Project Runway

Peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies, popcorn and soda, Project Runway and Bravo. Some things just go together. What happens when peanut butter decides to sue jelly and jelly moves on to a different sandwich? Do you take the plunge and try jelly with cream cheese or give up on jelly forever? Enough with the food comparisons. In a shocking announcement today, Project Runway is leaving Bravo and heading to rival network, Lifetime. NBC, not taking this move sitting down, has filed a lawsuit against The Weinstein Company, for selling the rights to the design show.

NBC has filed the suit after The Weinstein Company sold the rights without their knowledge to a rival network. In a statement to the press, NBC stated their case, saying, "NBC Universal has continuing legal rights related to Project Runway, including a right of first refusal to future cycles of the series, which The Weinstein Company unfortunately has refused to honor. NBC Universal regrettably had no alternative but to bring legal action to enforce its rights to this program, including the right to decide whether it is in the best interest of the company to continue to air the show under the proposed financial terms."

David Boeis, attorney for The Weinstein Company, fired back, saying that NBC had already turned down the opportunity to purchase the show at a price that was lower than what was offered to Lifetime. He dismissed NBC’s lawsuit, saying that it is “without merit”.

Despite the move, casting for the sixth season is going ahead as schedule. Yes, the sixth season. The fifth season will air on Bravo most likely in the summer or early fall, with the sixth season premiering on Lifetime sometime in November. Heidi Klum will return as host and Tim Gunn will return as mentor. There has been no official word yet on the return of Michael Kors and Nina Garcia.


- Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: New York Times, Wall Street Journal
(Image courtesy of Bravo)