Tiara sales soar as 3 beauty pageant reality programs air this mid-season. One of them, TLC's Miss America: Reality Check could be the series to put reality back in reality TV.

The first of the three series slouched its way into the popular culture on CW immediately following the America's Next Top Model 9 finale on November 25th. Within hours of the end of the premier of Crowned: The Mother of all Beauty Pageants, possibly the worst reality show ever, the casting call for season 2 was issued. The show was heavily promoted and had a huge lead-in thanks to Tyra and company, so one can understand that the overnights for episode 1 were probably good. And the show did have a train wreck quality that made it hard to look away. But the only real chance for success this group of brittle women (and the cheesiest studio set this side of Plan 9 From Outer Space) have is so-bad-its-good cult hit status. Mother-daughter teams in the opener included the Red-Haired and the Blonde Bombshells. The Blondes (best line: "like, we made it up first 'cause we're blonde") were eliminated because they did not know that the label did not mean a beautiful, intelligent woman with blonde hair. Another team is calling itself Silent But Deadly (no, I'm not kidding) because they are watching the competition closely, while a fourth chose Skin Deep because they think it means their beauty is deeply rooted. You could not make this stuff up.

Coming in February on ABC Family is America's Prom Queen. Deadline for applications was December 19th, and 4 cities held open calls earlier in the month. They were looking for girls between 18 and 20, "who will compete to be crowned the nation's prom queen and for the chance to win an awesome prize package. The producers are looking for all walks of life; big personality and charisma a must. Whether you are a reigning prom queen, cheerleader, marching band member, athlete, valedictorian, shy or new kid, popular or unpopular - if your dream is to be crowned prom queen at television's most amazing prom ever, this is your chance!"

In between Crowned and America's Prom Queen, TLC will premier a series with the potential to take the Emmy away from The Amazing Race.

Miss America: Reality Check premiers on TLC on Friday, January 4th at 10. It airs on four consecutive Friday nights in the same slot, with the final broadcast the night before the live two-hour broadcast of the 2008 Miss America Pageant from Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on Saturday, January 26th at 8, ET.

A four-part series following 52 contestants, all living under the same roof, as they prepare to compete in a beauty pageant is going to be compelling viewing, no matter what the context - hopefully visions of Robert Altman danced in the eyes of the series creators. To do this as the lead-in to the actual 2008 Miss America Pageant as the series finale - genius.

And oh, the pillow fights.