Behind all the glitz and glam of one of the most successful reality shows in modern history lies a much darker past that Netflix has sought to expose, writes streaming columnist NICK OVERALL.

The new Netflix doco, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, is a three-part series that examines the culture behind this cultural juggernaut of the 2000s.

The success of the franchise is hard to overstate. At its peak, America’s Next Top Model had 100 million viewers across 170 countries and spawned dozens of international spin-offs.

And yet when viewed through a modern lens, many of the production decisions, all in that insatiable pursuit of “good TV”, seem gobsmacking.

Former contestants who appeared on the show throughout its 24 seasons are interviewed for the documentary, explaining a culture of body shaming, bullying and harassment on the set.

Many of the producers on Top Model argue this was all in the name of the show being “a documentary”. One rule, for example, stipulated that camera operators wouldn’t follow contestants into the bathroom if they were on their own but if it was more than one person going in then it was open season for the crew.

To her credit, famous model Tyra Banks who created the reality hit, actually fronts up for the documentary and answers questions about these claims without any editorial control. 

Much like the popularity of the show back in the day, this new documentary has become a huge talking point and hit Netflix’s number one spot for February shows.

Only months ago Netflix also released a documentary which takes a look at another reality show phenomenon, The Biggest Loser.

Despite that series also being a huge success in the 2000s, looking back on it now reveals yet another string of production decisions that just would not fly today.

With the success of both of these docos, Netflix must have realised it’s on to some pretty good TV here itself.

What show will it set in its sights next?

Is MasterChef cooked? Or could Survivor potentially not live up to its name?

IT took out the Emmy for best drama series of 2025 and already The Pitt (HBO Max) has exploded back on to screens for another season that will get viewers gripping arm rests round the world.

This series follows a day in the life of hospital staff working in the emergency department of a Pittsburgh hospital.

What sets The Pitt apart is the way it operates in real time. One season follows the characters throughout the course of only one day, each episode taking place over the course of an hour.

The show also carries this “realistic approach” into its script writing. The medical emergencies are unflinchingly authentic and reveal the frightening implications of a health system under strain.

Intense enough to make one feel like they’ll need their vitals checked after an episode.

ONE of the leading producers of Netflix’s drama hit Adolescence is spear-heading a new show series that also takes a dark, deep dive into youth violence.

Lord of the Flies (Stan) is a new take on the hugely influential novel of the same name written in 1954 by William Golding and which has become a classroom staple.

It tells the story of a group of schoolboys who become stranded on an island after a plane crash.

Left to their own devices to survive, the boys form a hierarchical community in an attempt to organise themselves but the fear, hunger and isolation soon awaken something far more primal within them.

The famous novel has already had two screen adaptations before, one in 1963 and one in 1990, as well as a number of stage and radio versions.

How to keep it still fresh?

The show’s developer, Jack Thorne, argues that in a vicious age of social media, the messages of this story are resonant now more than ever. Lord of the Likes?