'RUNWAY' ON THE RUN?

Several media sources report Lifetime Networks - the network for women (and their gay male friends) - scored a major coup over NBC/Universal this week. Bravo's hit TV show... no, make that cable's highest rated reality show, Project Runway, will no longer air on Bravo, starting this fall.

Now, these reports are mildly misleading, in that Bravo will air the fifth incarnation of the runway show during the summer, starting in mid-July. So, for now, Project Runway will remain on Bravo. But the next, sixth "season" is slate to go into production for Lifetime, in the fall.

Usually (and I stress the usually part), a season runs for anywhere from 18-22 episodes (less for reality), and run once a year. Some shows, like major network shows, straddle two calendar years, but shows like Project Runway tend to have shortened runs, only appearing once a year.

The changing of the guards, or stations, as it were, means Runway will have multiple seasons in one year. Thus far, the change of networks is under fire, with a lawsuit from NBC/Universal. No word on what the grounds of lawsuit are, but given the volatile nature of the TV world, combined with NBC/U's loosing streak since the 1990s, this fight will be ugly. And I mean ugly.

We'll just have to watch what happens...