Save Project Runway

Project Runway is consistently one of the best reality shows on television today. And my favorite overall. I like it because you can't just coast through the show, even though some contestants have in the past (Ricky, Suede, Vincent, I'm looking at you). If you can't sew, you're going home, you can't depend on an audience to vote for you to stay because they think you're "fun" (You'll hear more about this from me when American Idol returns).

As much as I love PR, we can all admit it has been off its game this season. I'm not going to put the blame squarely on Lifetime, because it's bigger than just switching networks. I know I'm not the only one who has noticed the slip in quality this season. And I know I'm not the only one who wants it to return to glory.

With that, I'd like to present my top 5 ideas (in order from least to most important) to save Project Runway:

5. Never leave New York again

Now, not all of Los Angeles was bad, but they didn't make a strong point for taking the show out of New York and having it retain the magic that makes it great. Taking the show west is also the reason we didn't get to see Nina and Michael much this season (see No. 3 for more on this issue). Hopefully, Season 7's return to New York will make us forget all about this sun-soaked disappointment of a season.

4. Bring back the creative challenges

This season has had two, count 'em two, quasi-fun challenges: The newspaper challenge and the movie genre challenge. But even the genre challenge was stretching it a bit. When I think of the rest of the challenges, I ......not even worth it. Honest to Jeebus, the producers were so lazy in coming up with original ideas. They had a challenge where they had to make a companion look for one of their previous designs, for crying out loud! "Designers, for your next challenge, we'd like you to create a design inspired by....whatever." Let Tim Gunn come up with some challenges, the man can do no wrong, except not giving Kenley the bitch-slap she deserved during Season 5.


3. Permanently attach Nina and Michael to their judging chairs

And never let them leave, ever. The game of musical judges this season has contributed to a severe lack of continuity in results. In seasons' past, the judges can watch a designer grown and present their vision from the beginning. Take this away and it's disastardly if one of the designers has an off day, because whoever they've dragged in off the street to judge that day has no idea of what they've produced earlier in the season. Plus, we all need Nina there to question taste levels and Michael to deliver his patent brand of bitchy.


2. Fire Bunim/Murray


And bring back Magical Elves Production. Do you really think the people responsible for bringing us The Real World, Road Rules, The Bad Girls Club, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, Living Lohan, Love Cruise, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, The Simple Life and The Real Cancun could take over Project Runway without injecting some of their worthlessness into it? Now, they haven't gone and brought in a communal hot tub or pumped everyone full of booze, but they haven't done any favors. Season 6 has ratcheted up the bitchiness, and not in a good, Santino-bitchy way. In the past, designers have come off as catty and fairly light-hearted when picking on other designs, but this season it seems like the designers can't wait to spew vitriol behind one another's back. This is blatantly obvious in the case of Irina. Also, it appears that someone is regularly pissing in the judging panel's cereal before they come to work. That's the only explanation I can think of for the harsh critiques that have been leveled against this season's designers. Listen guys, this isn't some trashy show on MTV or E!, it's Project Runway, treat it with the respect it deserves.

1. Select a cast that is as entertaining as they are creative

The biggest reason I can't get behind Season 6? This cast is dull and boring! There have been no break-out stars. No Chris March, Christian Siriano, Santino Rice, Daviel Vosivic, Korto Momolu, Michael Knight or Uli Herzner. Don't get me wrong, this season has had a few designers that have been consistently good, but I'm looking for great. Someone that designs something that makes me say "Why hasn't this person made it already?" This show also needs an entertaining cast of characters that makes it fun to watch. Here's hoping they step it up for Season 7!


Are you holding out hope for a fiercer and more fabulous Season 7? Or are you cutting your losses and walking away? Do you think they should change anything else before next season?