Project Runway is BACK!!!

There are some shows that, like calendars, help me to mark time while being endlessly entertaining and even admirable. Project Runway is just such a show. I've watched every season of this Bravo gem and it never gets tired. Hosted by Heidi Klum who now has possibly the most famous tv line ever (In fashion you're either een or you're aout...) and backed by judges and Tim Gunn, all of whom have now become endeared members of my television family (I have waited months just to hear Michael Kors talk about the designs--he's just as awesomely lovingly bitchy as Isaac Mizrahi--and Nina Garcia's no slouch either), I couldn't be more thrilled that the new season started Wednesday night.

I was absolutely *delighted* that Meghan did some television "toe-stepping" on PR for this last Wednesday. I concur wholeheartedly with everything she said and appreciated her insight since I only saw the last half-hour. I thought Rami, who won the first challenge with his clingy, drapey, cinched with a shoulder flower dress, was the right choice. I generally want to barf when I see those shoes with it, but otherwise lovely.

Really, I was sad to see Simone go and here's why: My fear with PR is that, as the seasons go, the casting gets more and more freakish. While last season we saw what I thought was a huge jump up in terms of technical ability and design potential, we also had a lot of crazies in the mix that really had no chance of winning. At this point, I'd like to see these tried-and-true reality shows really cast only for design talent and see what comes from that. While Wendy Pepper, Jay McCarroll, Santino, Andre, Jeffrey and Laura were all great *characters* in the end, their idiosyncrasies enhanced what was already there design-wise. What I know is that yesterday, that teal blue stretch fabric with vomitous raggedy train creation was something I could have put together. Frankly, even the stick-thin model looks lumpy and disgusting in it--and she's not a lumpy and disgusting kind of creature from what I can see. (And WHAT'S with the TEAL SUEDE SCRUNCHY STILETTO BOOTS.--so much wrong there) There's no way that woman should have lasted more than this challenge, but poor Simone who I think looked and acted fairly non-crazy gets the boot (only made better by the fact that her boot was not teal, scrunchy, or suede). I concur with Meghan here: the design needs to drive the decision and none of this "personality" crap. From the looks of things, there's plenty of personality already built into this cast.

The last thing that should happen with this show (or Top Chef--another BRAVO creation), which has really distinguished itself from other kinds of "trashy" reality shows (Fear Factor, MTV Road Rules, etc) is that the level of talent and the output of the designers is top notch. Bravo...we know this. Let's assume people tune in because they like to celebrate the innovation and creativity of the designers and not because they're "good for tv." Do you want to PR to become The Real World that now casts only those willing to be blatantly racist/sexist/any other -ist and/or have sex on tv? I think not.

Oh...and Bravo has excellent and numerous blogs from people involved in production, judging, and past participants of the show. Check them out. I'm thinking I'm going to make Nina Garcia's a regular stop for me.