Project Runway: Failing to "Make It Work"

Am I the only one who couldn't seem to care about the most recent season of Project Runway? I don't think I watched more than 10 minutes of it. And I like the show. Just... didn't happen for me this season.

This fine question comes courtesy of Meghan's Blog this morning and I breathed a sigh of relief courtesy of solidarity. I fully agree. PR used to be one of the best shows out there: compelling designers, creative challenges, a sense of wonder in the whole process. In this season, I've watched probably 5 episodes and saw nothing but formulaic boring-ness. Most of the designers this season at one point or another came off as snotty, entitled brats. The judges, who used to be a source of comic relief (I do think Michael Kors can be really hilariously harsh) and design guidance now are just more comic-book, harpy versions of their former selves. And we've been saddled with guest judges who are big names but not necessarily authorities when it comes to fashion (I'm sorry, but Apollo Anton Ohno as fashion icon...c'mon). Heidi who was fairly wooden from the beginning (as any good mannequin should be) now fully believes she's on the same level as Michael Kors and Nina Garcia. Boring. The only compelling person left is Tim Gunn who still cracks me up but who continues to capture his unique contributions to fashion on his own show Tim Gunn's Guide to Style.

I wonder if this is a natural progression when it comes to these "contest based" reality shows. When it was a home-grown, humble production that no one fully understood yet, it was fantastic. But the bigger the draw, the more elitist and, frankly, uninteresting it becomes. I knew the entire show was in trouble when the designers started talking back to Tim. Remember the first season? Tim's word was fashion law. If he said your design was crappy, you'd best listen. He's still always right (it's uncanny, really) but when the contestants on the show are already putting out their own lines prior to appearing on PR, I have to ask what the purpose of the show is. When the contestants don't want to win but just make it to the final 3 so they can show at Bryant Park, how good can the contest really be?

I hate to say it but this smacks of exactly what happens when the Weinsteins get involved. As soon as they were on board to produce, the scale of the show became phenomenal...and it lost it's connection to the audience. If we can't relate to the people competing, why watch? I know I won't. I know someone won...and I don't even care enough to go Google to find out who it was. I'm sure I'll see Kenley on the omnipresent BRAVO re-runs but I don't want to.

PR's moving to Lifetime (and with that production moves from NY to LA) for the next seasons and I don't think it'll survive. The only real viscera that remained for Tim Gunn to work with was the backdrop of New York City and Parsons School of Design. With those gone, the show will inevitably go the way of everything else that moves to Los Angeles: it'll be too superficial and plastic for us to recognize it anymore.

"Where's Andre?" indeed. I think PR needs to spend a little more time looking to get him and his crazy, half-cocked counterparts back. That would be interesting.