After years off the spotlight, the iconic fashion competition America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) is returning in a new way, this time as a deep-dive documentary series titled Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, which premieres on February 16, 2026 exclusively on Netflix.
Rather than a typical reboot of its longtime competition format, this three-part docuseries revisits the culture, controversies and legacy of the original show, which debuted in 2003 and ran for 24 seasons. It promises unprecedented access behind the scenes, including candid interviews with host and creator Tyra Banks, key judges such as Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel, Miss J. Alexander and producers who helped shape the franchise.
The series aims to explore not just the show’s fashion and global influence including its peak viewership of more than 100 million worldwide but also the complexities and criticisms that have followed it into the present day.
What sets this project apart from nostalgic retrospectives is its unflinching look at the darker moments of the show’s history. Prominent former contestants, including ANTM winners and runners-up, weigh in on their experiences from intense challenges and extreme makeovers to personal struggles that unfolded under the camera’s gaze.
At least one former winner has described parts of the experience as traumatic in the trailer, pointing to moments that were “so f–ked up” at the time.
Tyra Banks herself appears ready to address critiques head-on, acknowledging that aspects of the show “went too far” while also speaking to its cultural relevance and impact.
Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model drops all three episodes on February 16, 2026, giving fans and critics alike a chance to revisit a defining reality TV franchise under a new lens.