Just a few days ago, Nina Garcia and Michael Kors refused to confirm or deny their involvement with the fifth season of Project Runway. The show announced their premiere date, July 16th on Bravo. The show will air at 9pm ET instead of its usual 10pm time slot. Season 5 will be Project Runway’s last on Bravo, before moving on to Lifetime for season 6. Along with the announcement of the premiere date comes word that Project Runway’s judges panel will stay in tact with Garcia, Kors, and Heidi Klum all returning. Of course, Tim Gunn will return as mentor to the contestants. After all, what’s Project Runway without his catch phrases?

Project Runway’s fifth season will feature 16 designers, which is one more than the usual amount. Rumors have been flying that the extra spot will go to Jack Mackenroth, who left last season due to a medical emergency. The producers of the show made it known that there was an open invitation for him to return and compete should he choose to do so.

This April, Lifetime and Project Runway struck a five year deal that would move one of Bravo’s signature shows to another network. The show’s executive producers, Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz, have stated that they will not make the move to Lifetime. The sixth season will also see the show switching coasts, going from New York City to Los Angeles. Klum has faith that the changes, beginning in season 6, will not affect the show’s popularity. "The concept will be the same,” she told Forbes.com, but said that “the look of the show will change a little bit." As Tim Gunn would say: This worries me.

Project Runway has always been associated with New York City, the Parsons School of Design, and Bravo. Viewers will already have to get used to a new look, a new network, and other changes. Should any judges (or even worse, Tim Gunn) decide not to return, it seems that Project Runway could be headed for disaster.



- Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: RealityTV World, Forbes
(Image courtesy of Bravo)