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ShowsAmerica's Next Top ModelSeason 12
Aired spring 2009 · The CW · only South American trip in the show's run

The South American Stretch

São Paulo is the show's only South American location in its full run, and the production uses it well — the photoshoots carry Brazilian fashion energy the European legs rarely matched. Solid casting and Paulina Porizkova's final cycle on the permanent panel round out the package.

Filmed
New York City, New York; São Paulo, Brazil
Premiered
Mar 4, 2009
Episodes
13
Format
Modeling competition · sole South American trip
Paulina Porizkova's final cycle as judge
Cast size
13 players
13 contestants, spring 2009 casting
Host
Tyra Banks
twelfth season at the helm
On this page
  1. 01The take
  2. 02The shape of the season
  3. 03Where it sits in the canon
  4. 05Adjacent in the canon
  5. 06Also appears in
01The take

The South American Stretch.

A strong, grounded cycle that earns its rank on casting range and a location no other season visited.
02The shape of the season

A rhythm worth tracking.

The South American Stretch earns its place in the canon on two fronts: São Paulo is the only South American stop the show ever made, and the production treats it as a genuine editorial opportunity rather than a backdrop. The casting carries real range, giving the panel sessions competitive substance. Paulina Porizkova closes her run here with the same fashion precision she brought to the panel from cycle ten. A reliable, well-structured season without a weak leg.

03Where it sits in the canon

The #09 slot.

Slot #09 of 15 in the America's Next Top Model Editor's Canon. The seasons on either side show what I ranked it against.

No spoilers. Every page is reviewed before it goes live.
06Also appears in

Cross-references.

America's Next Top Model — Editor's CanonEditor's Canon · #09
America's Next Top Model S12 — The South American Stretch — tiered.tv