Yesterday afternoon, we got our first look at the new season of Project Runway — which will premiere on Lifetime TV in August — as new stills from upcoming eps were released by the network. Today, the official Project Runway website has been updated with photos and short bios of the 16 contestants who will be vying for the title of PR champ. Here is our first look at 6 of the new contestants:

OOOOOOH … I’m getting excited now. For the most part thus far, things look very similar to the way Project Runway was presented on Bravo TV. I mean, I know there will be a few changes on the new network (especially with a new production company putting the show together) but I think they are very wise to keep the look and feel of the show as close to the original format that we’ve seen in the first 5 seasons. After the jump, see the photos for the next 10 design contestants …

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »

Last week, Lifetime TV launched the official online presence of the new season of Project Runway, the first for their network, by teasing with a new promo video that I (in all honestly) wasn’t too impressed by. Today, Lifetime releases the official promo poster for the new season of PR along with a few exclusive stills from upcoming episodes of the new season. First up, the poster:

I do love the poster … but it is the stills that are most interesting to me. I love them … and I think longtime fans of Project Runway will love them as well. After the jump, check them out …

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »

Lifetime TV, in preparation for the premiere of the new season of Project Runway (the first for their network), has launched the new official web site for PR. In addition, the site lists the urls for the official Project Runway Twitter account and Facebook page. Here is a new promo image for the show:

The site also features a new promo video for the show which attempts to hype up fans for the show … but IMHO, falls well off the mark. The video features “regular people” talking about how much they love the show and only features brief appearances by hosts Heidi Klum and Time Gunn. There are NO appearances by any of the contestants or any footage from the upcoming season. It’s not a great promo video, in my estimation, but something is better than nothing I suppose. After the jump, check out the promo video in full and judge for yourselves …

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »

Huzzah!! Lifetime TV has issued a press release announcing that the 6th season of Project Runway (the first for their network) will debut on August 20 at 10PM, approximately one year after the show was filmed here in LA. As you are prolly well aware, The Weinstein Company tried to move the series to Lifetime last year and went ahead with the filming of the 6th season even tho a court was reviewing the legality of the move. The entire 6th season was cast, filmed and completed before a settlement agreement between the Weinsteins and NBC Universal (Bravo TV’s parent company which filed suit in the first place) could be reached. Now that Lifetime has the greenlight to air the series, they have announced the premiere date. Here is the full text of the latest press release from Lifetime:

Lifetime Television sews up the summer with the highly anticipated Emmy®-nominated and Peabody® Award-winning hit series Project Runway, premiering on Thursday, August 20, at 10PM ET/PT. Produced by The Weinstein Company, Miramax Films, Bunim-Murray Productions and Full Picture Productions, host Heidi Klum, mentor Tim Gunn and judges Michael Kors (leading fashion designer) and Nina Garcia (fashion director of Marie Claire magazine), will guide sixteen new contestants as they show off their design skills to see who makes the cut for Fashion Week. Filmed in Los Angeles and New York, Project Runway also features influential guest judges from the worlds of fashion, music, film and television. “I am a huge fan of Project Runway and could not be happier that Season Six will be premiering on Lifetime, the #1 network for women,” said Andrea Wong, President and CEO, Lifetime Networks. “The talent in this all-new season is nothing short of amazing, and I can’t wait for all of the fans to see the incredible work of these brilliant designers.” Models of the Runway, an exciting new companion series, will air at 11:00PM ET/PT, beginning August 20, immediately following Project Runway. Each 30-minute episode will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the reality competition – from the models’ perspective. Viewers can experience the drama, anxiety, joys, tears and frustrations as the models themselves face elimination each week and compete for a cash prize and photo spread in Marie Claire magazine.

At last, we have a date to look forward to. I’m not entirely sure why Lifetime is waiting so long to air the series tho. I understand that filming of the 6th season began late last Summer so an August air date would be about one year since the show was filmed … in the world of fashion, that’s a lifetime (pardon the pun). I’m sure there are many logistics involved but it would make more sense to me to get the show on the air as soon as possible while filming the next season for air as soon as possible. Bravo ended up airing 3 seasons of PR all in the same year … that’s the smart way to do it. But, no matter, August 20 it is … so we must wait. I just hope the delay doesn’t end up hurting the show. It already has so many strikes against it, I don’t know that it needs another. We shall see.

[Source]

Altho the fully completed sixth season of Project Runway has yet to see the light of day, Bunim-Murray productions (the same production company that created The Real World and is now in charge of producing the Lifetime TV version of PR) has posted information on their official website about the season 7 casting. As you may recall, the Weinstein Company (which owns Project Runway) reached a settlement agreement earlier this month with NBC Universal (the parent company of Bravo TV, PR’s former network home) to let the show make the move to Lifetime. Unfortch, the settlement came after the entirety of season 6 was filmed and fully completed. It remains to be seen when/if that season will air on television … but progress waits for no one. Casting for season 7 is now underway:

Project Runway is now casting for Season 7!!! Have what it takes to show your stuff at New York fashion week? This is your chance! The minimum age to apply for the show is 21. Project Runway will be holding invite only calls in the following cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and Seattle If you can get to one of the cities listed above, please fill out the application (Download) and follow all directions that are on it. The deadline for us to receive applications is April 24th, so there is no time to waste. Fill out the application and get us all of your info NOW! Questions? Send your e-mails to prcasting@bunim-murray.com.

See our FAQS for information on how to make an audition tape. We prefer submissions on VHS and VHS C, but we will also accept Mini-DV, Hi-8, and DVD. If you submit on DVD, it must be a full-size DVD, NOT a mini-DVD.

The application for Project Runway is 20 pages long, is due by next week and can be downloaded HERE … interested folks should get crackin’ if they hope to make it on the show. I’m encouraged that production on the next season is getting started … now, if we could just find out when season 6 of Project Runway will air on TV, I’d be all set. I really hope that Lifetime doesn’t drop the ball on this series. Now that they can legally air the show, I don’t know what they are waiting for … air the damn thing already. Making Project Runway fans wait any longer than they have to for new stuff is not a good way to win the favor of the fanbase.

In other Project Runway-related news, former contestant and season 5 loser Kenley Collins’s day of reckoning has finally come to pass. As you may recall, Kenley was recently arrested for assaulting her ex-fiancée Zac Penley with various items (including a cat) after the couple argued or something (Penley was sleeping when he was allegedly assaulted by Kenley). After the jump, find out Kenley’s fate and learn what punishment she was handed for her alleged felonious feline crime …

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »

Great news … which better NOT turn out to be a cruel April Fool’s joke. I just received word from NBC that the disputing parties whose legal wrangling has kept Project Runway off the air have reached a settlement in the case — which means the show is finally free to return to the TV airwaves. Here is the full text of the statement that has just been released by NBC Universal:

NBC Universal, The Weinstein Company and Lifetime have resolved their disputes. The Weinstein Company will pay NBCU for the right to move Project Runway to Lifetime. All of the parties are pleased with the outcome. Harvey Weinstein added, “I want to personally congratulate Jeff Zucker and NBCU on their success in the litigation and thank Jeff for resolving this in a professional manner. We look forward to working together on our ongoing projects.”

I realize that in my excitement and in my haste to pass along this information I could be falling for the cruelest of pranks but the statement was sent to me by an NBC Universal employee and I can’t (well, don’t wanna) believe that something like this would be used as a joke. I will update with any news from confirming sources as soon as I can. I have to believe that this matter has finally been resolved ‘cuz I am dying for another season of Project Runway. It remains to be seen when we will be able to see the show on the air again but I’m crossing my fingers that it will be soon. We shall see.

UPDATE: The LA Times confirms the story, the disputing parties have settled to let Project Runway make the move to Lifetime:

According to a statement issued by NBC Universal today, the dispute is over because the Weinstein Company has agreed to pay NBCU for the right to move the popular reality series to Lifetime. “All of the parties are pleased with the outcome,” NBC Universal said in a statement. Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of the Weinstein Company, added: “I want to personally congratulate Jeff Zucker and NBCU on their success in the litigation and thank Jeff for resolving this in a professional manner. We look forward to working together on our ongoing projects” … Andrea Wong, president and CEO of Lifetime Networks, who fought hard to land the show, issued the following statement: “I couldn’t be more excited that Lifetime will bring its viewers an amazing, all-new season of ‘Project Runway’ this summer. As the highest-rated cable network for women, Lifetime is the perfect home for this outstanding program as well as its companion series Models of the Runway. All of us at Lifetime are thrilled to move forward with Heidi, Tim, Nina, Michael, The Weinstein Company and the entire ‘Project Runway’ team. We are proud to add these shows to our growing slate of original programming, including the hit series ‘Army Wives’, the all-new upcoming series Drop Dead Diva and our top-rated original movies. Weinstein also added the following: “We’re thrilled to be launching our relationship with Lifetime with this groundbreaking cable deal that includes the next 5 years of ‘Project Runway,’ our new spin-off show ‘Models of the Runway’ and the development of ‘Project Pygmalion,’ along with a package of our movies. With these upcoming shows and the success of our new series ‘The No. 1Ladies Detective Agency’ on HBO, we are very excited about the continued growth of The Weinstein Co’s television division. We are also looking forward to working with NBC Universal on the upcoming theatrical release of ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and the continued development of other projects together.”

YIPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! BEST.NEWS.EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOT!

[Source]

Earlier today, we learned from Heidi Klum that the 6th season of her competitive reality TV series Project Runway is in a place of limbo since legal matters are keeping the show off the air. That said, the 6th season was still filmed and the Finale Fashion Show took place inside The Tent at Bryant Park to close out NY Fashion Week earlier today. Here are a few photos of Heidi and her PR cohorts Nina Garcia, Tim Gunn and Michael Kors at this morning’s Project Runway Season 6 Finale Fashion Show:

Whoa! Open-mouth kissing between Heidi and Tim!

What the heck is going on there you two?! HMMM??? Because the show was taped for eventual air (hopefully), the final 3 designers were not allowed to come out on stage to show their faces … their final collections had to do all the talking for them. And so … I’ve selected a few pieces from the show to post behind the cut for those of you interested in taking a peek. After all, who knows how long we’re gonna have to wait to see the show on TV. After the jump, check out some pieces from this morning’s PR Finale show …

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »