They may call them "cycles" but the next edition of America's Next Top Model starts tonight. Not a regular watcher of the Tyra Banks modeling show, my significant other (never speak her name) got sucked in during the past few weekends as endless reruns have sashayed across the small screen on MTV. For more details, see colleague John-John Williams IV's guest post on Reality Check.

As for my opinion: It is fascinating. Even more fascinating than my fascination with colons and semi-colons in blog posts. Banks is completely honest and believable in her role as host, mentor and critic. The "judges" are also honest and open, their criticisms to the point and meaningful without being rude. The show is much better since the departure of Janice "Screeching Banshee" Dickinson -- part of the reason I stopped watching. Twiggy, whom I learned became a judge during these recent rerun marathons and did a good job, is leaving and being replaced by '80s icon Paulina Porizkova.

Aside from the judges, I enjoy watching the photo session scenes and the resulting photographs. The various, and often typical, types of fashion and glamour venues are utilized with some surprises. The equipment is not given much thought -- though it is top shelf -- and is usually a digital medium-format camera and some flash units.

The one strike against the show, in my mind, is that they are not adverse to digitally altering photos and "switching faces" from one image to another. Reliance upon such tricks, in my mind, does nothing but demean the value of the work by both the model and the photographer. If they are going to learn how to work properly than they must see the entire image, not most of it with another piece of the picture puzzle melded into place. Even if it is common in the industry, it should not be condoned.

Otherwise the show offers some really fantastic, and some subtle, tips for models, posing and direction while having some fun to boot.