The Model Agency

8:30pm – Wednesday, June 6 on ABC2

In the final episode, tough decisions are being made as the agency decides to drop some of the models currently on its books; new girls Abbie and India-Madeleine face some home truths; and Carole talks candidly about her experience at the Hague trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor and her relationship with Naomi Campbell.

Abbie is struggling to find work and visits Annie to discuss the situation.

At the show castings, Abbie finds the reality of modelling tough – long queues of girls and a boring wait are the opposite of glamour and she’s becoming disillusioned by the rejections. Meanwhile, walk-in India-Madeleine makes a strong impression. New girls have to be snapped up quickly before other model scouts move in. But being signed is just the first step. Both Abbie and India-Madeleine will need to work hard, deal with criticism about their appearance, and invest time and money if they want to make it in the business.

As new models are brought into the agency, Carole decides to call time on some of the models who have been less successful. It is a harsh process, and for many of the girls this will be the end of their career with Premier. Tensions rise as the bookers defend their girls. Sissy attacks Carole for her ruthless attitude, while Carole is quick to remind them that this is a business and she’s not prepared to keep girls on the books who aren’t delivering.

In August 2010 Carole and Naomi Campbell were called as witnesses in the war crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor. Chris, Carole and Sissy talk about the impact that Naomi Campbell had on their business and personal lives – a relationship that ended in a commercial dispute.

8:30pm – Wednesday, May 30 on ABC2

In this week’s episode, the agency changes gear after the chaos of London Fashion Week, preparing to hype their new girl Leomie through the final chapter of Paris and then on to booking her first major magazine shoot, which could lead to big money in future high profile campaigns.

As Annie, Anthony and Aidan get behind their girl, an unexpected drama unfolds when world famous photographer Mario Testino asks to meet Premier’s other ‘new face’, India, for a possible campaign for Burberry. There’s only one problem – India had decided to turn her back on modelling when she was in New York at the beginning of Show Season. Desperate for India not to miss out on this dream opportunity, Annie works to persuade her to go for the Burberry job, but a series of obstacles are in the way, leading to bitter disappointment for Premier and doubts hanging in the air about whether India will ever come back to modelling.

Meanwhile, Leomie begins to realise the success that Premier had predicted for her – taking it all in her stride but excited about what her future holds. She becomes the toast of Paris, opening one of the top shows and booking her first major fashion shoot for Italian Vogue, setting her on a path to potentially lifechanging riches.

8:30pm – Wednesday, May 23 on ABC2

This week the agency is filled with showgirls from all over the world flown in especially for London Fashion Week. The pressure mounts and tempers fray as the bookers work day and night to get the girls in from New York, and out to up to 20 castings a day, spread out all over London, before finding out who’s booked who for which shows. Getting the girls on the top shows is vital for the agency’s prestige and the onus is on the bookers to beat their rivals.

Managing the girls’ often volatile tempers is a vital part of show booking. In this episode, the bookers are tested when the behaviour of a 17-year-old Ukrainian girl leads to an explosive face off with senior booker Aidan, and the bookers go into high alert when non-English speaking Japanese model Coco, gets lost alone in the middle of the night. Not only are there dramas for the bookers but their bright new hope, Leomie, is exhausted and tearful when she learns that she has to miss her first two weeks of college in order to continue her catwalk career.

Back in the agency, the bookers continue to bond over the madness of long days and nights, and Aidan and Sissy begin to talk about their romance. As Fashion Week comes to an end, the agency concludes its most successful show week ever. As the bookers and models celebrate, Leomie is poised to break through, coming one step closer to the big money that comes from booking a major campaign after the whirlwind of Show Season is over.

8:30pm – Wednesday, May 16 on ABC2

After last week’s showdown between Carole and Chris over commercial booker John’s walkout, John returns to the office to talk it out with his bosses, but not without more upset, misunderstanding and a well needed t�te-�-t�te down at the local pub to get to the bottom of the problem.

Meanwhile, it’s Men’s Day in London Fashion Week, and the pressure shifts over to the Men’s Division – Christophe and Sadaf. The boys are often less confident than the girls, and as well as handling them through hangovers and relationship breakdowns, Christophe and Sadaf spend their days encouraging their handsome, but typically teenage, male models out to castings and shows.

One model in particular causes a crisis for Sadaf when he fails to arrive until ten minutes before a catwalk is due to begin, leaving her panicked and red-faced on the phone to the organisers. Sadaf takes him to task for his lack of commitment and they have a frank discussion about whether he wants to continue his career as a model when he reveals he struggles to deal with the rejection he faces every day as a model.

Carole and the main table carry on with business as usual – from John settling back in and preparing for a big client’s celebrity charity ball, to Paul wearing a net Dior suit bag on his head while on the phones, and the bookers jibe Carole that she doesn’t like giving praise: as she admits, ‘I always want more’.

8:30pm – Wednesday, May 9 on ABC2

Madness has set in as the agency faces long hours during London Fashion Week, and the bookers become increasingly tired and sensitive.

Tensions are rising between the editorial bookers who have Fashion Week to contend with, and commercial booker John, who doesn’t work on the shows. Sleep-deprivation is clearly taking its toll as the staff resort to comparing their own head measurements to get through a long evening.

The gruelling schedule of castings, fittings and shows is affecting the models too. Top Australian model Julia Nobis arrives at the office for the London shows, already exhausted from New York Fashion Week.

Julia has had no sleep and it is the agency’s job to encourage her to rest and eat, as she works through an incredibly successful week, getting booked on more and more shows.

Meanwhile, things are kicking off amongst the agency staff, as commercial John walks out of the office in frustration. The atmosphere continues to heat up as the agency bosses, brother and sister Chris and Carole, get into discussions on how to deal with his absence.

John’s friend and fellow booker Sophie tries to smooth the situation between John and Carole but before long, exhausted from a week of long and stressful days, an explosive row erupts between Chris and Carole over how they should deal with John.

With the agency at the height of Show Season – frenzied with models, bookings and late nights – showdowns in the office are proving the ultimate test for Premier.

8:30pm – Wednesday, May 2 on ABC2

Carole and Head of New Faces, Annie, are in New York meeting agencies to find out who the new, hottest models are. There, they will negotiate and ‘trade’ some of their own models to have the best girls from New York on Premier’s books, and have them flown to the UK for London Fashion Week. Leomie, one of Premier’s rising starts, is also followed in New York as she goes from casting to catwalk, landing some of the biggest shows for New York Fashion Week, and beginning to realise her incredible potential.

Back at Premier, there’s tension between commercial booker John, his fellow editorial bookers, and his boss. Issues are arising around whether the editorial, more high-end prestige bookings, are taking precedence over the less edgy, but much more lucrative side of the agency.

Carole and Annie return to prepare for London Fashion Week and go over which New York girls will be managed by which bookers. They have found a selection of commercial ‘money’ girls for John, but there is no guarantee he will find them suitable.

8:30pm – Wednesday, April 25 on ABC2

The Model Agency is a seven-part observational documentary series that reveals the business of beauty through the most exceptional and aspirational of industries – modelling. With unprecedented access to the world-renowned London model agency Premier Model Management, this series reveals what really goes on behind the scenes in this glamorous industry.

Founded in 1981 by Carole White and her brother Chris Owen, Premier Model Management is a global brand itself that has discovered and nurtured some of the world’s most famous models including Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford.

Entertaining, powerful and pioneering, Carole and Chris are a formidable team who are unapologetic in their pursuit of perfection. Through their eyes and their business, the series shows what it really takes to survive and thrive in the brutally competitive business of model agencies.

In episode one Premier Model Management are beginning one of their busiest periods – the September Show Season, kicked off, as every season, with New York Fashion Week. Business for the bookers means organising their models for shoots, catwalk shows, castings, as well as the day-to-day running of the agency and liaising with ‘walk-ins’, models’ parents, scouts, foreign agents, designers and photographers.

The shows in New York, London, Paris and Milan are where the best emerging models – or ‘new faces’ – are launched, and they are vital to the agency. Rumours are rippling through the office that one of the young models, India, is showing signs she is overwhelmed ahead of the New York shows and is beginning to question if modelling is right for her. India is one of Premier’s most anticipated girls and set to launch a huge career. Head of New Faces, Annie, is anxious to protect her fledgling and wants to ensure India avoids making a snap decision. This could not only jeopardise the young girl’s future as a model, but also the years of hard work and preparation invested in her by Premier.