Fox and Donald Trump are developing “Lady or a Tramp,” a reality-competition series in which girls in love with the party life will be sent to a charm school where they will receive a stern course on debutante manners. Trump will exec produce the show and possibly come on air to evaluate contestants’ progress, insiders said.
RDF USA will produce the show, with chief exec Chris Coelen and exec veep of development Greg Goldman, Bruce Toms (“Nanny 911”) and Trump Prods. prexy Andy Litinsky joining Trump as exec producers.
If the show gets greenlit, it could be on the air as early as midseason.
Series, which will combine the competition and self-improvement aspects of reality television with the sizzle of the tabloids, is an adaptation of the British series “Ladette to Lady.”
On that show, party girls are sent to the U.K. charm school Eggleston Hall, where they are taught “how to go from throwing a kegger to throwing a tea party,” Goldman quipped.
Girls are required to wear tweed skirts and pearl necklaces, and taught the finer points of skills like flower arranging and needlework.
Contestants then face challenges in those areas, with one girl expelled from the school at the end of each episode.
“Tramp” will follow a similar format and also show ample footage of the girls partying.
Execs haven’t yet decided whether to shoot at the same school in the U.K. or at another location.
Trump has made self-improvement a goal of his series “The Apprentice,” while party girls have been a staple of cable, with shows about them on MTV and Oxygen. Of course Fox’s “The Simple Life” was originally intended to administer a slice of humble pie to party girls Nicole Richie and Hilton.
“We are all sick and tired of the glamorization of these out-of-control young women, so I have taken it upon myself to do something about it,” Trump said. “I am creating a real-life version of ‘My Fair Lady’ with my company Trump Productions. This show is all about getting a second chance and transforming for the better; the idea is genius and the show will be huge.”
Those involved with “Tramp” also said they hoped the show would tap into the stories that have captivated the tabloids and cable news. “A few months ago, Britney had just shaved her head, and the idea was timely,” Coelen said. “Now, with all this craziness with Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, it’s even more timely.”
Though the show is still in development, casting for the girls is under way. A casting notice described potential contestants as “rude and crude party girls” and as “younger women who are 18-30, love to party and full of attitude.”
