2. Casting: Seventeen designers is too many! Twelve to fourteen is perfect. Please be very careful with casting. Each designer should be unique. Also please hold open auditions. Get the long lines again and welcome press to interview the hopefuls. This builds anticipation for the show!
3. Scheduling: Filming should be at Parsons between Memorial Day and July 4th and the finale should be in FEBRUARY giving the editors and the producers plenty of time to edit and air the correct number of episodes so that only THREE designers show at Fashion Week. Seriously. NO DECOY SHOWS EVER AGAIN. These three finalists should show 15 looks. Ten is not enough. Please give the finalists enough time and budget to create their dream collections.
Having ten designers show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week serves to weaken the value of the actual prize. Also, it makes it seem that no one at Lifetime has a calendar. If there are ten challenges, and ten episodes to reduce the designers down to three finalists, then count back ten weeks before February fashion week and start the season then. It's not that hard.
4. Previews: Previews should actually foretell hints of what is going to happen. No red herrings. Respect the audience. We don't want any monkeying around with audio - that's just wrong. If you show Heidi making a comment to someone and then cut to a shot of a designer, she had better be talking to that designer. Don't be deceptive. You have a great show. You don't need to resort to cheap tricks. We deserve better.
Please don't give too much away in the previews either. Just a hint. I like being surprised by the challenge and the guest judge. Please maintain the mystery. Make me tune in to find out.
5. Challenges: There is no need to repeat challenges from former seasons. If you need suggestions, there are hundreds of suggestions on BPR and our readers can easily suggest more. Every episode should be fresh.
6. Models: I would like to see the model selection in each episode - even if they keep the same girls. With your new super-tight editing it would take about one minute to show this. I like seeing the models all lined up so that I can tell who is the tallest and I would like to know their names!
7. Judges: I am not going to say that the show needs new judges. I WILL say that this show is not about Michael or Nina. It's about the designers. Michael should check his ego at the door. Also Michael and Nina should be available on weekends during filming in June. Having to schedule challenges around Michael's weekends at Fire Island, or Nina's trips to The Hamptons is unreasonable. It's only four weeks.
Also, the Guest Judge at the finale should have the strongest voice. What is the point of having a guest judge if her voice doesn't matter? The three regular judges have already had the opportunity to select the three finalists. They have their own favorites and their own prejudices. The finale is the time to bring in fresh eyes.
Please don't allow Michael to bully the guest judge. Shouting "HELLO...READ A MAGAZINE!" at Jessica Simpson was extremely unkind and unprofessional. He should apologize to Jessica and to everyone who witnessed it.
There is no reason why deliberations should take ten hours. That's ridiculous. If the judges are deadlocked two to two, give the advantage to the guest judge. Just a humble suggestion.
8. The Finale: Tired "twists" like bringing the eliminated designers back, or having to create a "13th look" should be forbidden. You are more creative than that. If you would like suggestions for "last-minute twists" I am certain that our readers can come up with many.
I would like to see the finale model selection. This only takes about 2 minutes onscreen but it's a lot of fun to watch (especially the ones who CAN'T walk) and we certainly would like to see more fun in the show. I like to see the finalists fighting over the best girls. I would also like to recognize some of the models from previous seasons of Project Runway and also from other reality shows.
Because the "Models of the Runway" show was kind of a bust, you may have concluded that no one is interested in the models. I do care...but not enough to watch an entire show about them. Please work it into the show again.
9. The Reunion: The Season 8 Reunion was not fun at all! What happened to the fun? Who is the Fan Favorite? Where was the giant check? Where were the viewer's questions? Please involve the fans in the reunion. Thank you.
Please prepare NEW material for the reunion. A montage of Timisms will never grow old. A retrospective of Mondo's wardrobe choices or Gretchen's criticisms of her fellow designers would have been great. How about the judges contradicting themselves? How about a quick review of Nina reciting the same tired cliches over and over, episode after episode?
What I like the most though, is the stuff that we don't see in the show, the scenes from the cutting-room floor and the outtakes. Vincent's "Fluff and Fold" diatribe was hilarious.
Play a clip of someone behaving badly and then ask the designer (or judge) to defend the behavior. Reunions can be great. This one wasn't.
I think you spent too much energy on the "Fairy Jobmother" promos and not enough on the reunion.
I have some additional suggestions that are more creative and perhaps a little "out of the box" but I am going to throw them out there anyway. I am also going to invite our readers to add their ideas to this post in the comments. I'm sure if they have read this far, they are already anxious to contribute their suggestions!
1. For February 2011 AND for September 2011 Lifetime and Marie Claire could book a "Project Runway Designer Showcase" at MBFW. This is to keep the brand relevant and to show that Lifetime is committed to the success of the designers. There should be a fun way to determine the Project Runway Alumni who get to show. I'd also like to see Project Runway models and sponsors on board for this.
Wouldn't you LOVE to see another Mondo Guerra show in February? How about an Austin Scarlett show? Perhaps give the winning designers a chance to show their newest lines. By giving the designers extra opportunities, the network demonstrates that appearing on Project Runway is relevant and beneficial.
There doesn't have to be judging or a cash prize or anything else - it's just a "showcase." This also serves as an incentive to future Project Runway designers. Even if they don't make it to the finals, this additional opportunity is there. Maybe even the "fan favorite" from each season could have a showcase. Did you have a fan favorite award this season? I can't recall.
After 2011, this "showcase" would only be in September and the finale always in February. One show a year, three finalists, 15 looks. One showcase in alternate seasons. We would not mind waiting between seasons. Not at all.
Another suggestion is to have a "Project Runway Casting Special" in the spring. Perhaps in late April or early May. Show a bunch of potential designers - all the crazy ones for sure. Tim Gunn narrates... "Then we headed to Chicago where season two winner, Chloe Dao joined Zanna and I....." Not to give away the actual designers who are cast, but to definitely get us talking about the ones who we hope to see.
This keeps the brand aloft and builds anticipation for the new season.
Thank you very much for Project Runway. I have watched every episode and every season. It will always be my favorite show.
Sincerely,
Laura Kluvo
P.S. BPRs, please click here to leave your own suggestions for Lifetime.
