Tyra Banks’ reality competition series “America’s Next Top Model” will end its run after 12 years and 22 seasons spread between two networks, the CW confirmed Wednesday. The series finale is set for Dec. 4. CW said it was in talks to assemble a retrospective special targeted to air late next year. Banks has hosted and exec produced “ANTM” with Ken Mok since it premiered in May 2003 on UPN. She broke the news about “ANTM” via Twitter.
“Thinking #ANTM22 should be our last cycle,” Banks wrote. “I truly believe it’s time. May your pics be forever fierce. Keep on Smizing!”
At the height of its game, “Top Model” was one of UPN’s top-rated programs. It was the first program to air on the CW in its September 2006 debut, following the merger of UPN and the CW. In addition to giving exposure to fashion-industry insiders like Janice Dickinson, Twiggy and Nigel Barker by making them judges, it also launched the careers of model/reality TV star Adrianne Curry, actress Analeigh Tipton and others who have had success on and off the runways.
Airing Wednesdays from 2004 to 2009 before cooling off, CW moved “Top Model” to Fridays nights for the first time in 2012 and it’s mostly aired there since. Its current cycle aired for a couple of months this summer on Wednesday before moving to Friday two weeks ago. At present it’s averaging about 1.25 million viewers in Nielsen’s live-plus-same day ratings.
Banks has tackled other TV projects during the run of “ANTM,” including her own self-titled syndicated daytime talk show, which spanned five seasons. Last month, she launched a new lifestyle syndicated talk show “FabLife,” currently on-air and hailing from Disney/ABC.
The former supermodel is also attached to “Life Size 2,” which Variety has learned is in development at Disney Channel. The TV movie will be a sequel to the 2000 Lindsay Lohan flick that co-starred Banks as a Barbie-like doll named Eve who comes to life. Though officially in the works with Banks likely serving as exec producer and star, insiders say no writer is yet attached to the project.
The news of “ANTM’s” cancellation comes amid the CW’s transition away from a tight focus on teen girls and young women to a slightly older demographic and superhero series like “The Flash” and “Arrow.” On Tuesday, CW announced that it was ending romance-focused procedural “Beauty and the Beast” after the show’s fourth season.
