Tyra Banks gave her Top Model wannabes a challenge/lesson in “posing with pain,” with Anya winning a sexy photo shoot by Nigel Barker.  Could someone puh-lease draw some eyebrows on Anya’s washed-out face?  I really don’t get the attraction to her…at all.  After some intense loft wars (Ohio’s Dominque vs. Claire, Whitney and Lauren), the models were shot representing nine music genres.  Plus-size grunger Whitney and emo Katarzyna continue to shine, while five-time “Cover Girl of the Week” Claire made country/western seem cornball.  Only R&B poser Aimee was worse, getting the heave-ho.

For the first time, The CW has three competition shows airing together. Beauty & The Geek kicked off Round 5 by pitting the sexes against each other, but the players still seem intent on learning from their counterparts. If anything, this series accentuates an oddity of Reality TV: groups of girls scream and argue, and groups of guys do not. Why is that? Challenge #1 was to seduce the most phone-digits from strangers in a nightclub, with the playing field leveled thru ugly makeunders for the girls. They still won and chose five geeks to face off in sudden-death Jeopardy. Recovering Microsoft addict John buzzed too late, escaping next week’s Talent Show.

Last night, Top Model judge Miss J. “lost all confidence” in Somalian Fatima; I agree, she’s a walking stick who can’t strut. Tyra calls darkhorse Katarzyna a “mini Paulina Porizkova” — she knows how to work it. The girls wore raw meat garments and posed with slabs of beef, coaxed by Mr. Jay (or was that Mr. Freeze?). Funny Amis then capped off her worst day—after literally skipping down a runway—by coming to panel dressed for a job at Slobs-R-Us. Yeah, she’s gone.

It was all about The Pout on Pussycat Dolls: Girlicious. Hottie Chrystina couldn’t fathom being so close to elimination last week, and carried that sorry attitude thru rehearsals. Jamie joined the pity party, feeling her makeover hair shade belongs on a pumpkin. Bulky Jenna has zero energy on-stage, and that drama will come to an explosive head Monday night. Poor Cassandra boo-hooed when her deep voice couldn’t hit the notes on Blondie’s Heart of Glass. Alas, no range = goodbye.

Who doesn’t like juicy insider scoops? I keep an ear close to the web’s entertainment grapevine and have noticed provocative chatter involving our favorite WBNX shows. Here are some of the most recent scuttlebutt items: E! Online reports that if ABC cancels October Road, The CW may be interested in picking up the Bryan Greenberg drama. TV Guide says that both Michael Rosenbaum (Lex) and Kristin Kreuk (Lana) told producers they don’t want to be regulars on Season 8 of Smallville, but will make time for guest appearances. The mag also notes that one of the show’s long-running characters will die—for real—in the April 17 episode. Friends star Jennifer Aniston (Rachel), 39, is a tabloid magnet, with Star affirming she’s frozen eggs for her future role as mother; and The Daily Mail hinting that off-screen romance has bloomed between her and Traveling film co-star Aaron Eckhart. Gossip Girl, by nature, is buzz-a-licious, though Leighton Meester (Blair) flat-out denied reports of tension among the young actors. Think of the catfight possibilities if Mischa Barton (Marissa on The O.C.) had not turned down an offer from Josh Schwartz to join the series as a new foe for Serena. There was a puzzling rumor that young Eric van der Woodsen (Conner Paolo) would be revealed as the never-seen title character. But exec producer Stephanie Savage nixed that notion, saying “we’re all” Gossip Girl—everyone in the tech-culture who TMs, emails, snaps photos or shares secret info via the web. Finally, the New York Post claims the 14 girls from the current round of Top Model need to learn some house-etiquette, after food fights and assorted sloppiness over ten weeks caused thousands of dollars in damage to their posh NYC rented loft. Heard any news, yourself? Pass it along!

The most-anticipated episodes of CW reality competitions are the mind-blowing makeovers. America’s Next Top Model, in particular, is known for its radical redo’s, and last night the results were hit-and-miss. Best of the lot were newly-blonde Claire, now shorn on both sides; Marvita, whose mohawk gained a “horse mane hair weave” invented by Tyra; and Fatima, who exchanged her orange kinks for a stunning long, dark weave (which she cried thru most of). Allison hated her new fluffy light tresses, but it was a bad week overall for my original pick to win. The ex-anorexic took offense to a weight comment by Fatima, and seemed bent on verbal revenge. Overconfidence (”My experience is obviously an automatic advantage.”) and too much practice-posing was Allison’s undoing, as she couldn’t even outlast Buckeye Dominique, of whom Jay Manuel said: “Her shoot was terrible. It looks like it belongs in a catalog.” The girls were tasked with modeling Elle Macpherson’s intimate apparel, and several could stand to eat a hamburger or two. Coincidentally, next week they’ll be literally wearing raw meat clothes in the weirdest shoot imaginable.The Pussycat Dolls will give their Girlicious hotties a glam makeover Monday. But this week, they learned about charisma—and the girls who “thought” they had it…didn’t. Tall redhead Ilisa is an oddity; nasty Natalie even said, “Everyone knows Ilisa isn’t going to be part of Girlicious.” That was before each gal was critiqued by a flock of young fans, with Ilisa chosen one of the two favorites. Sexy Chrystina sulked after surviving the dreaded Bottom Two, as Alexis was sent home to dental school. The three group stage acts (with songs I’d actually heard of: These Boots Were Made For Walkin’, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Respect) were all really well done in the season’s best episode.

CW devotees are breathing much easier with this week’s early announcement that six series will definitely return for the fall season: Smallville, Supernatural, One Tree Hill, America’s Next Top Model, Everybody Hates Chris, and rookie sensation Gossip Girl. That leaves 7½-hours yet to fill, and it’s very possible that one or more current shows will also make the cut—such as The Game, Reaper or Aliens in America. One slot could be taken if the network likes the pilot it just ordered for How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls, about a young ex-tabloid reporter hired to be the live-in tutor/life coach for a cosmetic mogul’s granddaughters. Will reality fare Beauty & The Geek, Pussycat Dolls or Crowned get another life? The still-untitled fashion magazine competition is a firm “go,” but which of the network’s other look-see projects will dazzle the programmers? Answers come within ten weeks, as the 2008-09 Upfront Presentation is set for May 15. Tracking potential development slates, The Futon Critic lists four dramas and two comedies on the CW radar:

• The Collection: a dramedy based on the life of famed designer Isaac Mizrahi
• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: romantic misadventures of a female advice columnist
• Undercover: an updated version of 21 Jump Street
• Maria Sharapova project: drama set inside the world of women’s pro tennis
• Sherri Shepherd project: comedy about a married woman—and her husband’s “other family”
• Nanny Dallas: dramedy about four nannies and the rich families they service

Though 13 episodes were previously ordered for star-laden midseason comedy Eight Days a Week, the writer’s strike seems to have thrown the series in limbo. Hopefully it’s a candidate for this fall. Remember, new ideas for shows are pitched almost daily, so the above choices can quickly expand. What are your thoughts or predictions for The CW’s third season schedule?

You had to see it. Seated at the first Top Model 10 panel session were supermodel legends Tyra Banks and Paulina Porizkova, along with runway guru J. Alexander and renowned fotog Nigel Barker. Standing before them was contestant Kimberly, dissing the entire high-fashion industry! The blonde said she didn’t believe girls have to wear pricey clothes and accessories, apparently missing the point that she’d never have to buy or wear the duds…just model ‘em and hang ‘em up. Moments later, the incredulous judges banished her to the nearest outlet store. Much as I liked Twiggy, candid Paulina is an extroverted upgrade. Earlier, she offered no-holds-barred critiques of each girl, likening Ohio’s Dominique to a drag queen. The “house theme” this season is using your passion to benefit the world, reflected in the first photo shoot: the plight of homeless youth—something combatitants Marvita and Fatima had actually experienced. Though Kim quit the team, the judges still evicted laid-back cutie Atalya to close out the series’ milestone 100th episode.

In The CW’s other coed war, several Girlicious hopefuls turned on pushy gossip Natalie, who sees herself as the PCD’s next lead singer and leaves no opinion unspoken. This week’s winning foursome got to harmonize the national anthem at a Dodgers’ minor league baseball game, and “old school” (at age 25!) Carrie won immunity for her standout work. Later, Chrystina, Charlye, Jenna and Carrie rocked the judges with their song-and-dance routine; while pageant-trained Megan was told to hang up her boa. Eleven girls remain…with eight more to shed.

Half the fun of watching America’s Next Top Model is making an early prediction of who you think (or hope) will win. The other half is digesting the unfathomable drama that occurs when 14 high-maintenance femmes are bunking in close quarters. In that respect, Cycle 10 of The CW’s top series came out last night with fists-a-flyin’. Thirty-five girls endured schoolmaster Miss J’s Runway 101 prep course, and 20 finalists were eventually pared down to 13. Tyra decided to add one more model, who turned out to be Columbus, Ohio gal Dominique. Now, where to begin? How about the oddity of those three uncanny look-alikes: Allison, who could be Alyssa Milano’s twin; Kimberly, a less-attractive Reese Witherspoon; and Claire, who’s got the genes of Lilith on Frasier! Somalia-born Fatima has a horrific backstory, but ignited the hot temper of punk Marvita (back after Cycle 9 rejection and therapy). Whitney proudly—and loudly—carries the “Plus-Size” banner; awkward non-conformist Lauren will provide oodles of pity laughs; Anya’s likely to have a sock stuffed in her babbling mouth; and Amis is intent on playing comedian. Can Claire endure two months away from her still-nursing baby? Will overconfident Dominique eat humble pie? Who knows? But at the end of the ride, my Top Two picks to win this New York battle are Allison, who has shown creativity at every turn thus far; and Fatima, who drew comparisons to supermodel Iman. Click here to see photos of the 14 candidates.