TLC To Air "Miss America: Countdown To The Crown" Reality Series

December 1, 2008 9:19 p.m. EST

Las Vegas, NV (CNS) - The 2009 Miss America Pageant promises to be filled with all of the pageant glitz and glamour fans have become accustomed to, but this year the network hosting the pageant has thrown in a new twist. TLC will hold a four-part reality series called "Miss America: Countdown To The Crown" prior to the pageant.

Celebrity News Service has learned that the four-part TLC series will capture the excitement of the pageant as the 52 Miss America contestants live together and face off in challenges that help them better prepare for the iconic pageant.

Each one-hour episode, hosted by Tyler Harcott, will follow the contestants as they navigate through a series of team and individual competitions that will help them prepare for the pageant and prove they have what it takes to be a modern-day Miss America. This year, the stakes are higher than ever -- viewers at home will have the power to vote four contestants directly into the pageant's Top 15.

Tune in starting Friday, January 2, at 10/9c as the 52 contestants compete to have their ultimate crowning moment.

The 2009 Miss America pageant will air live from Las Vegas on January 24