While fledgling TV network The CW is enjoying some of its best ratings ever thanks to “Gossip Girl” and the revamped “90210,” its longest running series, “America’s Next Top Model,” starring Tyra Banks, isn’t faring quite as well. Last night’s season premiere of Cycle 11 opened to the worst ratings in the show’s history. I watched it last night, and I can’t say I’m surprised. First of all, the show is becoming almost as tediously scripted as “The Hills.” Last night’s season kickoff included a lame “Minority Report” style photoshoot with Tyra and the two Jays “beaming” onto the set, dressed in futuristic costumes and using bad special effects that would have made Captain Kirk barf. Additionally, the presence of Isis, a male-to-female transgendered contestant, who in all honesty, isn’t very attractive, is such an obvious ratings ploy. While it’s cool that any reality show is including a transgendered person, it’s painfully clear that Tyra and her producers selected Isis purely for the drama brought about by the other girls feeling uncomfortable – which feels mostly manufactured anyway.

After two days of glowing headlines for the CW, you just knew everybody’s favorite hard-luck network was going to have a change of fortune: Despite the CW’s stellar start this week with the return of “Gossip Girl” and unveiling of “90210,” Wednesday night’s “America’s Next Top Model” premiere was the lowest-rated in the network’s history.

The two-hour “Top Model” premiere (3.5 million viewers, 1.7 preliminary adults 18-49 rating and a 5 share) was down 11% from last February’s cycle, and down 32% from last September in the adult demo. Among the network’s 18-34 demo (1.9/6), the drops were steeper. It marks the lowest-rated premiere since the show debuted in 2003 on UPN.

Given all the heavy advertising of “90210” and “Gossip” running up to their premieres, it seems conceivable (if not highly likely) that efforts to promote awareness of the soap dramas may have come at the expense of the network’s highest-rated show. Then again, after running two editions for the past five years or so one would think “Model” fans would either not need too much prompting, or, more probable, feel the show is long in the tooth. This is Cycle 11, which is an extraordinary run for a reality show, and “Model” has slipped in the ratings for a few editions now. If the premiere week ratings horse race doesn’t change over the course of the season, the CW will have a new top-rated series.

[From The Live Feed]

I also think that the viewing public is sick of Tyra Banks. Her crazy ass is everywhere, and her shameless self promotion is starting to backfire. Plus, with so many new shows and better quality reality shows currently airing, such as the ever-fabulous “Project Runway,” which also runs on Wednesday nights, “Top Model” has a lot more competition these days.