Lifetime's Plan to Poach 'Project Runway' From Bravo Just Got Snipped
Designers, gather round: we've got an announcement. Though the sixth season of Project Runway is filming right now in downtown LA, it may be a long time before the episodes see the light of day — if ever. Already pushed to January 2009, Runway has just been rocked by a new development in the contentious lawsuit hatched when the Weinstein Company moved the show to Lifetime over the fierce protestations of proud gay parent Bravo. Now, the judge in the case has ruled against the Weinsteins, unraveling their plans like an errant thread pulled too far:
A judge has granted NBC Universal a preliminary injunction that prevents the Weinstein Co. from moving Project Runway from NBCU-owned Bravo to Lifetime next year. "NBC Universal is pleased that the court granted our motion for a preliminary injunction against The Weinstein Company," the media powerhouse said in a statement. "The overwhelming evidence demonstrated that The Weinstein Company violated NBC Universal's right of first refusal to future cycles of Project Runway. After hearing all of the evidence, the court issued an order prohibiting The Weinstein Company from taking the show or any spin-off to Lifetime." There has been no word yet from the brothers Weinstein, who have stood by the legitimacy of their actions, while NBCU insisted that the producers were contractually obligated to give Bravo right of refusal before shopping the show to other networks.
Will this be a "make it work" moment for Harvey Weinstein, or will Season 6's first casualty be the footage already shot for Lifetime? One thing is for sure: this story's already got more wrinkles than the crotch of a pair of Kenley-made pants.