Miss America goes Hollywood

85 years of tradition were broken when ABC gave the boot to the Miss America Pageant following the 2004 show's poor ratings. The pageant was picked up by CMT, but ratings did not improve, as viewers grew tired of the aging traditional format. But an idea has been proposed that may work to save the pageant from further obscurity.

The Miss America Organization announced Monday that it would tape a seven-episode documentary series in Los Angeles. "Finding Miss America," to be filmed from Sept. 5 to Sept. 13, will show the experiences of the 52 preliminary contestants. Viewers will also get a chance to choose the contestants advancing to the top 15.

In the new show's format, certain parts of the competition will be held in various locations on different days, a setup which will ensure that ratings "are going to go through the roof," said pageant CEO Art McMaster.

The next pageant's location has yet to be named, although several cities have offered propositions.