College gals rule latest ‘Top Model’

The third installment of UPN’s hit reality series “America’s Next Top Model” could turn into “College Girls Gone Wild.” Of the 14 contestants, eight identify themselves as students, representing a diverse assortment of colleges including Brown, Oklahoma University, Mercyhurst College and New York University.

These lucky ladies may be beautiful and the may be bright, but will they be smart enough to avoid alienating their fellow models or hooking up with a skeevy Italians in a hot tub? Viewers certainly hope not.

The new “Model” cast features women from 12 states (California and New York are doubly represented), ranging in age all the way from 19 to 25. In addition to the students, there are several sales associates, a mother, a bartender, a woman who owns her own art gallery and perhaps Nicole Borud will be asked to explain how, at 21, she’s already a former punk rocker.

A quick glance at the model profiles on UPN’s Web site should let viewers predict some of the season’s most obvious subplots. Toccara Jones is the plus-sized model judges will claim they can’t use in couture modeling. Eva Pigford will be told that at 5-foot-7 she’s too short to be a runway model. There are plenty of candidates for the contestant most likely to be accused of having an eating disorder, but Norelle Van Herk and Amanda Swafford seem like the top targets.

Set to premiere on Sept. 22, this is the first of two installments of “America’s Next Top Model” scheduled for this season. UPN has built much of its lineup around the Tyra Banks-hosted series in its quest to attract young female viewers.

‘Great Champ’ faces new lawsuit

Fox has survived one lawsuit over its boxing reality series “The Next Great Champ.” Now the show’s producers are being hauled back into court.

An independent producer named Leigh Ann Burton is claiming boxer Oscar De La Hoya and his company, Golden Boy Promotions, stole her idea for a boxing show after she met with them last fall. Fox is not named in her suit.

NBC, DreamWorks TV and producer Mark Burnett have also said “Champ” is a ripoff of their show, “The Contender,” which is set to debut in November. Their request to block the Fox show’s Sept. 7 premiere – they alleged Fox engaged in unfair business practices by staging unsanctioned fights – was dismissed by a judge last week.

Burton claims in her suit that she registered a concept for a boxing show with the Writers Guild of America in September 2003, according to several news reports. She says she met with De La Hoya and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer a few weeks after that to pitch the idea.

She worked out a production agreement with another company, “Next Action Star” producer GRB Entertainment, in November, according to the suit. As Burton was working on that deal, however, she discovered that Golden Boy was going ahead on “Champ” with Fox and producer Endemol USA (“Fear Factor”), leading her to believe Golden Boy had stolen her idea.

Stephen Espinoza, a lawyer for Golden Boy Promotions, says in a statement that he hasn’t seen Burton’s suit and therefore can’t comment on specific allegations. “However, the public comments from Ms. Burton and her counsel concerning what occurred between the parties is simply not true. Golden Boy Promotions and Mr. Schaefer have done nothing wrong.”

Hughley, sedaris reins ‘Late Late’

Comedians D.L. Hughley and Amy Sedaris are among those who will guest-host “The Late Late Show” while CBS and producer Worldwide Pants search for a permanent replacement for Craig Kilborn.

Michael Ian Black and ESPN/sports radio host Jim Rome will also take turns as host of the late-night show, the Hollywood trade papers report. “The Late Late Show” is currently in reruns; new episodes are scheduled to begin Sept. 20.

Sedaris, the star of Comedy Central’s “Strangers with Candy” and an upcoming feature film based on the show, has frequently been mentioned as a possible replacement for Kilborn because of her connection to “Late Show” host and Worldwide Pants principal David Letterman. She’s been a guest on Letterman’s show several times, and both the “Strangers” series and film are Worldwide Pants productions.

The company also produced the NBC series “Ed,” which co-starred Black. The actor is also known for his commentary on VH1’s “I Love the …” shows.

Hughley, one of the “Original Kings of Comedy,” appeared in the feature film “Soul Plane” earlier this year. He created and starred in the ABC/UPN series “The Hughleys” and has also hosted Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend.”

Rome’s sports-talk radio show is one of most popular in the country, airing on close to 200 stations. He also hosts a weekly talk show on ESPN called “Jim Rome Is Burning.”

Kilborn’s five-year tenure on “The Late Late Show” ended last week after he opted not to seek a renewal of his contract.

WB pulls plug on ‘Studio 7′

The fall season hasn’t even officially started yet, and already a show has been canceled.

The WB has pulled the plug on its unscripted/game-show hybrid “Studio 7” after, appropriately enough, seven episodes. Thursday’s episode will be the show’s last.

“Studio 7” debuted to a miniscule 1.65 million viewers in late July, and its ratings in the 9 p.m. Thursday spot haven’t budged since. While it’s unlikely that any WB show would make a big splash in that timeslot in the coming season – opposite two Top 10 shows in “CSI” and “The Apprentice” – keeping “Studio 7” on the air makes no sense.

Instead, the network will show encores of second-year drama “One Tree Hill” in the timeslot, beginning Sept. 30. A stand-up comedy special from “Blue Collar TV” star Bill Engvall (Sept. 9) and encores of new dramas “Jack & Bobby” (Sept. 16) and “The Mountain” (Sept. 23) will occupy the intervening weeks.

The WB also says it’s moving the premiere of “Drew Carey’s Green Screen Show” back a few weeks, to Oct. 7. The show, which combines improv comedy with computer animation, had been scheduled to debut Sept. 16, but would have faced the premiere of “Survivor: Vanuatu” on that night. New episodes of “Blue Collar TV” will also resume on Oct. 7.

In the meantime, a one-hour “Blue Collar” special, scheduled for Sept. 9, and repeats of the sketch-comedy show will fill The WB’s 8 p.m. Thursday hour.