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Ok … try not to panic. Well … try not to panic too much. Variety is reporting that Bunim-Murray Productions (the folks who brought us The Real World & Road Rules for MTV and, more recently, Living Lohan for E!) is “close to signing on as producers” for the upcoming sixth season of Project Runway when it debuts on its new network (Lifetime) this November. This isn’t necessarily the most horrible news ever … but it is disheartening that such a drastic change may completely destroy the best competitive reality TV show to ever exist … which, come to think of it, would be the most horrible news ever:

Bunim-Murray is close to signing on as the new producers behind “Project Runway.” The “Real World” producer has been in talks with The Weinstein Co. for weeks about taking over the gig in time for the hit reality show’s sixth season – and first on Lifetime. Magical Elves, which originated the show for the Weinsteins (and their former Miramax label) at Bravo, recently sealed a production deal with NBC Universal (Daily Variety, May 5). Because of their commitment there, they won’t be making the move to Lifetime (where the show bows in November). Bunim-Murray is no stranger to Lifetime, having recently produced “America’s Psychic Challenge” for the cabler. Company’s other recent credits include E!’s “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and “Living Lohan.” It also produces “Bad Girls Club” for Oxygen. In choosing Bunim-Murray to take over the franchise, Weinstein Co. and Lifetime went with a company that knows the reality space well – having produced 21 seasons of “The Real World.” In the competition space, its credits include the music shows “Making the Band” and “Born to Diva” … Beyond the production company shift, “Project Runway” already promises to look dramatically different on Lifetime – which shelled out $150 to snag the show – as it’s shifting production from New York to Los Angeles. The faces aren’t changing, however: Host Heidi Klum, mentor Tim Gunn and judges Michael Kors and Nina Garcia are all signed to return … “Project Runway’s” fifth and final season on Bravo, set to air this summer, will be the last under the auspices of Magical Elves.

On the plus side, Bunim-Murry Productions are responsible for arguably the first reality TV show in existence (many people, me included, contend that the first season of The Real World heralded the birth of the genre) which proves they have much experience. Then again, that show has kinda lost its edge and has taken a turn for the worse in recent years (I think it started getting bad when the show went to Hawaii and went straight into the toilet when it went to Las Vegas — something that they’ve done twice already). If they put the designers in confessionals, I’m out. I swear, I’ll be done with the show. I’m trying to stay as positive as I can but the thought of so much change really has me worried. Pretty much everyone thinks that a new production company and a new network is going to kill the show. I hope and pray that those people are wrong … but my worry alert level has just been upped to HIGH.

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