TV Tidbits 89: Anthony Hates Tim

I copied-and-pasted this a while ago but I guess I thought I wanted to add something to it and so didn't actually post it. Now I have no idea what I wanted to say about it, of course. Except that I really, really liked Anthony... until I discovered he, like lispy Emilio, is anti-Tim. Now, I guess I can't really begrudge him his opinion because in his one little anecdote Tim does sound kind of wishy washy. But Anthony was never, ever one of the strongest designers so I don't think he can blame selecting polyester and making an inferior garment solely on Tim! Harumph!

It’s bad enough that we had to say goodbye to him once. But last night, following his triumphant return in the previous episode, Anthony Williams earned his second Auf’ing from Heidi Klum. We were sad. But when we chatted with Anthony earlier today, not only was he not upset, he was in high spirits indeed. For today is his 29th birthday. With his usual fervor, he discussed his future in television, shared some surprising words about Tim Gunn, and explained exactly which Sugarbaker sister he most resembles.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I hear it’s your birthday, Anthony. Happy birthday.
ANTHONY WILLIAMS: Yes, I’m so excited! 29 is a brand-new year and I couldn’t be happier.

How did it feel getting eliminated the second time? You seemed very much at peace with it. Relieved, even.
Oh yeah. I don’t even think I really cared, to be honest, Missy. [Laughs] Warning comes before destruction: I knew what it was like to be eliminated, so it made it real soft for the second blow. I’m just good. Who gives a damn about [being] eliminated when I get a brand-new birthday? Who cares? A girlfriend who I went to college with called me last night. She was crying. I mean, bawling, crying! And I was like, “You jackass! You sit on this phone crying after I walked away with grace and I’m still able to smile about it and you’re crying because I didn’t win! Don’t cry for me!” Think about it. Not only did I win the two greatest challenges in Project Runway history, but I made history on Project Runway. I did show at Bryant Park, and my collection probably got the most press out of anyone who showed. So the only thing I didn’t get out of this experience was $100,000. And let’s face it, you can’t miss what you never had. So there you have it.

You’ll get it someday.
Oh, I’m not worried about it. I’m very proud of myself. Some loudmouth queen from the South — I hope I’m making it a whole lot easier for them to come on Project Runway and turn the party out.

The judges made a big deal about your choice of polyester. I was surprised too. Why did you go for polyester?
It was not my exact choice. The original fabric that I selected was a cobalt taffeta blue, which was the color this fall. But when I was in Mood, I remembered Tim Gunn walking in and saying, “Taste, Anthony, taste.” He kept questioning my taste. I think back and Tim Gunn [hated] everything I did, but the people that he loved all got eliminated before me. So if I can tell anybody anything going on Project Runway: Don’t ever listen to Tim Gunn and never second-guess yourself.

Really? Don’t listen to Tim Gunn?
Don’t listen to Tim Gunn. I’ll give you a great example. Jonathan, when we did the second Heidi Klum challenge, the one that I won, ohhh Tim was just worshipping him, [saying] “Oh my god, this is so amazing, she’s gonna love it.” Fifteen minutes later, she walks in and says, “Oh my god, what would ever make you think [I'd like] this?” And Tim stood his ass there and didn’t even open his mouth. He didn’t say a word! No, honey. Any contestant trying to go on Project Runway, know who you are, and pay these blogs no attention because they’re just the people that nobody likes because they have bad attitudes. I’m really at the point where I’m sick of these blogs. I’m like, honey, get a life. It’s just television.

What blogs?
I don’t read blogs. But people are telling me things. Even other contestants are telling me things that people are saying about them on blogs. I was just talking to [fellow season 7 contestant] Jesus the other day and Jesus was telling me people were being so mean to him. And I was like, “Jesus, don’t pay any attention. Because at the end of the day, they’re taking notes and writing about your experience and it’s better to be blogged about than to be sitting at home blogging.” These are people who have no accountability for the things they say and they hide behind a mask. Little dogs have always barked at moving cars. [Suddenly switching gears] Missy, have you ordered your “Stacked, Packed and Ready to Attack” tote for $25? I need you to invest in the dream that is Anthony L. Williams. And you can do it by going to my website. Go ahead.

I’m very obedient. I’ll check out your page after our interview. But back to last night. What did you think of Michael and Heidi getting out of their seats to touch your dress?
I haven’t seen Michael Kors’ ass stand up and do [anything] since I’ve been watching Project Runway. The season could use the help, so I hope it did boost the ratings. [Laughs] I just thought that it was just crazy.

I can’t tell you how many readers on EW.com say that you should have your own TV show.
The only way I would do a show is if it helped women or helped people in general. I would not do a reality show exploiting my friends and family for a couple hundred thousand dollars and everybody watched the rise and fall of my company and it was all mere entertainment. I can’t neglect the fact that, in the end, this is still my dream.

How would your show help women?
Well, I think fashion sometimes abuses women. You’d be amazed how many women don’t know what size bra they wear or what size bra they should be wearing. Many women don’t know where their waistline is so they can’t figure out why they look wider than the average women. I think women should also know about trends. Honey, some of us don’t have body types that follow the trends. When the skinny legs came out, honey, if your legs were not skinny, possibly you should have not followed the trend of the skinny-leg pant. So I have this wisdom and knowledge from getting to know real women. Obviously, you’d have to do [the show] in a clever and entertaining way to gain an audience. But a reality show? I will not exploit my family for that. I refuse.

So, you’d like to do Anthony’s version of What Not to Wear?
Yeah! That’s what we should start. That should be the name of the show: Anthony’s What Not to Wear. No, we don’t want to rob their show.

You have all these catchphrases and you like to philosophize. So maybe that’s what your show should be: Fashion philosophy.
We’ve come up with a name of my show! Fashion philosophy! [Squeals] I love it! Fashion Philosophy with Anthony — I love it.

How are you celebrating your birthday?
I have this amazing cake done by Sugarplum Visions in Marietta, Georgia. And Jamie, the owner, is designing this beautiful cake to look like my Marie Claire [challenge] dress. [The party] is supposed to be 50 of my closest friends. However, it’s spilling over into way more, so everybody might not get a slice of cake and I’m not gonna pay for anymore food. It’s gonna be in my showroom, ’cause where I live is like Designing Women: I design and live in the same place.

Funny you should mention Designing Women. One of those blogs out there calls you Suzanne Sugarbaker.
Suzanne Sugarbaker! Gawker, they call me Suzanne Sugarbaker. But if they really got to know me, they would find out I’m very Julia Sugarbaker. There are few things Anthony won’t deal with. You won’t be mean to other people, you won’t be disrespectful to other people. More importantly, I like things to be in place and that was very much the character of Julia Sugarbaker. Suzanne Sugarbaker was a bit pretentious. I’m not pretentious. She was overly concerned about what people thought about her. I’m Julia because I will make you aware of when the lights did go out in Georgia. And it damn sure wasn’t when I got eliminated on Project Runway! It’s gonna take something a whole lot more powerful to make that happen!

TV Tidbits 88 - Project Runway

If you didn't see last night's episode - and you haven't yet stumbled across one of the many articles regarding it - and you don't want to know what happened, this post is not for you.

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If you DID see it - or you don't mind spoiling it for yourself - read on! Actually, it's not even really that juicy but EW.com posted a Q&A with self-ousted designer Maya. Sort of enlightening insofar as her motivation for quitting but nothing super mind-blowing. Still, I like to be informed so you will be, too!

(I'm very meh about this season of PR. I don't really have a favorite... I liked Anthony a lot but I agree that he was sort of a one-trick pony. Mila needs to be GONE (and soon, please!) and Jay and Jonathan are both sort of bland, blah, there. Emilio is... lispy. And anti-Tim. So, I guess I'm rooting for Seth Aaron. Maya's departure really does not rock my boat in any way, shape or form.)

Project Runway’s Maya Luz had an excellent shot at making the Bryant Park top three. This season’s most consistent designer, she earned high scores six times and never landed in the bottom. But as we all witnessed on tonight’s episode, the 22-year-old New Yorker opted to leave Runway altogether. EW was the first to speak to Maya about her controversial choice. In fact, we spoke to her before she’d even watched the episode herself.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So, how are you feeling about your decision all these months later?
Maya Luz: I feel good. From the very beginning, I had reservations about doing [the show], just because I didn’t know if it was really me, the whole TV thing. But it was amazing to be offered this opportunity, so I decided to take it. In the very beginning, I really did want to win and I wanted to go to Bryant Park. But as time went on, I decided it just wasn’t my time yet to go all the way. I’d just graduated from school this past May. I did an internship with another designer, but I haven’t had a full-time design job yet. Those kinds of thoughts were wearing down on me during the show, so I decided one morning, out of the blue. That’s what felt right to me.

How long did it take you to make the decision?
I really only started thinking about it the day before, after the print challenge. When I thought of having my life back, it seemed appealing to me. I didn’t talk to anybody about it because I wanted to stay strong and not get emotional. I talked to Tim first and he understood what I was saying. When I said, “I think I’m still searching for who am I as a designer, I’ve just graduated, and I have a lot to learn about this industry,” he agreed with me. He said, “I can see that. And I think it’s very brave of you.”

But you had such a strong chance of making it to the top three.
We’ll never know, but I have a pretty good feeling that I might have made it to the final three. But that’s why I decided not to go through with it. There’s so much at stake. When I come out with a line, I want it to be something dignified, something that I’ve had time to work on in a way that I didn’t through these circumstances [on Project Runway]. I didn’t want to bottom out. If I won, I didn’t want to be a one-hit wonder and fade away slowly. I felt like I would be getting into [the industry] in a naïve way, not really knowing what I was doing, not being able to handle the business aspect of it.

Tim asked you if you if you could stick it for out one last challenge. Have you had any pangs of regret — like, maybe I should have hung on?
I don’t regret anything because it felt right at the time. It still feels right. Certainly I wonder what could have happened had I gone all the way. But I still feel like, I’m a baby. I have a lot to learn. Later down the line, I would love to see myself on the show again, competing at an older age at a higher level, with more experience under my belt. I think I have what it takes — the talent and the drive.

At the end of last week’s episode, you seemed disappointed that you didn’t win. A lot of people were wondering, what does she have to do to win? Did that influence your decision to leave?
I think subconsciously it did on some level because I had been in the top so many times at that point. It was going pretty well. It was making me wonder, what is it that I’m missing? I’m almost there, but there’s always something that’s not quite right for the judges. And on the same note, they’re just three eyes—or four, whatever, counting the guest judge. [Laughs] There’s a lot of other people in the world.

And it is just a TV show, after all.

Exactly. That’s the other part of it, too. It is about fashion, but it’s also about making a show and having a story. That turned me off initially. There have to be people who are really attractive, or really quirky or really funny, or all those things. But in the fashion industry, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter how cool your personality is. If you make good work and if you can sell it, then you’re gonna do well.

In tonight’s episode, there was a flashback to Nina telling you that your work was too referential. Did that critique influence your decision? The editing made it seem like it did.
Mmm… Well, that’s unfortunate to hear. That is not the reason. It’s an extremely ridiculous thing to say. Not that I don’t respect Nina’s opinion, ’cause certainly I respect it. She gave me a lot of good feedback. But you could say that about every single person on the show — most specifically, the print challenge with Emilio. His print was Louis Vuitton, who’s done [a similar monogram pattern] for several seasons. The only reason why Nina said that [to me] was because Jay had said it in the workroom, which I don’t think they showed on the episode. He said [about my open-weave jacket], “Oh that looks like Yves Saint Laurent.” Because Yves Saint Laurent did these shoes — they were shoes, not a jacket — which had the same cage effect. So he said that and then all of a sudden it turns up on the runway. It was magic!

A case of a producer slipping something to the judges?
Yeah, a little man behind the curtain. I didn’t say any of that on the runway because I felt like, What’s the point? Sometimes I wish I had. But it’s just not worth battling it. I always like to be respectful on camera, especially to the judges.

How do you feel about your departure allowing Anthony to come back?
Well, honestly, it just refuels that kindling flame I had about [the show] being about personality. Obviously I love Anthony — who doesn’t? He’s hilarious. I couldn’t even write the things that he comes up with. I think he will be successful because he’s got this really charming charisma, but his dresses — he did make a lot of the same type of thing over and over. That’s what he’s good at. He’s a dressmaker. He can do that and be successful at it.

Seth Aaron and Emilo had very different reactions to your departure. Seth Aaron defended you, while Emilio called you a quitter.
People are going to say a lot of things and I can’t let that get to me. I never thought Emilio was ever very warm and fuzzy. I think he was there from the very beginning to just bang it out and win and not worry about anybody else. But when you’re not around anybody else, you need some human compassion, so we all kind of became friends with each other. I didn’t see a lot of that from Emilio, really. He had his moments, but for the most part, he really stuck to himself, in no-b.s. mode. So it doesn’t surprise me that he would say something like that. You can call it what you want. I wouldn’t call it quitting.

Who are you rooting for now?
I’m rooting for Mila. I really liked Jonathan too. They were my good buddies. And Amy. But I’m definitely rooting for Mila. Go girls!

What was your favorite design of the season?
My favorite design was [my outfit from] the hardware challenge, definitely. The necklace was probably my favorite piece because it is totally me: it’s beautiful and classic but also a little punk rock.

What’s next for you?
Right now, I am working on my handbag line — the spiky stuff, the ball-and-chains, all that stuff. I’m working on orders for boutiques and personal orders. Then I’m working on a collection for StyleWeek Providence in June. Jonathan and I are both showing. My collection is called Creature and it’s inspired by monsters. I’m also looking for a job in the design field and applying for my masters in London. I just want to gain more experience. You’ll be seeing more of me. [Laughs] Project Runway is just one little notch in the resumé, one little thing. I’ll be back.

TV Tidbits 84 - More Bear Grylls & Tim's Take is Back

Hmm... I'm not sure how excited I am at the prospect of Bear's new show. While I do love me some Bear, it's also the super extreme (and, for me anyway, totally impossible) situations that make Man vs. Wild fun. Watching Bear try to escape from a sinking car? Certainly useful. Ever since Baywatch pointed out the dangers of sinking vessels, I've been only too keenly aware of the possibility of slowly drowning to death with no Hoff in sight. (I really need to buy myself one of those doohikees that helps bust through your window...) But it's oddly less entertaining watching someone try and escape from a situation I might actually have to participate in myself one day... Adds a smidge more drama and discomfort to the endeavor. Plus, what are the odds Bear will ever have to show us how to escape an apartment fire or a shark attack while naked?! Slim-to-none. That really makes the show less fun.

[From EW.com] Man vs. Wild host Bear Grylls will headline a second

series for Discovery, the network has announced: the six-episode Worst

Case Scenario, debuting this spring. According to the press release,

Grylls will rely solely on the advice and instruction of experts to show

viewers that with the proper knowledge (and ability not to panic),

anyone can survive the potentially life-threatening situations they may

encounter in “everyday life.” These scenarios include:

• escaping a high-rise apartment fire

• fending off a shark attack

• escaping out of a sinking car

• getting yourself out of a frozen lake

• handling a car when its brakes give out while driving down a hill

• preventing a mountain lion attack

• falling down a flight of stairs — unharmed

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Also from EW.com, here's a fairly candid Q&A with Tim Gunn on Project Runway's drab season 6:

Tim Gunn: Before we start this interview, I have to tell you that I know you all didn’t like season 6. Was it L.A. or the absence of Michael and Nina or…?
EW: Both, along with less-than-stellar designers and boring challenges. Though, the truth is, everyone was going to be hypercritical because the show was being reinvented on a new network and in a new city.
Gunn: Yes, I know that’s how people feel. People are sometimes reticent to share their thoughts with me but you can tell. It’s been awful to disappoint people.

EW: Let’s be honest. Did you hate last season?
Gunn: Well, we all need to be truth tellers about it. My response is so filled with selfish dimensions – having to leave my own apartment and camp out in a strange place for 5 weeks, piling into a van to go to Mood which would take up to an hour one way. I have so many feelings about season 6. This has nothing to do with the individuals Carol Hannah, Althea, or Irina, but I was disappointed that our three finalists were three women in their 20s.

EW: To me, that felt like Lifetime was pushing the show to choose someone in its demographic.
Gunn: Had Lifetime really had a hand in it, Gordana would have been among them. She’s more the Lifetime demographic-she’s a woman in her early 40s. I would have been eager to see her at Bryant Park too.

EW: If you could go back, what would you have done differently?
Gunn: Upon reflection I think it was not advisable to have that season be in L.A. And I missed Nina and Michael. I engage with the designers in anticipation of what Nina and Michael will say and I know them well. It’s hard when it’s Heidi and 3 guest designers.

EW: Yeah, the judges last season seemed random and perhaps not always in their right minds, like when they sent Ra’mon home.
Gunn: It’s a big responsibility. I don’t know how Heidi, Nina, and Michael can judge the work of the designers based on one run-through of that show. But that’s how it’s done. I didn’t do a blog for season 6 but I’m doing it for season 7. No one hears me talk about the final outcome. In terms of Ra’mon, guess who bought that losing piece at auction? I have it and I know how truly ridiculous it is. It’s two pieces of neoprene. There isn’t even a stich anywhere. It’s held together with pins.

EW: I also didn’t love the contestants. Irina was a decent enough designer, but she was so unlikable. Of course, that may have been in the editing…
Gunn: The editing certainly shows less than what I see. It’s very considerate of them and doesn’t manipulate things to create a situation that isn’t. That’s why there wasn’t a lot of effervescence in season 6. If we really had a creative hand in stirring things up we certainly could have. But new network, new producers. At some point last season I became aware – with a startling amount of both anxiety and adrenaline – that I was the only one present who knew what happened when. No one else knew anything about the rhythm and cadence of the work room, trips to Mode, anything.

EW: There wasn’t even one producer brought over?
Gunn: Trust that there was a lot of seduction going on but the gauntlet was thrown.

EW: Anything scandalous happen this season that you can share?
Gunn: A few of the designers throw me under the bus and say “I knew I shouldn’t have listened to Tim Gunn.” During judging I am always standing in the back of the room not saying anything. But Heidi said, “I wish I had a red phone so I could call Tim Gunn and ask him.” And I said “I wish I had a red phone so I could call you!”

EW: Do you ever want to tip off the judges to backstage drama during the runway show?
Gunn: No, I don’t want the designers to think that I leak things. There are times when Heidi really wants to know what’s going on behind the scenes. I always say, “I’m sorry, Heidi. Church and state.”

EW: Let’s talk about this season’s contestants. Ping is definitely one of the more eccentric contestants and her first outfit was crazy. Was guest judge Nicole Richie on crack when she said it was one of her favorites?
Gunn: I love and adore you for saying that. That took her out of the bottom. I have to tell you about the auditions and Ping. She’s a really innovative designer but the bulk of what we saw was hand knits. I told her there’s no time for hand-knitting on the show. I asked how she would translate her vision and she gave a very good response. But the truth is, those items would have been much more believable had they been colored yarns.

EW: Do you cringe when a contestant, like Anna Marie Lynett, talks so pretentiously about being an “artist”?
Gunn: Yes. Yes, I do. I wasn’t at auditions last season but I was for season 7 and that was one of my roles in the auditions – to beat back at the producers when they’re seduced by personality. My role was to make certain who moved forward had the fashion credentials.

EW: I really hope Anthony has credentials because he is such a love of a character. He’s this season’s Chris March.
Gunn: He really is who he is. We didn’t make him up.

EW: When will you start shooting season 8?
Gunn: I don’t know! I’m desperate to know. I keep thinking surely Heidi knows.

EW: Do you think the show will ever go back to Los Angeles?
Gunn: The plan has been to alternate – one year in New York, one year in Los Angeles. I don’t know that we’ll ever go back to LA. though. Even though season 6 is behind us, people still have a good deal of venom about it.

EW: Any chance season 8 will go to London or somewhere equally fabulous?
Gunn: That would be nice. But even though it’s a new network and it’s season 7, we still don’t have money.

And just like the man mentioned, Tim's Take really IS back! I'm definitely not as into PR these days as I was when it first started, but I do enjoy reading Tim's thoughts as I munch on my ham sandwich during lunch. :o)

TV Tidbits 69 - Project Runway

Entertainment Weekly's cover story this week is all about the upcoming season of Project Runway. It's 5 pages so I'm going to be lazy and opt not to copy-and-paste it for you. Sorry. But! You can check out the full story here.

A Few Videos

First: EW.com has a short behind-the-scenes interview with Tim Gunn posted on their site this morning and I found it quite enlightening (especially with regard to the heinous Kenley). I can't embed it, but you can check it out here.
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Second: Bruce Willis popped up on David Letterman last night to promote... something, but the best bit was this clip of his cameo in High School Musical 3.

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Third: ETonline has a behind-the-scenes peek at Jake Gyllenhaal's Prince of Persia. I don't care so much about the movie but Jake's body warrants a post!! ;o) The hair has to go, though... and Jerry Bruckheimer really makes me cringe. Just focus on the abs, people!!
***UPDATE: The video starts playing anytime you load the page and it is already annoying me. I can't have that thing blaring out at me every time I log-in to the blog! So I've removed the embedded clip - sorry. You can still check out the video @ ET's site here.

TV Tidbits 31 - Project Runway Finale

I think Television Without Pity summarized the episode best: "The winner of Project Runway is crowned, and since it wasn't Kenley, there is much rejoicing." Too true, too true. If Kenley had won I'd... well, I didn't really have much recourse in all honesty but MAN would I have been Pissed!!! With a capital P.

Much of the talk surrounding Runway's 5th season has been about how lackluster it's been and the recaps of the finale are no exception. Most of what I've been perusing on the Web has been less about the winner and more about whether or not Bravo made a drab finale to cap off a blah season deliberately. (You know, so as to sabotage the show's ratings before begrudgingly handing the show off to Lifetime... if that ever actually happens.) I myself thought it was a fine finale, if a little dull, though I did note that Bravo usually makes the finale an hour and 15 minutes - and this one clocked it an an hour exactly. So maybe there is a teensy bit o' Bravo subterfuge going on, no? I don't have much to say about the finale... except: (1)I'm ecstatic Kenley didn't win; (2) I felt bad for Korto and liked some of her stuff but I did not care for her color palette and it was hard to extract my dislike of the color from my opinion of the dress itself; and (3) the best, best, BEST moment of the entire episode - and maybe the season - was the look on Kenley's face when she found out Tim was going to be the pinch-hitting guest judge. Guess you should've taken his critiques with a bit less bitch, eh, Betty Page McSnaggle Tooth?!!!! HA!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had to pause it and savor the moment. Hee.

Here's EW.com's recap of the episode -

"I think it's bulls---." So were the final words from super-villain Kenley after she and her kooky hats were auf'd from the runway and — like every other non-Jeffrey villain in Project Runway history — awarded third place during last night's finale. Maybe it was her penchant for kinda seeming to copy other designers that did her in. Or maybe it was that stank attitude. Or perhaps it was the Tim factor. Whichever thing did her in, it was disappointing to see that the girl learned nothing, making her exit in true Kenley style: classless, ungrateful, and snotty.

Instead, it was the très talented, if a bit boring, Leanne who was crowned the victor of the (likely) final Bravo-branded season of Runway (sob!), and, boy, did she deserve it. And it wasn't even close: I was lucky enough to attend the final show at Bryant Park weeks ago, where my fellow EW Runway-philes and I agreed that Leanne was the shoo-in victor. After all, she was the only one who garnered a constant stream of applause during her show (though you couldn't have guessed that based on last night's program — methinks Bravo tuned the applause down a bit to add a little more suspense). Not only was her tailoring and attention to detail exquisite (those petals!), but her collection leaves me no choice but to channel Will Ferrell channeling James Lipton: It was simply scrumtrulescent. There really isn't a greater word to describe it. The girl had a vision, she made it work, and she delivered. So congrats to you Leanne. Just do me a favor and tell me where you are when you decide to hand out that $100,000 worth of drinks, m'kay?

But let's rewind to the beginning of the episode, after our all-female final three was forced to say goodbye to poor, sweet Jerell. Our girls had to head to the workroom, decide which dresses they would omit from their collection, and choose their models for the final runway. And this is the moment when I like to play Spot the Model Who Was Once Desperate Enough to Appear On a Reality Show! So here goes: Ooh, there's Shannon from Make Me a Supermodel! And is that Naima from America's Next Top Model? And finally, ten extra bonus points to those of you who spotted Danielle and Bianca from ANTM in the final runway show! And then after you're done with that nifty little game, take the time to play Guess Which Model Spent Some Time (Allegedly) Pummeling Nikki Blonsky? (50 points to the first one who answers correctly!).

Anyhoo, back to the designers, because really, as proud as I am of what's-her-name for winning the spread in Elle magazine, the models are the last thing on our minds. Back in the workroom, Tim made his final visit to the designers, and, as usual, Kenley unleashed some major attitude. The designer planned to make her eerily familiar wedding dress her signature look, because, as she figured, the judges loved it at the last panel. Naturally, Tim reminded her that the judges might not be happy to see the same Alexander McQueen look-a-like gown on the runway, but Kenley, being Kenley, refused to budge (cut to: Tim walking away from Kenley all Mr. Burns-like, planning her ultimate demise). As she said in her confessional after Tim advised her to lose the rope she integrated into one of her dresses: "My decisions are final. And I'm done with it."

But I guess they're not that final — shockingly, the designer opted to follow Tim's advice and choose a different signature look. And it's a good thing she listened to him just this one time: At the final runway show, Heidi announced that Tim would be filling in for Jennifer Lopez as the guest judge (the singer-actress suffered a foot injury, but I'm guessing that's code for bionic leg implant surgery, since she completed a triathlon just days later). Of course, the camera shot to Kenley, who promptly put on her "ruh roh!" face and said: "Maybe I should have improved my attitude." You know at that moment she wanted nothing more than to rip that rope off her dress, sling it on the ceiling, and swing right out of Bryant Park and into a tugboat in the East River George of the Jungle-style. But, of course, the designer stuck it out since her mother and father — who surprisingly, isn't Popeye — were in the audience to see her show, and her self-esteem pills likely don't allow her to operate machinery or a boat of any kind.

Once Kenley's collection got onto the runway, though, I have to say that I actually really liked it. Look-a-like dresses or no, you have to admit that her collection was creative and eccentric enough to be considered both high fashion and fashion-forward. And you could actually recognize the Alice in Wonderland inspiration within each gown, though I ultimately failed to see any garment that looked modeled after a pothead caterpillar (where was the hand-painted bong, Kenley?)...unless that caterpillar went into a cocoon and blossomed into Joan Collins.

If only Korto was as confident in her designs as Kenley. Though the designer has performed nearly flawlessly on every challenge thus far, you knew that Korto had sealed her fate at the end of last week's episode. Her wedding dress was overworked — placing her in the final two — which must have made the designer insecure enough to decide to design two new garments for her collection. Now, that has to be one of the craziest decisions in Runway history, and I'm including Laura Bennett's choice to dress up like Wonder Woman for a promo. Maybe that girl thrives under pressure, but there's a point when it becomes masochistic. And yet, impressive. Two looks in the course of a few days? Are we sure super-sewer Christian Siriano wasn't hiding there somewhere?

Considering the fact that Korto re-worked 1/4 of her collection, it didn't turn out half bad. Inspired by her African roots, Korto presented a line of garments that was colorful, impeccable, and wearable. Out of all the collections that showed, Korto's is the one I'd most likely pick up at the department store, only to realize that no, I can't buy this because I have to eat. And though the judges claimed there was maybe too much detail in the gowns, my only gripe with her collection was that it was a bit expected — unlike Leanne's collection, it didn't really seem all that innovative.

Though Korto's crazy last-minute decisions were able to drum up some drama for the producers, Leanne's transition from workroom to runway was relatively seamless (heh). Her only major issue with Tim was whether or not to include pants in her collection. In fact, the only thing that came close to drama for Leanne was when her model decided to attend a fitting with her dog, who in turn decided to poop next to Leanne's work station (Kenley's voice = brown note for pups?). And the judges were hardly able to critique her collection: Their only fear was whether or not she'd be able to pull out any non-petal tricks in future shows.

So, alas, Leanne was crowned the winner, and so ends our fifth, and probably final, Runway season on Bravo. Do you think Leanne should have won? Are you happy to never have to see Kenley again? Are you surprised Korto was awarded fan favorite? Can you believe there's no reunion show? (I'm thinking of starting a petition myself.) And, finally, in honor of this season's end, I leave you with Bravo's last genius Michael Kors critique: "You're gonna be 'Petals Marshall', which sounds like a stripper, not a designer." Sob!

I just hope people don't think Kenley lost because Tim was too biased... though I will say I'm a wee bit surprised there wasn't more of an uproar over Tim's place as a final judge. I love Tim and I'm sure he was able to separate his feelings and be professional. Besides, Kenley annoyed all the judges on the panel. It could be any one of their biases that led to her downfall! ;o) My deepest wish, though, is that Leanne uses her $100,000 to buy a hairbrush. And maybe a blow dryer.

Oh, and in case you were wondering about the Balenciaga look-a-like gown Kenley made, here's a good side-by-side comparison (courtesy of myitthings.com):

I think the McQueen feather dress is a more glaringly obvious 'inspiration' but this is darn close, too. Stupid Kenley.

Tim's Take - Finale part 1

I am distressed. I have checked Bravo's site again and again today but there is NO new Tim's Take! WTF?! If it ever does wind up appearing on Bravo's site, I'll update this post as soon as possible. Until then, let me leave you with this: If you watched last night's Project Runway, you know that Michael Kors called out the resemblance between Kenley's wedding dress and a dress by Alexander McQueen. Well, of course I had to hop on the 'net and find the dress in question. And, of course, someone on IMDb had posted a link to McQueen's dress before I even made it to the computer. So, here you are.


On the right, Kenley's feather wedding dress.

Next, the dress from Alexander McQueen's Autumn/Winter 2008 collection, "The Girl Who Lived In the Tree."



They're not exactly the same, of course, but you can certainly see where Michael Kors was coming from...


Oh, and remember when Kenley rejected Michael's assertion that it was a wee bit too Alexander McQueen? When she said that there was "no silhouette" like hers "out there?" Remember? So, basically, what you're saying Kenley is that there are no feathery, strapless dresses with a big ol' pile of tulle underneath lurking about out there? Really?

Tim's Take (week 10)

If you haven't seen last night's Project Runway yet, skip this post!

Now then... I, like most viewers, love Tim. This season of PR has been particularly hum-drum and crummy but Tim is always a delight to watch. I have been reading Tim's day-after blog every season it's been available because he really puts a lot of time and effort into his comments and I love to read his honest opinion of the designs (and designers). Plus, he usually has a little tidbit of behind-the-scenes info you didn't get to see on the show (like this week's bit about Jerell's hat... yowza). Tim was fairly light on Kenley this week but it has been quite evident in previous weeks' posts that the man is not a Kenley fan. And I don't blame him; I really wish she'd step off a curb and get hit by a cab. I hate her!!! She's immature, rude and unprofessional toward the other designers and she makes the same friggin' dress every. Single. Week. Plus, she displays overt disdain for Tim and his opinion which, in my eyes, is just out-and-out insanity!!

I usually e-mail my dad and Robert Tim's best bits but I figured this week I'd just go all out and re-post the entire entry from this week.

TRANSFORMATION

Heidi brings six mature women onto the runway while suspense reigns among the designers. Heidi declares, "These ladies are an important part of your challenge..." Pause. Next, six younger women appear and fall in place between the mature women. They are mothers and daughters. The daughters are all recent college grads who are transitioning into new lives as young professionals. The designers are to perform a head-to-toe makeover on the daughters, beginning with reconceived fashion and concluding with makeup and hair, for this is the TRESemme challenge.

Heidi determines which designer designs for which daughter by selecting names from our velvet bag (how the designers loathe seeing that thing!). We adjourn to the workroom where the designers have 30 minutes to meet with their new clients - both daughter and mother. The designers have to manage the input of their clients while maintaining their own vision as a designer. Each designer's point of view must be evident in the final look. After the consultation, the designers go shopping at MOOD with a budget of $100. There are two days for this challenge.

The fabulous Cynthia Rowley is our guest judge. And the winning look will be featured in Elle magazine. Both the designer and the daughter wearing the look will appear. How thrilling is that?

Jerell WINS! He designed for Caitlin, a printmaker and an artist's assistant. Jerell created a high-waisted skirt in chocolate with a ruffled top. I found the skirt and top to look very "cocktail," rather than professional, but perhaps Caitlin is going to a gallery opening? Thankfully, a long, but slim-fitted cardigan with oversized croc buttons dressed down the look, allowing for an easy transition from day to night. Congratulations, again, Jerell! (By the way, the chapeau that Jerell wore for the judging had been intended for Caitlin. Had she worn it, do you believe that the outcome would have been different?)



Joe is OUT. Joe designed a most unfathomable look for Laura, a graphic designer by education who is seeking employment. Ho-hum: a navy blazer with an exaggerated rear peplum and brass buttons over a candy cane wrap-top and charcoal chalk-striped skirt. This looks says banker or lawyer, not graphic designer. Joe insisted that this dowdy, humdrum look personified "professional," but what about Laura's field of graphic design? Has Joe never considered fashion as semiotics? That is, the clothes we wear send a message about how we want the world to perceive us. To look at our budding young graphic designer, you'd think that she doesn't have a creative bone in her body. She does! Joe, you're a doll and we'll all miss you!


Kenley designed for Anna, an accessories buyer. It's no surprise that Kenley's point of view was extremely evident in this look. She made a classic style dress out of a brown/pink/cream cotton print. The design resonated 40's vintage, but that's our Kenley. She designed a menswear-inspired vest, which I thought worked beautifully in counterpoint to the girliness of her dress. But, alas, Kenley insisted that she take the pink snakeskin belt from the dress and put it over the vest, thereby negating the menswear vibe. Still, hers was among the top three looks as determined by the judges. I disagreed. And from my perspective, I couldn't get over how much Anna looked like Kenley's mini-me.


Korto designed for Megan, who's debating between med or another graduate program and who works in a lab. I was worried sick when I first checked in with Korto, because the green printed dress looked like it was traveling down the dowdy trail. Furthermore, the burlap textured café-au-lait textile for the jacket with ¾ sleeves appeared to be an unlikely partner for the print. Thankfully, Korto's tailoring of the jacket and construction of the dress were impeccable, so the judges' deliberation would conclude as a matter of taste, and she was in the judges' top three. Whew!



Leanne designed for Holly, a teacher. Leanne's clients purported to HATE her first look, a dress with a Leanne-like semi-circular pleated embellishment across the top. Frankly, I thought unhappiness was coming for an over opinionated mother rather than an unhappy daughter. Typical of these bad client/designer relationships, the mother didn't know what she wanted; she just knew what she didn't want. Ever the rallying trooper, Leanne reconceived her look and, thankfully, it was received well by the client (well, the daughter at least: mom didn't get a chance to see it, again, until the runway show). In any case, I stood in support of Leann's final look and disagreed with the judges, who expressed disdain. The aubergine dress with a light gray high waistband and the light gray shrunken jacket with wide charcoal piping were sophisticated, polished, and well-proportioned.

Suede designed for Avital, a photographer. Suede's design began as a pants look, but when Avital saw the riotous purple/brown/white print draped on Suede's dress form, she loved it so much that she wanted a dress. Really? I found her request to be inconceivable considering the impact of the print; specifically, why would you want to see more of it? And wasn't this really another cocktail dress for which imponderable excuses were being made? The only thing even more imponderable was the jacket-y cardigan (or cardigan-y jacket?) with the trumpet sleeves and odd pocket placement, and piped pockets, no less, so they would pop more. Oy! Suede, had it not been for that '80s business suit of Joe's....

Project Runway Finale Pseudo-Spoiler

It used to be, back in the day, that runway photos of Project Runway's finale were hard to come by - you had to know which obscure fashion blogs had the goods. Now, Bravo has a gallery of finale looks on its site! Is this because Bravo is trying to sabotage PR's last season on its network so it's good and uninteresting before it moves to Lifetime? I don't know. I also don't know why Jenifer Lopez (this year's celebrity guest judge - another thing which used to be kept tightly under wraps but this year was shouted from the rooftops) had a bum foot that kept her from taking her judge's seat but was then miraculously rehabbed in a day to allow her to compete in her triathlon but... whatever. Marc Anthony will surely feel the acute consequences of that when Mr. and Mrs. Seal don't come to his birthday party!!

Anyway, EW.com has a mini-recap of PR's final runway show at Bryant Park. It contains photos and the writer's best guess as to who the winner will be, so if you're super spoiler-phobic, avoid it at all costs. :o)

Random Round-Up 21

I haven't had any good "personal" posts lately... I guess nothing interesting happens to me. I don't know. I'm going to the NIN concert at the Oracle Arena tonight, though, so I'll try to make that an interesting post early next week! :o) Until then, here is some random stuff to get you through the weekend:

I wish I could embed this clip but alas I cannot - I can only provide you the link. Jezebel has a post on a clip from Wednesday night's The Daily Show that is absolutely priceless. [I love The Daily Show... I really hope Jon isn't wooed away by CBS for a late-night show. :o( But I digress.] Here's the text from the post to give you the gist of the clip:

Have you noticed that ever since Sarah Palin was added to the Republican ticket, the GOP has been countering attacks on Palin's inexperience with a lot of "that's so sexist"? Remember just a few months ago when the GOP scoffed at the idea that Hillary was facing any sexism at all? Last night The Daily Show had an awesome segment where they showcased a Republican tendency for flip-flopping when they aired footage of right-leaning pundits like Karl Rove and Bill O'Reilly defending Palin, and then scrounged up footage from the past year where they use those same arguments to attack the likes of Hillary Clinton and Jamie Lynn Spears. Clip above.

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EW.com has an exit Q&A with Lady Lethah herself and adjsdljfodajfoi=]]]ghorighghdksjffffffff. Oh. I'm sorry. I fell asleep. (Actually, she's not as sour as I thought she'd be but... ugh. I just can't stand her!)

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Robert sent me this link to an article on the 10 Most Confusing Traffic Signs and pointed me to sign #9. Oh my gosh!!! Robert and I were JUST talking about this sign, I kid you not, on Tuesday on our way to see Nada Surf. Every time we see that sign we comment on how friggin' confusing it looks - and how the first time we happened upon it I think we were absolutely bumfuzzled and took the wrong turn. Granted, we are predisposed to find San Francisco driving confusing (people talk about L.A. being a difficult place in which to drive - HA! I'd take it any day over S.F.) but still... the sign definitely requires a long, hard look to decipher which lane you want to be in. Especially for poor Robert; the man is nothing if not utterly confused by street signs with arrows!!

9.) You Should Probably Just Turn Off The Car And Walk

Official Meaning of Sign: Drivers in the left lane can only make a sharp left; drivers in the lane second from the left turn either a secondmost sharp or a slightly less sharp left; drivers in the center lane make a fourthmost sharp left; drivers in the right-of-center lane turn the fifthmost sharp left or go straight; drivers in the far right lane go straight or right.
Unofficial Meaning of Sign to Us: Just follow along with the general pattern of traffic and hope you don't die.
Where it's Located: San Francisco, California

Random Round-Up 12

msnbc.com has a feature on Project Runway: Where are they now? Apparently, we're all really interested in people from last season.

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I think I've found Robert's dream alarm... if only it came with a cheese compartment. [link via neatorama.com]

Wake n' Bacon

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This should technically be posted as a "TV Tidbit," I guess, but I'm lazy so it's getting plopped here. Robert is infatuated with all things Amazing Race and I would be remiss if I didn't post what I just found on EW.com: the new season starts September 28th. Executive producer Bertam van Munster (Holy bejesus. If that isn't the Dutch-est name on Earth, I don't know what is!) gave a few peeks into the new season but I gotta say - it pretty much describes every season. Which isn't saying anything negative because I love the show! It's just that saying "There's old people! Young people! Outrageous adventures!" doesn't ring any season-specific bells, you know? Anyhoo, here's the scoop:

• The race takes 23 days, covers nearly 40,000 miles, spans five continents, and features some far-flung locales never before seen on the show, including Angkor Wat, Cambodia and La Paz, Bolivia.

• The youngest team is a tandem of two guys in their early 20s. “They’re made for television,” Van Munster says. “They’re supersmart — and they make terrible mistakes.” A pair of recent divorcees in their late 20s also vie for the million-dollar prize. “They were left with some financial debt, so they really have a motive to run around the world,” he says. And once again, expect a serving of granola — this time with a husband-wife squad of 60-something Oregon hippies. “They’re the real thing,” says Van Munster. “They come right out of the '60s. To a lot of people, it looks almost like they’re from a different planet.”

• As for the challenges, “We’ve really outdone ourselves in the department of outrageousness,” Van Munster declares. “We have a situation in Bolivia where we have the [contestants] go down a cobblestone hill on very, very primitive bikes, and it’s just the most hilarious thing you’ve ever seen in your life. It’s a truly bone-jarring experience.” (Another must-see detour: A by-train-or-by-bus scavenger hunt in Moscow. )

• One familiar thing actually did happen on this race: The producers didn’t predict the winner. Says Van Munster, “We’ve been wrong every time, across the board.”

Bravo Needs Tutoring

If you watch any of the competition shows on Bravo you know that they have obnoxious little text polls during the commercial breaks. I hate them. They are stupid. And pointless!! And annoying. But whatever - no one asked me. The best (or worst, depending on your view) one happened during the most recent season of Top Chef... I can't even remember what the heck the question was (what a good storyteller I am, no?) but I'm fairly certain it was something like "Who would you rather touch?" Maybe a couple contestants were gonna get into it after one physically provoked the other, I don't know. But I do distinctly remember that the "C" option was "Yourself." I found that slightly disturbing. I don't think Bravo has any right to inquire after my touching habits no matter WHAT the circumstance!! ;o) Ew.

But I digress. I have not yet watched last night's episode of Project Runway but EW.com pointed out that Bravo screwed up their viewer poll:


Maybe the producers were blinded by Blayne's tanorexia so much that they were unable to read the results properly... ? (Though 4 seasons of gazing at Micheal Kors' eye-searingly tan visage definitely should have prepared their eyes for such a sight methinks!)

Random Round-Up 07

1. Wow - I am really behind. I'd never heard of Mr. PotatoMash, but I guess the site's been around for a while now. I would never have the patience to do something like this but it is fun to look at...

Spudboy

2. Here's a funny clip of Edward Norton promoting The Incredible Hulk (sort of) on Jimmy Kimmel Live:

See, Ed has a sense of humor! People think he's a scarily serious dude - and he usually is - but anyone who would do Death to Smoochy (which, unfortunately, I actually saw) has to have some teensy kernel of humor somewhere in their body.

3. From EW.com: Coldplay Talk Viva la Vida

4. How many posts have I already had on Lifetime ruining Project Runway? I've lost count, but here's whatever-that-number-is+1: PR Will Get a 'Face-lift' on Lifetime

5. Your daily dose o' Bale... yes, I know you're excited. Me, too! :o) (Hey - you'll live. And since neither he nor Ewan has a movie coming out until 2009 you can look forward to a hot men drought coming up in no time.) These are scans of the July issue of Arena (from Singapore - you can thank me for the international postage I'm saving you later), courtesy of christian-bale.org:

Runway - Slowly Turning to Crap

I don't know how I missed this when it came out on Monday (I mean, I don't read NYMag.com regularly but it should have been picked up by one of the blogs I do read) but:

Egad! Marie Claire might usurp Elle's spot on Project Runway after its contract runs out. Elle is signed to remain with the show through its fifth season, which is the show's last on the Bravo network before it moves to Lifetime. WWD notes the partnership is likely since both Hearst Publications (which publishes Marie Claire) and the Lifetime network are jointly owned by the same parent company and Disney, and the media is incestuous like that (you know, "synergy").

This also makes last week's Nina Garcia sighting a little more interesting: She was spotted at the Hearst headquarters, so perhaps she was chatting with the folks at Marie Claire? And then the magazine could benefit from Garcia's chic-fairy dust (because, let's be honest, it doesn't quite have the same high-market cachet as Elle) and Project Runway wouldn't be utterly doomed! Hey, a girl can dream.

Holy cow - Project Runway is really turning into a big pile of dog doo, isn't it? First Lifetime, then L.A., then no Magical Elves and now Marie Claire?!! Great googlymoogly. I will give the 6th season a chance, just to see how different things really are, but the first time they go to Disneyland (as most ABC shows did/do at one time or another - hello, Full House and Roseanne!) and try to modernize Donald Duck's look by making him wear pants, I'm outta there!

TV Tidbits 07 - Men in Trees, CSI, House, Project Runway

I actually don't watch any of these shows but hey, I'm all about you, people. (Except you, Christina - I will never post about American Idol!!) :o) So, here goes:

• Men in Trees - ABC has gone and canceled one of TV's most consistently heartwarming hours. The sad, depressing news was just confirmed to me by series creator Jenny Bicks, who says she was informed of the network's decision late last week. "I am really proud of the work we did on MIT," she tells me. "A huge thank you to our supportive fans."
  
  Bicks believes that two years of schizophrenic scheduling ultimately did the cherished dramedy in. "I wish the show had not been moved six times and put onto two long hiatuses," she sighs. "No show could survive that."
  
  Truer words have never been spoken. As soul-crushing as this is, I managed to find a silver lining in all this: Viewers will get their happy ending. Bicks and her team prepared for Trees' possible demise by shooting an alternate series-finale ending that will now be tacked onto the show's last episode, which is slated to air this summer. Trees kicks off its final run of episodes on Wednesday, May 28. [TVGuide.com]

• House - With the May 30 premiere of the Sex and the City movie looming, fans of that storied show might want to catch House to sample an appetizer course of Jason Lewis (aka Samantha's boy toy Smith Jerrod) as this week's whipping boy…er…patient.Lewis plays Evan Greer, the star of the crank's favorite daytime serial, Prescription Passions. But House's interest soon turns professional when something about the actor's appearance on TV triggers his medical Spidey-sense. He gets no help from Greer, who denies having a problem and refuses treatment. The doc doesn't give up on him though, administering a stealth injection while Greer jaws on a cell phone. So why is House so fixated on this guy and his soap? "It's almost a release for him to see a skewed view of his world," says executive producer David Shore. "This is somebody in a weird way House cares about. He cares about [the actor's TV] character surviving." [TVGuide.com]

• CSI - Gary Dourdan on Saturday acknowledged regret over his recent arrest in Palm Springs. In his statement to People the former CSI star says, "Obviously I am embarrassed to find myself in this situation, and I am profoundly grateful to everyone for their support."
  
  Earlier Saturday, AccessHollywood.com posted a personal e-mail Dourdan purportedly sent in which he lamented the situation, insisted on his innocence and apologized to fans. Dourdan had been at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival prior to his arrest. "The after party, it ran me ragged," he explains, "but I'm glad pulling over did prevent a DUI. I recommend not driving at all, but a little [nap] is always good."
  
  Dourdan continued, "I am blessed that the [sergeant] realized that the luggage carrying whatever [drugs] they found was not mine and that my tests have been coming back negative." The actor also apologized to fans, "especially the young ones, like Taylor Swift." (Dourdan was slated to present an award to the country-music starlet at last weekend's Young Hollywood Awards.) [TVGuide.com]
  

UPDATE: Oh great. This is just what the gradually-becoming-worse PR move from Bravo to Lifetime needs - the departure of Magical Elves!!! And they are magical... if you recall, the lack of Elves was blamed for Top Design's failure and now PR thinks they can make it on their own? In Golden Girls-land? Tsk, tsk, tsk Heidi. I think you and your are in for some trubba!!

Less than a month after Lifetime announced that it nabbed future seasons of Project Runway away from Bravo, NBC/Universal announced today that it has signed an exclusive first-look deal with Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz of Magical Elves, the production team responsible for the Heidi Klum-hosted fashion show. According to NBC, Cutforth and Lipsitz will walk away from Project Runway after season 5 (which will air on Bravo) and begin developing exclusively for all NBC-owned platforms. Lifetime will begin airing originals of Project Runway in season 6, under a deal it forged with Miramax Television. Magical Elves has been responsible for the award-winning Project Runway since its inception on Bravo, as well as Last Comic Standing, Treasure Hunters, Top Chef, and Step It Up and Dance. Developing.... [EW.com}

TV Tidbits 07 - Man vs. Wild, Project Runway

As I'm sure you've surmised by now, Robert and I watch some pretty random shows. :o) A new season of M v. W starts tomorrow night and EW.com has a Q&A session with Bear Grylls in preparation. Highlights include:

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Would you rather eat slimy maggots or crunchy beetles?
BEAR GRYLLS: Probably slimy maggots. Crunchy beetles always have a habit of crapping down my throat as I swallow them. Maggots seem to behave better.

Would you rather eat sheep eyeballs or goat testicles? Eyeballs are bad. I always thought it would be like a hard-boiled egg, but they explode into gristle and blood. But it's better than goat testicles, which melt in your mouth into just what you imagine is inside a goat's testicle. That's just not my cup of tea, having a mouth full of goat sperm.

Would you rather cross a slow-moving river that contains piranhas and candiru [the tiny, parasitic fish that supposedly swim up your urethra while you're peeing in the water] or violent rapids that contained no scary fish? The fast one is probably more dangerous. Only certain piranhas will attack humans, and only when there's real limited food source. As for those candiru, I'd go through the river and not pee while I'm crossing it. And keep my pants on.

We saw the episode where he ate the goat testicle - it was offered to him by some desert nomad guy and it would've been rude to refuse, I expect. If memory serves, however, Bear threw it up... I believe it was the only time he's thrown up on camera in the history of the show. And the bit about keeping his pants on? That'll be hard for ol' Bear because the dude takes his pants off to warm up/cool down/dry off at the drop of a hat! Speaking of which, he also sometimes wears his underwear as a hat. It's a good show.

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Also according to EW.com - Project Runway may be moving to L.A. Say wha?

One day, New York is in. The next day, it's out. EW.com has learned from two well-placed sources that Project Runway and its host Heidi Klum (pictured) will move to Los Angeles for the series' sixth season, expected to premiere on Lifetime in November. The show's fifth season, which debuts on Bravo in July, will be shot in the Big Apple — as it has been since the Emmy-nominated reality program's inception. A Lifetime spokesman was unaware of any decision to move production for the sixth cycle. Story developing...

I would honestly be surprised if this turn of events actually transpires because I think that would mean Tim Gunn would be auf'd. He's the chief creative officer at Liz Claiborne Inc. and I don't think it's a seasonal job! I doubt he'd have time to commute between NY and L.A. to keep his two gigs running smoothly so something would have to give. And if Tim leaves PR, many, many, many viewers will follow, I think. They'll still have Nina - I mean, now that she's been fired from Elle, what else is she doing? - but no one tunes in to see Mean-a Garzilla!

More TV Tidbits

1. I'm sure some of you read something about this yesterday, but Project Runway is most likely moving to Lifetime for its 6th season this November. Details were sketchy yesterday but here's a more informative blurb from Entertainment Weekly:

In a statement, The Weinstein Co., which produces the show with executive producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz of Magical Elves, announced that it entered a five-year deal for the show with Lifetime — a development that prompted legal action by NBC/Universal. In the same statement, the Weinstein Co. acknowledged that NBC filed a lawsuit today in New York Supreme Court in an attempt to block the series from moving to Lifetime. "We believe that this lawsuit is without merit. While good for the market for lawyers, it is always unfortunate when parties try to win in court what they have lost in the marketplace," said David Boies, counsel to The Weinstein Co.

The NBC/Universal lawsuit asserts that the company had been negotiating with The Weinstein Co. for a year to obtain additional installments of Runway but the production company "never intended to negotiate in good faith." It goes on to say, "Instead, The Weinstein Co. threatened to take future cycles of the program to a competing TV network unless [NBC] agreed to pay many millions of additional dollars to Weinstein to acquire a 'package' that included TV rights to second-tier Weinstein films unrelated to Runway." The Weinstein Co. was contractually obligated to give the NBC-owned Bravo the right of first refusal when it got the offer from Lifetime, says the suit.

The Weinstein Co. has already begun pre-production of Runway's fifth season for Bravo, which is scheduled to air in June. NBC released this statement today: "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."

One source familiar with the negotiations argues that Bravo was damaging the Runway brand by airing too many repeats of the show and surrounding it with copycat series like Top Design, Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, and Make Me a Supermodel. "It's a phenomenon that needs to be protected," the source says. "Lifetime provided a substantial offer. NBC chose not to provide a competitive bid." That rerun marathon strategy, however, is what made Runway a hit in its first season. When Bravo began to heavily repeat the show, the fourth episode of the first season broke the 1 million mark — and the series has continually grown from there. In fact, the show's fourth season finale last month — in which the "fierce" Christian Siriano earned the top prize — attracted a whopping 5.2 million total viewers, down slightly from the 5.4 million viewers who watched the season 3 finale.

I think it's interesting that the incessant reruns and copycat shows are being cited as a cause of concern - especially since Top Design essentially bombed because (at the time) it was the only show not produced by the Magical Elves. That, of course, has since been remedied and Magical Elves will be producing the 2nd season of Top Design. That sort of points more to the production element of these types of programs, not necessarily the idea, cast, etc. Another thought being floated is that Lifetime is traditionally part of basic/regular cable plans while Bravo is often only available through extended plans. As such, the move would make the show more accessible. On the flip side, however, Lifetime definitely has a different vibe than Bravo and many are concerned that the move will alienate men who don't want to watch a "network for women" OR that the Powers That Be at Lifetime will tweak the show and make it less palatable to edgier viewers. I agree that Lifetime won't be as good a fit with the show as Bravo... Granted, Bravo is essentially reality TV 24/7 and that can be a bit draining after a while but I don't see all the people tuning in to watch reruns of The Golden Girls and Reba staying tuned for PR. Lifetime's schedule is a bit... old (as in "not current" - not for old people!). I guess we'll have to wait and see...

2. If anyone watches NCIS, there’s a “major cast shake-up” on the horizon this season. According to TV Guide’s Ausiello:

CBS and Paramount declined comment, but sources confirm to me exclusively that a major cast member — a series regular — is on the way out. And as tempted as I am to blab this person's identity, after much soul searching, I've decided that doing so would prove WTS (Way Too Spoilery). And here's why: The actor in question will exit the series in a dramatic fashion. I might even go so far as to call it a major freakin' twist, the repercussions of which will be felt well into next season and, perhaps, beyond. One thing I feel reasonably comfortable letting you know is that the aforementioned twist does, in fact, occur this season — i.e., sometime between tomorrow night's post-strike return and the season finale in May.

Message boards are already chockablock full of speculation and the general hope, er, consensus is that Lauren Holly’s character, Jenny, will be leaving. She’s all tied up in the La Grenouille storyline and is a regular character that could be off’d without much disruption to the core cast. Another candidate is Ducky, because (1) he’s old and I guess that means he wants to retire; and (2) Jimmy has been groomed to take on more responsibility in the past few episodes and that supposedly means he’s ready to take over as head honcho. Or, Jimmy himself could be leaving since he, too, is not central enough to affect the core dynamic and he has a girlfriend. Which means he could run off with her or something, I guess – not the most dramatic plot twist I could imagine but I’m not the one speculating here. :o) I personally find Abby excruciatingly annoying and would not miss her one peep should she exit the show but I doubt I’d be so lucky as to have her leave. I think someone should spike her farting hippo with something lethal and have her be gassed to death. Literally. Poetic justice, I think! But I digress… As long as DiNozzo doesn’t leave, I’m cool. He’s the best part of the show and I definitely wouldn’t be able to stomach Abby’s annoying lisp and Ziva’s incessant malapropisms without his humor and hotness!