On the Screen & Under the Radar: More Models, More Addicts

By Barry Garron

Here are two more new TV series to consider as you go about filling every last gigabyte of your DVR hard drive:

'Make Me a Supermodel" 10 p.m. Thursdays, Bravo

The geniuses at Bravo came to the conclusion that what TV viewers need most is yet another show about becoming a model. Not to mention this is a great way to fill an hour a week with young, sexy bodies. So I won't.

On Jan. 2, Bravo presented the casting special, in which 35 would-be catwalkers, men and women, were culled from auditions in five cities. In the opener, this lot of shirtless men and anxious women were reduced to the more manageable number of 14. Now, you, the viewers, are being asked to do the judging, until only two are left.

"America has a very hard decision to make," said co-host Niki Taylor, and I don't think she was referring to the presidential primaries. The other co-host is a very sympathetic Tyson Beckford. The winner gets a $100,000 modeling contract with New York Model Management who, not so coincidentally, had three executives help decide the finalists.

The show was adapted from a popular series of the same name in Britain. The obvious inspiration, though, was the successful "America's Next Top Model" on CW and the near certainty that there always will be an audience for heavenly bodies that is big enough for cable.

'Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew' (VH1) 10 p.m. Thursdays

I know what you're thinking because I was thinking it, too. Here we go with another exploitative series filled with titillating video of D-list celebs who consented to be on camera as a first step toward reviving a moribund career.

I admit it. I was wrong. Oh, sure, there's a little teasing and titillation but, overall, this is an incredibly honest series about the nature of addiction and the nearly superhuman effort required to overcome it. After previewing the first two episodes, I was struck by the candor of Dr. Drew Pinsky as well as the nine celebs who agreed to take part in the 21-day program.

Several of them, including Jeff Conaway (young Bobby on "Taxi") and actor/director Daniel Baldwin, had been in and out of rehab many times. Others, such as porn star and California gubernatorial candidate Mary Carey, "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra and "Family Matters" alumna Jaimee Foxworth, were relative newcomers to the detox program. Also in the mix were former pro wrestler and Playboy subject Chyna, actress Brgitte Nielsen and Seth Binzer, lead singer of Crazy Town.

These are people who are using to having their own way and who can't envision life without drugs or booze. Seeing them try to break their dependency is not pretty. In fact, it's downright painful to see them stripped of their glamor, shaking, crying, barfing and struggling to escape from their self-imposed mental fog. It is an unforgettable wake-up call, far more effective than a thousand "Just say no" campaigns.

If you've ever been the least bit curious about what really goes on in rehab, look here for the answer.