Bravo
It’s that time of year when the networks are wrapping up the season or ending a series with finales taking up most of the broadcast schedule. Which means there were very few new shows premiering in the month of May. But with the advent of cable TV and new networks looking to draw viewers their way, we do have one new show premiering, but not until 2009. Unfortunately, the series that premiered that year didn’t make much of an impact on the TV landscape.
1959
- No new series premiered this week in 1959.
1969
- No new series premiered this week in 1969.
1979
- No new series premiered this week in 1979.
1989
- No new series premiered this week in 1989.
1999
- No new series premiered this week in 1999.
2009
- May 7 — Reality competition series The Fashion Show premiere on Bravo, the cable networks attempt to stay in the fashion competition game after its long-running hit series Project Runway was unceremoniously and litigiously moved to the Lifetime cable network. The new series followed the same basic template as its predecessor in which designers had specific themes each week with the same limited amount of time and materials in which to produce an article of clothing or sometimes a collection with one designer eliminated each week. The show did run for two seasons. Season 1 featured designer Isaac Mizrahi and singer Kelly Rowland as hosts and judges, with resident judges Fern Mallis and Laura Brown. Season 2 changed up the format a bit with new host Iman. The designers were divided into two ‘fashion houses’ with each expected to design a cohesive collection each week based on the theme, including the elements of the runway show itself. The subtitle ‘Ultimate Collection’ was added to the title for the second season. Mizrahi returned as a co-host and judge, and Brown also returned as a judge. The second season became known — by being ridiculed on E!’s The Soup — for a garbled sentence spoken by contestant Calvin Tran about having to work with the other contestants: ‘Oh here go hell come!’ In all, 22 episodes were produced and the series ended on January 25, 2011 while Project Runway continued to thrive on Lifetime. Interestingly, Runway was quietly cancelled at the height of the Harvey Weinstein scandal as the series was produced by his company. Seeing an opportunity, Bravo quickly snapped up the rights and brought the show back home for a 2019 premiere.
Do you remember this show? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
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