Project Runway Season 8: Last Gasp Edition

[octothorpe]

So we finally have proper cable boxen in chez Harrington-Carmichael, which means I can once again watch Project Runway. I tried to watch last season, but I had to do it online, and they made the episodes live a couple days after they aired. Not really a problem, but if you're trying to do a recap, it's not gonna work out! Last year also sucked. The move to Lifetime, plus the move to the left coast made for a very dull show. There were some OK designers in the mix, but they all seemed to be trapped in cages of their own design.

They've made changes for this season. They're back in NYC (W00t!), and they've changed the format to a 90 minute show. 90 minutes?!?! Yeah. There isn't more show, but there are *way* more adverts. Also the designers don't really seem to be that talented. There was a lot of hot tranny mess last night, and I'm glad those two went home, even if one of them is from Greenwich. He was a douche, and clearly unable to learn from anyone. In short, I'll probably watch some of the episodes, but probably not the whole season. They'll probably try to make a Season 9, but I wonder if Tim Gunn will be interested in doing it. He was none-too-pleased with this current season.

What did catch my eye was the trailing show. They made a mini-series with Austin Scarlet and Santino Rice from PR S1 and S2. I really like them as designers, but I wasn't sure their Designer Diva personalities would enable them to be within 500 yards of each other. This show proved otherwise! The gimmick of the show involves the two of them driving into backwater towns and making a garment for one woman in that town. So far, they've chosen some fascinating women. The first was an amazingly talented cowgirl stunt rider who pored herself into riding so much, she never had a life outside riding. The second was an Army Captain who was about to receive her Masters. The show is *a lot* of fun. The two mesh reasonably well, and they're both working toward a common goal. The second episode is worth it, just to watch Austin go full-on Scarlett O'Hara. I. Could not. Stop. Laughing. It was also fun to see the very effeminate Austin keep up with the PT the Captain made them do. I kept cheering him on. Santino, sadly, was left in the dust.

Anyone else see the show?

Comments

[dewittar.livejournal.com]

PR and now OTR are a religion for us.

See, I told you OTR was unexpectedly fun.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I used to adore PR. Now not so much. The only problem I have with OTR is the overlapping with The Daily Show.

[curtimack.livejournal.com]

I think Project Runway may have run its course...
I am not a big Micheal Kors fan, he markets plenty of tacky stuff himself!

[beg1n.livejournal.com]

I now DVR PR, and fast-forward through quite a bit of it. :-/

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was one of the bonuses of watching online… no adverts (I have an ad blocker), and the ability to skip. I think I ploughed through episodes in about 15 minutes.

[cellboy.livejournal.com]

I actually did not know the new season was on! Oy! For the moment I am glued to So You Think You can Dance (although I can't stand the host & America's Got Talent...
Guess I'd better watch!

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

As I said, PR has totally jumped the shark. Do however, try and watch "On the Road with Austin and Santino".

[guiser1.livejournal.com]

I quite like both of the title characters, but wasn't as impressed with their chemistry as you. The whole thing seemed a little too low budget for me--a little too thrown together at the last minute. But I'll keep watching.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's VERY low budget. I think that's why I liked it. It's not at all trying too hard.

[njbearcub1.livejournal.com]

Austin Scarlet in a birthday cake outfit will sustain my happiness for days.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

This!!

And that he talked to himself in his own fantasy tea party.

I love him!

[omero-hassan.livejournal.com]

I think I'm going to find the 90-minute format a drag, especially as the number of designers goes down. Also, the judges seem bitchier, and while I like a good bitchy critique as well as the next queen, a little goes a long way, and I'm finding it a little unpleasant.

I haven't watched every season, so I guess I can't really compare, but it feels like the challenges are more and more boring -- make a dress for the Marie Claire reader? Really?

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Well, MC is a major sponsor of the show, and Nina works for them. I think every year there is an MC challenge. Actually, I thought this one wasn't bad. It's realistic in that they didn't have to make something out of garbage, but was still pressed for time and budget.

You should go back and check out seasons 1 and 2. The first season was VERY unpolished, but it introduced the format, and it's interesting to see where everyone thought this was going. Season 2 had the format pretty much locked down, and had better designers overall. S3 was also good, and possibly the pinnacle of the show. I think they're available on Netflix.

[omero-hassan.livejournal.com]

I started with Season 5, and I have always had the feeling that I'd missed the better seasons.

[wescobear.livejournal.com]

I admit that Project Rungay Runway is my guilty pleasure, and I echo a lot of your comments. The show certainly is improved since it returned to Manhattan, but after watching the last two episodes I came away feeling like the bitchiness and nastiness have been turned up to eleven on the dial. Certainly the end of the episode last night was just downright cruel.

I haven't seen "On the Road with Austin and Santino" yet, but I'll look for it.