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Judge Says Project Runway Can't Move to Lifetime

BuzzSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:01:55 -0700

Don't expect to see Project Runway on Lifetime anytime soon. Today, a judge ruled in NBC's favor and blocked the show's move from Bravo to Lifetime. According to an NBC statement:

The overwhelming evidence demonstrated that The Weinstein Company violated NBC Universal's right of first refusal to future cycles of Project Runway. After hearing all of the evidence, the court issued an order prohibiting The Weinstein Company from taking the show or any spinoff to Lifetime.

No statement from Lifetime yet, but I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, it's unclear what this means for any future seasons of Project Runway on Bravo. The last report from Lifetime was that casting had been done for season six with new producers Bunim/Murray, and the show would start airing in January.

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Project Runway's Producers Stick With NBC, Not Lifetime

BuzzSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:39:39 -0700

Lifetime stole Project Runway from NBC - so now, NBC has stolen back the show's producers. Magical Elves, the team behind Runway, Top Chef, and Step It Up and Dance, has just signed a deal with NBC that gives the network and its cable channels the first shot at any projects the company develops. The producers can also work on existing NBC projects.

So, if Project Runway does indeed make the move to Lifetime this Fall (a decision that's still being challenged in court), it will have a new production team. Not sure what that means? Well, consider the difference between Runway and, say, the first season of Top Design, which largely fell flat. The producers are responsible for the entire feel of the show - which is making Lifetime's claim that they'd deliver the same Runway we know and love seem a little doubtful.

Meanwhile, there have been reports of other changes on the Lifetime version of the show, including the news that the show will film part of its sixth season in LA and a new rumor that Marie Claire could replace Elle as the show's magazine partner. I'm not saying change is bad - shows can start to get a little stale after five seasons or so - but I don't think I'd want to see Runway be drastically reimagined. Color me officially worried. How about you?

Meanwhile, season five of Runway is still set to air this Summer on Bravo, so we might be all worn out by the time Lifetime finally gets its crack at the show anyway. Too much of a good thing?

NBC and Source

SJP Pitches Reality Show for Artists

BuzzSugar — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:32:31 -0800

Apparently, guest-starring on Project Runway wasn't enough reality TV for Sarah Jessica Parker. Fresh off her judging stint on that show, she's teamed up with Runway's producers to pitch a reality competition show about artists.

The show, which doesn't have a title yet, would find 12 artists facing off in challenges to create art in various forms - "from painting and photography to sculpting and interior design," according to Variety. Artists would rate each other's work and be brought before a panel of expert judges. SJP herself is expected to remain mostly behind the scenes, though the producers say it's not impossible that she'd appear on camera.

Art seems a little obscure for a reality show, but - as one of the producers pointed out in the Variety story - I suppose I would have said the same thing about fashion before ProjRun came along. Do you think you'd be interested in watching this show? And does SJP have enough art-world cred to pull it off?

Source