PROJECT RUNWAY, airing on Bravo, premieres it's third season in July. Hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum and fashion expert Tim Gunn, PROJECT RUNWAY is unique when it comes to Reality Competition programs.
First, Bravo has produced PROJECT RUNWAY in a way that strips it of the usual "trashy reality show" stigma. While a show about fashion could easily have gone the way of unnecessary sex and attempted to appeal to the male libido instead of serious fashion connoisseurs, it hasn't, treating the subject matter with the seriousness and professionalism it deserves. This isn't to say PROJECT RUNWAY is like a Ken Burns documentary, it isn't. The challenges are fun and interesting, and, like anything of worth, Project Runway doesn't take itself too seriously. But it's not like Temptation Island, either.
Second, Bravo has chosen a decidedly different route when it comes to the selection of its contestants than most shows of a similar ilk. The designers vying for the PROJECT RUNWAY championship aren't amateurs, and they aren't all young and attractive. These are real professionals, all with experience and all successful fashion mavens in some way or another. As a result, Bravo has created a show whose appeal isn't in the humiliation of amateurs, a la the auditions on American Idol. The competition is real and significant, between diverse talents who truly deserve the showcase of a nationally televised show.
Sadly, PROJECT RUNWAY isn't the type of program that would thrive on network TV; it is (and it's a little weird to say this for a show about fashion) far too sophisticated. What isn't sad is the success PROJECT RUNWAY has found on Bravo and the recognition it has so deservedly received. PROJECT RUNWAY is Bravo's highest rated show since "Queer Eye for The Straight Guy" and has garnered immense amounts of critical acclaim. For the second year in a row, PROJECT RUNWAY has received an Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Reality-Competition category, placing it against such reality stalwarts as "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race".
Mostly, it's nice to see such quality programming achieve the recognition it deserves.
-Oscar Dahl
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