 |
|
|
As you well know if you’re
following entertainment news, the reality show “Project Runway” was supposed to
move from the Bravo network to Lifetime. However, a New York Supreme Court
Judge over-ruled the deal. It allowed NBC (owner of Bravo) a last opportunity
to match the terms of the deal, as the company claimed this right was
stipulated in the original contract between the Bravo network and the Weinstein
Company, the owner of “Project Runway”.
Both parties are shocked by this
decision, as cases regarding the entertainment industry are rarely based on
such clauses. The decision obviously put
“Project Runway” between a rock and a hard place, as the Court also issued an
order by which the Weinstein Company cannot market the show or spin-offs to any
other network, as they had originally planned.
The Court’s decision was also
highly detrimental to Lifetime, as their winter schedule was built around
“Project Runway”, said to start airing in January. NBC officials stated they
were very pleased with the court’s decision of allowing a preliminary
injunction against the Weinstein Company, as it is concluding evidence that the
latter violated NBC’s right to be the first to refuse future “Project Runway”
seasons. The Weinstein Company issued a statement saying it would make an
appeal.
Lifetime stated that the ones most
hurt by this decision are the “Project Runway” die-hard fans. It’s easy to
understand why both companies are fighting tooth and nail for the show: the
fourth season had an average of 3.8 million women viewers, aged 18-49, and the
season’s finale – a whopping 6.1 million female viewers.
The trial date will be scheduled
by the Judge and the two parties on October 15th. The possibility of
the two companies to reach a private settlement is not one to be overlooked.
The show's producers at The
Weinstein Company decided in April to move the show to Lifetime starting with
the sixth season, prompting a breach-of-contract lawsuit from NBC Universal.
“Project Runway” was announced
among this year’s recipients of the Peabody
award for excellence in radio and television broadcasting Wednesday, thus
becoming the first reality television show to ever win the prestigious prize.
“Project Runway” is hosted and executive produced by German supermodel Heidi
Klum.
© 2007 - 2008 - eFluxMedia