After eight seasons, or cycles, Tyra Banks has purveyed her talent-driven reality series, "America's Next Top Model," into a
sleeper hit among TV's unscripted offerings.

But while typical reality fare yields a winner who walks away with a million dollars, a new house, or a gig with The Donald, the spoils of "ANTM" modeling contracts and a magazine spread are less tangible.

And so the debut of the ninth cycle on Wednesday raises the question: What keeps viewers' interest through round after round of competition among wannabe models?

"I think people relate to the girls because they're normal," said casting director Michelle Mock-Falcon. "People come in to audition and talk about Season 1. And a lot of them relate to [Season 2 contestant] Shandi, and say, 'If she can do it, I can do it too.' "

When it comes to selecting contestants, the process is daunting, with hopefuls numbering in the tens of thousands.

"The first thing we have to do is see that the applicants are credible as models," Mock-Falcon said.

Mock-Falcon personally visits eight to 10 cities, while the casting department scours towns big and small across the country for fresh faces.