PROJECT RUNWAY PREMIERE: HIGHEST RATINGS - The drama continues to pull-in...

PROJECT RUNWAY PREMIERE: HIGHEST RATINGS

The drama continues to pull-in viewers…

By Sharon Feiereisen

Nearly 3 million viewers tuned-in to last Wednesday's premiere of Project Runway: Season 5 (according to figures from The Nielsen Co.), the highest viewership in the show’s history.

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As a comparison, the first season premiere attracted merely 354,000 viewers and the second season premiere had just 925,000 viewers. Beginning in season three however, the show took-off and the first episodes of both season three and four drew 2.4 million viewers and 2.9 million viewers, respectively.

As a Project Runway fan myself, I will surely diligently be tuning in every Wednesday night (or at least recording it on my DVR), but I have to say the first episode was hard for me to watch. Seeing some of the talented contestants anxious, stressing, and at some points nearly in tears, I almost felt uncomfortable watching the show (though I understand that is what appeals to most viewers).

I was also annoyed to no end by both Blayne a.k.a. the tanorexic guy who won’t stop saying “girlicious” and Suede who refers to himself in the third person and should rethink his blue fauk-hawk – both contestant are so obviously (and embarrassingly so), trying to be the next Christian Sirinano.

Blayne

Lastly, I admit that Jerry’s design (Jerry is the force behind FORM), was off, but when he was booted instead of Stella (reminds me of kooky Elisa from Season 4), whose garment was nothing more than ill-looking garbage bags, I couldn’t help but think the producers must play a central role in picking who gets auf’d...

Photos courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.