Bravo has announced that the upcoming fourth season of its Emmy-nominated Project Runway reality competition series will not air as part of its Summer 2007 progamming schedule and will instead premiere in late 2007.
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Although Project Runway's third edition set all-time Bravo ratings records when it aired last summer, a third season of Top Chef -- the network's Project Runway-like reality culinary competition which premiered its second edition immediately after Bravo's October broadcast of Project Runway 3's finale -- will headline the network's summer programming slate.
Project Runway 4's scheduling means that for the first time since the reality series debuted in December 2004, more than a year will have elapsed between Project Runway edition premieres. (Project Runway 2 debuted a year later in December 2005, however in a move that, at the time, seemed to indicate that the network was considering beginning to air two Project Runway editions yearly, Project Runway 3 debuted in July 2006 -- only four months after the show's second edition finale aired.)
According to Bravo's press release, Project Runway's fourth season will see "only three finalists... face-off.. at New York Fashion Week" -- a change from the third season format that featured four finalists presenting collections. A Bravo spokesperson did not immediately respond to Reality TV World's attempt to confirm "Fashion Week" will be Fall Fashion Week, the February event that served as the finale backdrop for the Project Runway's first two editions. (Project Runway 3 used New York's Spring Fashion Week, which occurs in September, for the filming of its October 2006 finale.)
Last week, Project Runway's producers formally announced that fashion guru and new Liz Claiborne chief creative officer Tim Gunn will return for the show's fourth season. Fashion designer Michael Kors, ELLE Magazine fashion director Nina Garcia and supermodel Heidi Klum will all also return for the show's fourth season.
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Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz of Magical Elves -- the same production company that produces Top Chef -- will return as executive producers for the fourth season of Project Runway along with Rich Bye.
In addition to Top Chef's third edition, Hey Paula! -- American Idol judge Paula Abdul's new reality series -- and the third season of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List will be part of Bravo's summer broadcast schedule.
About The Author: Steven Rogers