A Very Good Idea

Now that my cable's finally working, I'm officially on the Project Runway train for this season. But this post is not about how fabulous Tim Gunn is, or how much I love it when Heidi pulls out the sarcasm. No, though many of Runway's best assets are still very much on top of their game (I'm talking about you Mr. Gunn), it's one of the new additions to the show that I'm finding noteworthy.

The spinoff show Models of the Runway might just be the best idea the Runway people have had in years. Not only does the half hour show tap into the Runway audience (it airs right after the original show) but it also capitalizes on the America's Next Top Model frenzy without branching into sketchy Tyra territory.

Models focuses on the competition between the models who are paired with the Runway designers and takes place, for the most part, in the time between the Runway designer elimination and when the designers choose their model for the next challenge (and one model is sent home). The show not only reveals the personalities of the models you see on Runway (who were, until now, sort of just walking mannequins) but it also offers some insight into the designers themselves as the models debate who they want to be paired with.

While Models doesn't have the talent component that Runway does (well, at least not as impressive of one), it does have just as much drama and some fun personalities. And even if you don't care at all about the lives of the models, it's a little Runway supplement in case you weren't getting enough Heidi with just the original show.