"Project Runway" Frozen On Catwalk Amid Legal Tangle

LOS ANGELES -- At a time when audiences are shrinking for almost every type of television program, it stands to reason that producers and network executives would do almost anything to keep on the air a series whose audience is actually growing.

Which makes it all the more perplexing that "Project Runway," the popular reality competition in which aspiring fashion designers face off with their clothing creations, should be stuck in a legal quagmire that threatens to keep the show off the air indefinitely. In its first five seasons on the Bravo cable channel, "Project Runway" increased its average audience to 4 million viewers an episode from 1 million an episode, making the most recent season its biggest ever.

But while producers of the show have already shot the design competitions that will make up most of the series's sixth season, those new episodes are unlikely to see the light of day for several months, according to people involved in the case.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Paw1]

Pretty straight forward. Weinstein tried to do an end around and sold the show to Lifetime without honoring the right of first refusal window that NBCU clearly had. Harvey got pissy because NBCU wanted product placement and integration negotiations to go through Ad Sales instead of directly through the production. These placements are worth millions and Weinstein wanted them all for himself. His Lifetime deal would presumably have given him that unfettered access. He got caught. Ultimately, Bravo will produce a copycat, RUNAWAY will be mired in legal hell for many months and fans will have moved on. Bad business all around.

[MsLiz]

My cable company re-arranged the channels about five months ago and I still don't know where Lifetime is . . . I guess there is no need to find out.

[CammyV]

I hope if it moves to LT, they will not change the inherent bitchiness of the show. I'd hate to see it candy-coated.

[crossoverwriter]

Say it aint so... I love the show!
Iron out your differences fast so that we can all continue to have our fashion fix!

[klandish]

If there's a dollar to be made they will.

[notconfindtweenhatnboots]

Ditto.... Once Top Chef is over for the season, I am going to be so Jones-ing for the next season of Project Runway. No imitation is going to do it for me... as Tim Gunn is it!