Reality series due at midseason

LOS ANGELES -- Burlesque performers-turned-pop stars the Pussycat Dolls are looking for a new addition to their litter. The CW is looking for midseason programming. You see where this is going, don't cha?

The new network has joined forces with the platinum-selling group to launch "The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll," a reality series whose title is pretty self-explanatory. The eight-episode show, whose executive producers include Ken Mok ("America's Next Top Model") and McG ("Supernatural," "Charlie's Angels"), will likely get a midseason spot. Casting calls will be announced in the near future.

"At its core, this show goes beyond just finding a new Pussycat Doll; it's about female empowerment, self-discovery and personal transformation," CW Entertainment boss Dawn Ostroff says. "The CW's 18-to-34-year-old viewers recognize that fame and fortune are within their reach, and this series gives one lucky young woman her big break to join one of today's most popular musical groups, the Pussycat Dolls."

Contestants in the show will be guided by Dolls creator Robin Antin, who will put them through a series of tests designed to measure their vocal ability, dance skills and "sheer self-confidence," occasionally before a live audience. The six current Dolls will also take part in the series.

The winner will become the seventh Pussycat Doll and get a chance to share in the group's success. The Dolls' debut album, "PCD," has sold some 1.8 million copies in the United States and spawned the hit singles "Don't Cha," "Stickwitu" and "Buttons."

Mok and McG will executive produce the show with Antin, her brother Steven Antin ("Young Americans") and Jimmy Iovine, the head of the Dolls' record label, Interscope A&M.