Las Vegas Weekly

January 22, 2009 · 12:09 PM

Miss America falls in love with Las Vegas and hopes for at least six more years

By Robin Leach

From left, Miss America Organization President and CEO Art McMaster, TLC's Brent Zacky and Miss America Organization Chairman Sam Haskell III.

Photo: TVT

It’s definite that the Miss America Pageant will return to Planet Hollywood here in Las Vegas next January. It’s also definite that the spectacular will again be broadcast live on TLC. And if Miss America officials roll the right dice in their partnerships with Planet Hollywood, TLC and the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, they are ready to call Vegas home for five more years through to 2015!

Vegas DeLuxe learned the hoped-for timeline when I chatted with Miss America Organization Chairman Sam Haskell. Sam told me: “This is now our fourth year at Planet Hollywood, and the move to Vegas re-energized us after 80 years in Atlantic City. Television now takes our message to a worldwide audience, and that is the principal part that reinvigorated us. We have been re-polishing what became a tarnished brand, and I’m pleased to report the crown is shining bright again since we’ve been in Vegas.

“We hope to continue for a long time with all our Vegas partners. We love Vegas. The contestants and their families love Vegas. It brings a contemporary excitement to the entire pageant.”

I also chatted with Brent Zacky, TLC’s programming development guru. Brent told me: “We’re excited in our second year to be building on the success of what we began last year. This broadcast will be in HD, and we’ve already ramped up the production values.

“Last year, we had 3 million viewers for the initial broadcast, which were the best ratings in three years. Our ratings for our ongoing Countdown to the Crown reality series have matched or beaten the time period, so we are optimistic we will do even better this year. Miss America is a valued asset of TLC, and as such we spend a lot of money ensuring it’s a fantastic show because it’s so expensive!

“For the first time in six years, we have a production number to open the show. For the first time, we have TV viewers across America voting four women they choose from the reality show to be on stage in the final 15. For the first time also, we are back with the Top 10 performing their talent skills. If the critics say that’s a nod to American Idol or Dancing With the Stars, so be it, but for our contestants, it’s pure competition.

“We know that Miss America stands for tradition, and we know that we had to ratchet up its excitement for today’s TV audience with a reality show. But we were aware we didn’t want to be mean or vicious or overly salacious as we struggled to find the right basis. That’s not what TLC is about anyway. We think the natural tension builds through the competition as we put the contestants through their paces, both on the reality show and in the pageant itself.

“We have the classic Miss America parade of the states to kick off an exciting night but done in a very contemporary manner with high-energy music and dancing. And if we get host Mario Lopez into rehearsals, he should be dancing with them, too! It will certainly be sleek and contemporary, plus we have a few other tricks up our sleeves that I’m not going to spoil the surprise by telling you in advance.

“But we maintain the tradition and history of 88 years. We recognize there have only been 88 women in history who have held this title, so we are going to feature them through the course of the show.”

Saturday’s Miss America Pageant also will serve as the launching pad of a new TLC fashion pilot Making Over America With Trinny & Susannah. They are the British hosts of our stateside version of What Not to Wear. TLC officials hope to launch the new series this spring.

Said Brent: “Our premiere show this weekend is a Cinderella story of a woman working in a diner and how she is changed to shine as somebody very special with her customers, friends and family. They, too, are changed!

“It’s very much the Miss America story of a woman whose life is changed and goes on to change others and the world around her. We very much like that kind of television.”

Share This