'Project Runway' To Strut For Lifetime
Weinstein Co.-Produced Fashion Competition Series Had Been Bravo’s Highest-Rated
By R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 4/7/2008 9:09:00 AM
Bravo’s highest-rated series Project Runway will strut over to Lifetime Television beginning this November in a major coup for the women’s targeted network.
The Weinstein Co.-produced fashion competition reality series, which drew 5.18 million viewers in its fourth-season finale on Bravo last month, will launch its sixth campaign on Lifetime, the first of a five-year agreement, according Lifetime Networks’ president and CEO Andrea Wong and The Weinstein Co. co-chairmen Harvey and Bob Weinstein..
“Project Runway is one of the best television programs on the air today on broadcast or cable … and reality shows like Project Runway is what Lifetime Television is all about,” said Lifetime president and CEO Andrea Wong.
While thanking NBC Universal and Bravo for its support, Bob and Harvey Weinstein said in a statement that the Lifetime deal “is a celebration of all of our success and having Lifetime’s unique cable reach will ensure that the show will continue to grow and expand in the years to come.”
NBC Universal, which retains rights to a fifth season and encore showings, isn’t going down without a fight.
According to the Weinstein Co. NBC has filed suit against the company in New York Supreme Court “after declining to compete for the right to have Project Runway.”
“We believe that this lawsuit is without merit. While good for the market for lawyers, it is always unfortunate when parties try to win in court what they have lost in the marketplace,” said David Boies, counsel to The Weinstein Co.
NBCU officials didn’t return phone calls by press time.
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