Can Project Runway be saved?

To be upfront- I will admit that I stole this title from the Boston Globe. But my feelings were very similar to theirs, even before I read their article.

Many years back, my dear Stacey had a list of shows that she said were a must. And you see dear readers, that Stacey is most often right. One of those shows was my now beloved Veronica Mars, and another was Project Runway.

With the start of the second season, I bought in to the then Bravo show hosted by the surprisingly delightful Heidi Klum (now Samuel). Through several seasons of the show we were treated to a whole host of characters, and many talented designers. There may have been a little backstabbing and copycatting but it was a show that you looked forward too. I'm not a huge fashionista myself, but I know I'm a better judge of clothes construction than of singing completions. There was no denying the breakout star of the show was Tim Gunn. "Make it work". Who wouldn't want to have lunch and do a little shop with this guy.

Then, the show jumped ship to Lifetime. Fine. But NBC, Bravo's parent company, wasn't letting them go without a fight. As a result, we had to wait quite awhile before we got our new season. (I think Heidi Klum had five or six kids while we waited for the new season.)

Last August- Finally the premiere of the new season on Lifetime and it would be this time from L.A. (Thank goodness Mood has a branch there.) Part of my problem is that I watch it alone. This is one of the things that I miss about having a roommate. There are some shows (Lost) that people should not speak during. But there are others, where it's nice to have a little banter about. For my birthday this year, I actually asked my friends to come over for dinner and watch the show. It got my friend Melissa hooked for the first time. She ended up really liking the season. (I think. Maybe she will comment and tell us.)

I felt a little guilty because I kept telling her that Season 6 lacked something, a certain je ne sais quo. For me it can be summed up in a couple things.

1. Judges- This season shot in L.A. Fine for Heidi, she lives there now with her family. Not so for Michael Kors and Nina Garcia. Both had to fly back and forth to New York and as a result, I think the three of them were maybe in a total of two episodes. This left us with lots of guest judges. Most who didn't do too much for me. Lindsay Lohan, no thanks. Rebecca Romjin, boring. I would actually like to see a more permanent fourth judge, and a sometimes fill-in. I would kind of like to see Tim more at the runway.

2. Contestants- Season 6 was a pretty blah, bunch. I liked Carol-Hannah. I liked Althea. I didn't like Irina, but she was talented. Christopher cried TOO much. I really wan't passionate about any one of them. Sometimes too, a designer can do fairly well with the challenges they are given throughout the season but when it comes to their own collection, it's weird or boring.

3. Challenges- nothing too exciting. Was there one where they had to work with something natural? I missed the trip to the M&M store and the use of wrappers or something.

What does Season 7 hold? Back in NYC. Good. Familiar judging faces return, check. Nicole Richie.....eh. Contestants who look pretty talented, yeah. It's always hard to tell at the beginning because there are so many of them.

Do you watch?