Without question, Project Runway [1] is Bravo's biggest hit. So it's nothing short of shocking that come this Fall, the show's going to be airing on Lifetime instead [2].

Yup, the show that helped make Bravo a household name is jumping ship, with a new season set to begin airing in November on Lifetime. According to Lifetime's press release [3], the move is part of a deal that will give the show a home on Lifetime for the next five years.

A couple of curious things:

• The press release talks about Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn moving along with the show, but there's nary a mention of Michael Kors or Nina Garcia.
• The press release is all about the sixth season starting in November. What will happen to season five, which Bravo apparently has the rights to air? Will Bravo somehow squeeze in another season before the jump? Or could both Bravo and Lifetime's versions of the show air at the same time, as one writer speculates [4]? Open auditions were already being held in New York [5] over the weekend
• Will this actually hold up? NBC has filed a lawsuit [6] to try to stop the move, which the Lifetime statement acknowledges.

What a coup for Lifetime — and what a loss for Bravo! What do you make of the news? Do you care where the show airs, just as long as it's on? And would you be bummed if Kors and Garcia were done on Runway?

Photo courtesy of Bravo [7]