So NBC is going to abandon the first hour of prime time, according to non-visionary chief Jeff Zucker. No more pricey comedies and dramas to fill the 8 pm/ET hour in the future. I guess the handful of shows, mostly comedies, now airing in that hour will migrate elsewhere at some point, whichever ones actually survive. Sounds like surrender to me. Not to mention fewer scheduling options for a lesser range of programming. Be on the lookout for more cheesy game shows and cheaper reality retreads. And what would happen should NBC be lucky enough to stumble across a perfect 8 pm/ET premise like ABC's family-friendly Ugly Betty? This is such a short-sighted blanket philosophy it's as staggering as it is depressing. Was it just two years ago that Friends signed off as one of the highest-rated shows ever, holding down that first half-hour of prime Thursday real estate? How times have changed, and how quickly. And how sad is it for TV's future to see a network simply giving up rather than tr...
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Jeffrey Sebelia, Project Runway
From the first moment he appeared on the screen, Jeffrey Sebelia, the winner of Bravo's third round of Project Runway, caused a bit of a stir. His harsh criticisms of fellow designers led many to call him a Santino Rice wannabe — which should be a compliment to Jeffrey, since he's a friend of last season's runner-up — while fashion-conscious viewers either loved or hated his rock-influenced creations. But the neck-tattooed, L.A.-based designer came up with a sophisticated and innovative final collection for Olympus Fashion Week, landing himself the show's $100,000 prize. On condition of handing Bravo our firstborn child if we leaked the info early, TVGuide.com spoke to Jeffrey before Tuesday's finale aired.
TVGuide.com: Congratulations! What inspired you to go on the show in the first place?
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Heidi Klum, Project Runway
This is Heidi Klum's year of threes: The supermodel is 33 years old, expecting her third child and awaiting the third-season premiere of her other baby, Bravo's Project Runway (launching tonight with a 9 pm/ET casting special, followed by the first episode at 10). Not only has the reality show — in which 15 contestants compete for $100,000, a new car and an optional mentorship (this year with Macy's instead of Banana Republic) — been a surprise hit for Bravo, but Klum says success hasn't altered her intended purpose for it: to celebrate the hard work and talent it takes to create fashion.
"There have always been movies about fashion," Klum says of pop culture's fascination with the industry. "Fashion TV has been around for many, many years. You can go on the Metr
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Santino, Project Runway
No offense to winner Chloe Dao, or even to host Heidi Klum, but the name Santino Rice has become practically synonymous with Project Runway's Season 2. So naturally, with the DVD set of Bravo's cutthroat fashion competition now in stores, we took the opportunity to catch up with the larger-than-life Los Angeles-based designer. Despite those extended scenes of his battles with judge Nina Garcia and his harsh criticisms of his peers that appear on the DVD, Santino is confident that he remains the show's undisputed winner, prize money be damned. And he has a few words of advice for the contestants of Season 3, which premieres Wednesday, July 12, at 10 pm/ET.
TVGuide.com: What's it like for you to watch yourself on the DVD?Santino Rice: There's a part of me that
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Santino, Project Runway
No offense to winner Chloe Dao, or even to host Heidi Klum, but the name Santino Rice has become practically synonymous with Project Runway's Season 2. So naturally, with the DVD set of Bravo's cutthroat fashion competition about to hit shelves Tuesday, we took the opportunity to catch up with the larger-than-life Los Angeles-based designer. Despite those extended scenes of his battles with judge Nina Garcia and his harsh criticisms of his peers that appear on the DVD, Santino is confident that he remains the show's undisputed winner, prize money be damned. And he has a few words of advice for the contestants of Season 3, which premieres Wednesday, July 12, at 10 pm/ET.
TVGuide.com: What's it like for you to watch yourself on the DVD?Santino Rice: There's a p
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Cher and Josh, Beauty and the Geek
American IdolBo Bice sounded a bit hoarse on his single "The Real Thing," probably from new-daddy lack of sleep. I do miss Bo, but he's lucky Simon Cowell wasn't judging that one. It's not surprising that Kinnik and Will had the lowest number of votes — neither one had a good night this week. And they haven't exactly gotten much love from the judges. While America has heard every detail of Kellie Pickler's lunch orders and knows everything about Taylor but his ring size, Kinnik and Will were the very last of the top 24 picked and we've barely heard a word about them since. Both were total class acts in their farewell speeches, and they finally got to hear the words "I like you" from Simon. Kellie, Kathar
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The Biggest Loser: Special EditionI really didn't enjoy the first hour of this show. All the good stuff from the regular series is gone: There was hardly any advice from Bob and Jillian, and there were no tips about diet or exercise. We just got to meet the families and watch their competition. It's the new year, and with all of those inevitable weight-loss resolutions, this would be a particularly good time to emphasize more of the "how-to" aspect for viewers. That said, I was much more engaged in the second hour, when the families got to go home and put into practice the lessons they learned in two weeks at the ranch — that was actually very interesting. I really liked both teams. The Muhas had the whole touching story about their son in the
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The Biggest Loser: Special EditionI really didn't enjoy the first hour of this show. All the good stuff from the regular series is gone: There was hardly any advice from Bob and Jillian, and there were no tips about diet or exercise. We just got to meet the families and watch their competition. It's the new year, and with all of those inevitable weight-loss resolutions, this would be a particularly good time to emphasize more of the "how-to" aspect for viewers. That said, I was much more engaged in the second hour, when the families got to go home and put into practice the lessons they learned in two weeks at the ranch — that was actually very interesting. I really liked both teams. The Muhas had the whole touching story about their son in the
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Project RunwayWhen Heidi Klum said they'd be designing for a socialite in the promos for tonight's episode, of course everyone thought Paris Hilton. But think about it: They already did skimpy lingerie last week, so they probably wanted to do something with a little bit more material than what Paris would likely wear. Plus, how likely is it that she'd appear on a Bravo show? Nicky, on the other hand, has that whole fashion angle going on. I don't know if it's the desire to design for a Hilton or the stress of all those cuts, but the claws are starting to show. There was all that chaos in the workroom over stolen mannequins and fabric. Then there's Nick and Santino's bitchy rivalry showing up in every confe
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Project Runway host Heidi Klum
Tonight at 10 pm/ET, Bravo invites viewers to take a second stroll down the runway — the reality contest Project Runway, that is, executive-produced and again hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum. The stakes this time around: Not only will the winner be handed a cool $100,000 to help launch his or her own line, but he or she will also win the keys to a 2007 Saturn SkyRoadster, a mentorship from the Banana Republic Design Team, and the winning designs will be featured in Elle, as photographed by the magazine's world-renowned Gilles Bensimon.
How will Runway 2 be different from the original? Among the surprises that Victoria's Secret's go-to girl has in store are an even larger
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