Modelville

Modelville
Created by	Tyra Banks
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	4
Production
Executive producer(s)	Tyra Banks
Running time	60 minutes
Release
Original network	Syndicated
Original release	October 8 – December 1, 2008
External links
Website

Modelville is a spin-off reality series from America's Next Top Model which is aired within the Tyra Banks Show. It features 5 former contestants of America's Next Top Model who compete for a $50,000 spokesperson contract with Carol's Daughter.

Show format

Similar to Top Model, the contestants all live in the same house together, with the exception that they are allowed to keep their cellphones and are able to have access to the Internet, allowing them to update their blogs each day to give their take on the process. Each girl will have to direct and star in her own 30-second commercial for Carol's Daughter. The competition is documented on the Tyra Banks Show on a biweekly basis, except the finale, which aired almost a month after the previous episode.

Episodes

Welcome to Modelville (Modelville 1)

Original Airdate: October 8, 2008 ^[1][2]

Each girl tells her story to Tyra. Bianca talks about how the airport fight caused her to worry a lot about her mother and skip some jobs, Dominique reveals that her boyfriend got someone else pregnant but they are working through it, Renee explains she moved into a dangerous L.A. neighborhood where a baby was shot, Lauren tells about not thinking she is beautiful and is having a hard time pursuing modeling since having to move back in with her mother, Fatima reveals she has been struggling financially due to only booking editorial jobs and hardly has any money to eat.

Tyra then reveals she selected each of the girls because their stories touched her and welcomes the founder of Carol's Daughter, Lisa Price, who tells the girls they will have to write, film and direct their own commercial to win a $50,000 contract as a spokesperson for the brand. Another surprise comes to the girls, they are moving into the competition house immediately.

Modelville 2

Original Airdate: October 21, 2008 ^[3][4]

The girls move into their apartment which is the same Flathotel suite the Cycle 1 girls stayed in America's Next Top Model, Cycle 1. Fatima and Lauren joke around about their old rivalry they had with each other on their cycle of Top Model. Fatima then leaves for a photo shoot with CosmoGirl. Later Renee, Bianca and Dominique go in town to shop for boots, but Renee, worried about her timing and feeling ill gets back to the apartment in time. Dominique and Bianca end up being 3 hours late to a surprise yet scheduled meeting with Tyra, upsetting the producers. After that, Dominique breaks down and fights with Bianca who doesn't understand her way of dealing with her feelings.

Later Renee reveals she was physically and mentally abused by her father, prompting Lauren to reveal that she has been raped by her grandfather. Bianca, confused about this, starts asking why their mothers "didn't do anything" upsetting Renee who leaves the room shouting at Bianca that she doesn't know what she is talking about. Throughout the program Tyra interviews the girls, as well as Renee's mother after the Bianca and Renee fight segment.

After a visit from the founder of Carol's Daughter, Lisa Price assigns the girls their products and they begin to research for their commercials in various ways.

Lauren and Dominique test their products out, Fatima visits the Carol's Daughter flagship store in Harlem, while Bianca hits the web, and Renee goes straight to a conference held by Lisa Price. They later rehearse in front of the camera, with more or less success.

At the end of the show, the recently eliminated Cycle 11 model Lauren Brie Harding appears to talk about her Posing on a Rope Ladder photo and her friendships she made from the show with Clark Gilmer and Isis King.

Modelville 3

Original Airdate: November 5, 2008 ^[5]

The girls have a party with their friends which gets out of control when Lauren's friends are told that the bathroom is off-limits. They begin to trash the suite until Dominique states the party is over and the girls get everybody out and are left to clean.

The girls enjoy some downtime but Renee struggles with her husband's fear that she will leave him if she wins and Bianca meets with Camille, whom she thinks is using her, but they work their issues out. The girls are then sent to an industry party where Renee uses her networking skills while Fatima and Dominique struggle to make a good impression. Bianca, dealing with her family's response over her coming forward about the airport incident in episode 1 decides to spend the party in the car.

Renee and Dominique then go to Clear Talents to have a meeting with agents about modeling and maybe more. Lauren refuses to accompany them, not knowing whether her passion is modeling or drawing. They both receive positive feedback but Dominique is told she has to move to NYC to pursue modeling and realize that her finances just don't match. Renee's husband is on the show and Renee states that she thinks he'd be ready to move with her if she won.

The girls are then given a challenge to sell a cup in 3 minutes and are then judged by one another. Renee is praised by her roommates, while Dominique is told that her facial expressions are distracting by a tough Fatima. Both Bianca and Fatima didn't understand the 3 minutes time frame and Lauren just didn't participate. On the show, Tyra reassures her that she is good with words and asks her to sell a shoe "Lauren's way", which she does by saying it can be used to shut Dominique up. Renee won the challenge and a diamond necklace as a prize.

Then Joslyn Pennywell is brought on stage and Tyra commends her for not giving up, telling the audience she deserves applause. They then discuss her modelling scam and how it emotionally affected her and Joslyn breaks down, but Tyra comforts her, wishing her the best of luck for her career.

Modelville 4 (Modelville Finale)

Original Airdate: December 1, 2008 ^[6]

After a recap of the events so far, we are shown footage of the girls doing a mock interview for Extra. Renee starts strong but makes a bad guess to answer a question, Dominique and Lauren blank, Bianca is so nervous she can't help giggling and Fatima manages to divert the questions she can't answer. She is crowned as the winner for this challenge and wins a pair of $1500 jeans.

Back home, the girls get an invitation from Shandi to a free mic. There Renee reads about empowering women and Dominique speaks honestly about her struggles, moving everyone. Lauren then does some performance art. It is revealed that she broke up with her boyfriend, John John, prior to the show and he wants them to get back together. Feeling she is not the spokesmodel type, Lauren quits right before the commercial shooting. John John comes on the show and reveals they did get back together.

The girls then show their commercials. Renee is praised for her use of the touch but admonished for making it too sexual (saying "touch yourself" in order to make clear that the brand makes you comfortable in your own skin), Fatima is praised for her movement but comes off as too infomercial, Dominique is praised for her text but as much for her facial and hand movements and Bianca is praised in voice for using Carol's Daughter tagline as well as her commercial but her initial grawl (mimicking a woman making faces in the mirror) and her enunciation are criticized.

After that the contestants are interview given one last chance to impress Lisa. A teary eyed Dominique makes her sense of purpose clear, Renee promises to prove she can give her 110%, Fatima connects Carol's Daughter with her history of struggles and Bianca says that even though she makes some mistakes she wants to show that she can do well with the brand. Lisa eliminates Bianca and Fatima, leaving Renee and Dominique as the two finalists. Tyra then pulls a curtain to reveal at Dominique's picture and declaring her the winner.

Dominique is overjoyed and can't even put words on her feelings, but Renee runs out into the audience and breaks down. Meanwhile, Dominique delivers her winner speech. Tyra Banks then interviews Renee, who states she put her everything into it. Lisa reveals that it was so close that she would like Renee to work for them too, although she can't give her the contract and offers the audience and the viewers (by giving them the keyword Dominique) free shipping.

Contestants

Elimination chart

Unlike America's Next Top Model, eliminations only took place during the finale and not at the end of every episode.

There were no reward challenges in Episodes 1 and 2. However, in Episode 2, Tyra originally had planned a challenge for the girls but cancelled it due to Bianca and Dominique's absence.

     The contestant won the competition

     The contestant was eliminated

     The contestant quit the competition

     The contestant did not participate in the challenge

     The contestant won the reward challenge

International Adaptations

The shows format was adapted in Austria under the name Die Model WG (The Model Community) in early 2009. In 2010 a German version of the same name followed featuring mostly contestants from Germany's Next Topmodel.

External links

• Modelville Website
• Bianca Golden's Blog
• Dominique Reighard's Blog
• Fatima Siad's Blog
• Lauren Utters's Blog
• Renee Alway's Blog

References