM documentary.
Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model promises an unfiltered look at the show
Let’s be real: Netflix is where celebrities go for fan-service documentaries that make them look flawed, but ultimately good. See: the Eddie Murphy doc, the Beckham docs, etc. But there’s reason to believe that this three-part series will take the issues of the show seriously. The directors, Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan, have a background not in fashion but in crime documentaries and political documentaries.
Per Netflix, the series “is the definitive, must-watch chronicle of America’s Next Top Model – and the chaos in front and behind the camera".
It adds: "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,” promising that it “features unprecedented access to former contestants, judges, and producers. Reality Check exposes the show’s complicated legacy and asks a provocative question: How far are we willing to go for entertainment?”
Watch the trailer
From the first look, it seems the series will at least touch on all of the show’s most controversial areas, like eating disorders, the sometimes-extreme ‘makeovers’, assault and, yeah, the weird racial moments. Also, in-fighting between Jay, J. and Tyra.
Here’s who’s in it
ANTM personalities: host Tyra Banks, creative director Jay Manuel, runway coach Miss J. Alexander, photographer Nigel Barker, producer Ken Mok.
Models: Giselle Samson, Whitney Thompson, Shannon Stewart, Shandi Sullivan, Dani Evans, Keenyah Hill.
Notably absent is producer Kenya Barris, one of the key creators of the show. Yes, the Black-ish creator helped bring ANTM to life, but isn’t anywhere to be seen in the trailer.
What are fans saying?
Of course, the millennials are ready. “They got Mr & Ms Jay and Nigel?!? Ooooo this is going to be good!” wrote one fan on Netflix's announcement post, while another added: “Seated like I’ve never sat before.”
But many picked up on one particular moment in the trailer in which Tyra addresses the many controversial moments from the show over the years. “I knew I went too far,” she says, before adding: “It was very, very intense. But you guys were demanding it.”
“The show didn't even air yet and she's already gaslighting us lmfao! This will be so good!” responded one viewer. Another writes: “Not Tyra shifting blame and avoiding responsibility with a 'but y’all made me do it' defense.”
The announcement has also prompted former contestants on the show to react. Cycle 13 star Sundai Love wrote: “Oh y'all not gonna add my drowning and ear damage story from that underwater shoot? Or the changing of ethnicities y'all also had us do my season? Oh ok. Definitely a lot going on, but it takes more than one person to make a TV show… I still got love my girl.”
Cycle 19 contestant Victoria Henley added: “As someone who was on this show, I don’t think any documentary could ever illustrate the dark underbelly of what was really going on. But I’m excited to see this, nevertheless.”
Zheesh. Guess we'll have to see how candid the doc really gets.
Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model drops in February
The three-part series will be available on Netflix on February 16. Need to do a watch party.
A version of this article originally appeared on Glamour US.
