“She’s Got the Look”
Wednesday 10pm, TV Land
I’m a sucker for a modeling show, and this one has an added heart-tugging edge. Forget those skinny bitches in their 20s; “She’s Got the Look” aims to find the next supermodel over the age of 35. Finally, our nation’s cougars get their due. But honestly, some of these women are stunningly gorgeous, no matter what their age. And almost every single one has a tear-jerking back story, from giving up on a prominent modeling career as a teenager to marry a childhood sweetheart and raise babies, to moving on after the death of a supportive husband. Judging the wannabe models of a certain age are the president of Wilhelmina Modeling Agency, a celebrity stylist, and Miss Beverly Johnson in the Janice Dickinson seat (well, maybe Twiggy—Bev’s too classy to play the crazy bitch). Former supermodel Kim Alexis plays the Tyra role.
“Bravo A-List Awards”
Thursday 10pm, Bravo
Bravo has carved out its niche as the cable net for tastemakers, thanks to shows like “Queer Eye,” “Top Chef,” and “Project Runway.” Now the channel has launched its own awards show to celebrate the best in food, fashion, beauty, design and pop culture—and to pimp its own shows, which funnily enough focus on all of those things. I’ll give credit for some well-deserved, outside-the-box nominations (Leighton Meester from “Gossip Girl” for A-List Actor; “Mad Men” for best TV show), although others expose Bravo’s tendency to overshoot clever and head straight for embarrassing. (Barack Obama shares the poorly titled A-List Everywhere category with Ryan Seacrest, Nicole Richie and Britney Spears? Christ!) Expect a cavalcade of Bravo reality stars to get trotted out, while Kathy Griffin handles the MC duties. Tune in at 8:30pm for a red carpet pre-show hosted by Tim Gunn.
“Secret Diary of a Call Girl”
Monday 10:30pm, Showtime
For years I’ve thought, Why hasn’t someone done a classy cable show about prostitutes? We’ve had shows about gangsters, prisoners, drug dealers and polygamists, but nothing about the world’s oldest profession. Showtime finally pulled the trigger with this new series, which adapts the real-life story of a high-priced London call girl. Belle (played by the unconventionally pretty Billie Piper) is a great character to work this type of show around. She’s not a drug addict, wasn’t sexually abused as a child, isn’t codependent, nothing. She’s just a gorgeous young woman who enjoys sex and money, and who is, by her own admission, kind of lazy. After college, she stumbled into prostitution (as we all do), and found the lifestyle suited her. This show follows her in the odd, funny world of a professional escort, and her challenges keeping it separate from the rest of her life.
