The second season of "Project Runway" ended last week when . But there wasn't much time for lovers of fashion reality shows to mourn, because "America's Next Top Model" started up its sixth season that same night. Reality TV, always in fashion.
Q: I’m an avid watcher of Project Runway and wondered why on their Web site they showed Kara (who did not make the final three) showing a collection at Fashion Week? —Tracy
A: Fashion Week happened before the episode aired in which Kara Janx was sent home. Since Fashion Week is covered avidly by the media, any articles that would be written about the event would have likely revealed that Kara was not present — so viewers who also read the fashion coverage in the newspaper would be spoiled for Kara's elimination. So all four showed their clothing at the event. Said , "You have to play tricks for the TV."
Coverage of Kara's line, which was not seen on the finale, was mixed The Associated Press said Janx "showed off gowns and shirts in multicolored cascading layers and blazers over T-shirts with cropped pants that looked sort of like huge gray diapers." Because everyone wants to wear a giant gray diaper. However, raved about it, two of my co-workers think Kara's collection was the best of the four. See what you think. You can indeed watch . —G.F.C.
Q: One of my favorite reality shows was “I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here”! It was the episode with Chris Judd. I haven’t seen it since. Will it be back? —Lin
A: Probably not. Although “I’m a Celebrity — Get Me Out of Here” has been a hit in the UK, where five seasons aired, the ABC version flopped in the ratings. The odd thing is, on paper, the show seems like a winner: pampered celebrities in a “Survivor”-like environment, with the public voting them out one by one after they participate in challenges often involving gross creatures.
However, the 2003 ABC show was much more contrived and set-up than “Survivor.” For one, tarps overhead protected their camp from rain, and the celebs had comforts such as cots. (On “Survivor,” they’ll kill one another for a corner of a pillow.) For another, last year, claiming that she had scarring from leeches that she encountered during a challenge. According to Celebrity Justice, she was “told by the show’s staff that the blood-sucking creatures posed no harm.” There’s nothing more contrived than “safe” leeches.
The whole thing seemed overproduced and awkward, and since it was being filmed and airing just a day or two later, the episodes weren’t nearly as cinematic or film-like as those we’ve come to expect from “Survivor.” Plus, the B-list celebs ABC cast, like winner Chris Judd, were boring.
In 2004, ABC said they were going to air a spin-off, “I’m a Rich Kid — Get Me Out of Here,” but that show never materialized. Last year, though, E! aired a very similar-sounding series, “Filthy Rich Cattle Drive,” that featured the spoiled children of celebrities driving cattle. It was incredible television, as the selfishness and self-centeredness of some of the celeb kids pushed the real cowboys and the non-spoiled celeb kids to the edge. Besides the format, the difference was in the execution: it was cast well, shot beautifully, and edited for maximum drama and entertainment.
The same is true of the other celebrity shows, such as “The Surreal Life,” which will premiere its sixth season March 19. The lesson is that celebrities alone don’t make a good series. The concept and the execution are just as important, although with someone such as Ozzy Osbourne, you’ll probably hit ratings gold if you just keep the camera pointed at him most of the time. —A.D.
Q: Whatever happened to “Feast”, the movie from the latest season of Project Greenlight? Is there hope that the Weinstein Company will release it even if it is only straight to video? —Dawn, North Carolina
A: While “Feast” was once scheduled to be released on Jan. 20, there is dwindling hope that we’ll see it any time soon. Some people have seen the film — it played at the Chicago International Film Festival, the Savannah Film Festival, and the International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival last October — but an actual release isn’t being planned.
Most recently, producer Chris Moore told Wired magazine that Bob and Harvey Weinstein “[are] saying nothing. That tells me that they’re going to sit on it and hope all of us will go away, and traditionally in Hollywood, we will.” Wes Craven has said basically the same thing, that he knows nothing but hopes it’ll be released soon.
Last August, “Project Greenlight” producer Matt Damon said that Bob Weinstein liked the film. But around that time, the Weinsteins officially left Miramax and formed their own company, so apparently something changed.
Will it be released on DVD only? Again, there’s no word, but the film’s director, John Gulager, doesn’t want a DVD-only release, telling Wired, “We’re not out to make DVD movies. We want to make movie movies.” —A.D.
Gael Fashingbauer Cooper is MSNBC.com's Television Editor. is a writer and teacher who publishes , a daily summary of reality TV news.