Lifetime Digital to Provide Unprecedented Level of Content for New Season of Project Runway and the All-New Models of the Runway

Lifetime Digital to Provide Unprecedented Level of Content for New Season of Project Runway and the All-New Models of the Runway

Full Episodes to be Streamed on Show Site at MYLIFETIME.COM for First Time Ever PROJECT RUNWAY BUZZ ROOM to Aggregate Social Media Conversations Judges' Extended Commentaries, TIM GUNN Behind-the-Scenes Critiques, Designer Video Blogs, Runway Dress-Up Games, and Blogs from Previous Season Designers NICK VERREOS, ANDRAE GONZALO and CHRIS MARCH Highlight Robust Offerings

NEW YORK, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Lifetime Digital, the ultimate digital source for women's entertainment, escape and play, announced today that it will stream full episodes of Project Runway and Models of the Runway, and launch the first-of-its-kind Project Runway Buzz Room as part of its unprecedented digital content offerings on the shows' official sites at myLifetime.com.

   (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090820/NY64260-a )    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090820/NY64260-b )    (Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080804/NYM114LOGO )   

Project Runway's sixth season makes its much-anticipated debut on Lifetime tonight at 10 PM ET/PT, and seamlessly leads into its new companion series Models of the Runway at 11PM ET/PT. Host Heidi Klum, mentor Tim Gunn and judges Michael Kors (leading fashion designer) and Nina Garcia (Fashion Director of Marie Claire Magazine), will guide the 16 new contestants as they show off their design skills to see who makes the cut for New York's Fashion Week. Filmed in Los Angeles and New York, Project Runway also features influential guest judges from the worlds of fashion, music, film and television.

myLifetime.com will stream full episodes of Project Runway and Models of the Runway every week after each episode first airs on Lifetime, marking the first time ever they will stream online, and the episodes will be available on Lifetime On Demand. The full episodes are in addition to the more than 500 exclusive broadband video clips that will be rolled out throughout the season to bring fans behind-the-scenes in ways not previously accomplished in the franchise's history.

The Project Runway Buzz Room is a custom application that will aggregate Twitter messages and Facebook public posts around key Project Runway hash tags and keywords. Providing fans of Project Runway with one centralized digital location to tap into the stream of posts about the show, the Project Runway Buzz Room will also feature posts from show designers and models, designers from previous seasons, and key show sites and bloggers. Site visitors can access the Project Runway Buzz Room with their Facebook Connect or Twitter log-ins and have the option of simultaneously surfacing their posts in the room on their Twitter or Facebook pages.

"We've set out to create a destination that Project Runway fans will be proud of and one that truly reflects the creativity and hard work of each of the series' 16 designers," said Dan Suratt, Executive Vice President, Digital Media and Business Development, Lifetime Networks. "Our goal is to satisfy the most passionate fans of the show with the behind-the-scenes content they crave and to produce a creative and cutting-edge site that takes the digital experience surrounding Project Runway to a new level."

To that end, in addition to full episodes and the Project Runway Buzz Room, other highlights of the Lifetime Digital offerings for Project Runway and Models of the Runway include the following:

   --  TIM GUNN'S WORK ROOM: Video of the fashion guru's commentary on each       designer's look every episode.   --  JUDGES' EXTENDED COMMENTARIES: Video of everything Heidi, Nina,       Michael and guest judges say to each designer every episode.   --  DESIGNER INTERVIEWS: Winning and losing designer video interviews.   --  DESIGNER, MODEL AND GUEST JUDGE VIDEO BLOGS: Video blogs from each       designer and model following every episode, as well as select guest       judges throughout the season.   --  BLOGS: Previous Project Runway designers Nick Verreos (season two),       Andrae Gonzalo (season two) and Chris March (season four) will each       provide weekly blog updates on Project Runway's show site following       each episode.  Their blogs will join a lineup that includes weekly       updates from Garcia and Kors; and the official Project Runway and       Models of the Runway blogs, written and frequently updated by Lifetime       Digital producers.   --  RATE THE RUNWAY/RATE THE WALK: The popular interactive photo gallery       returns with added photo functionality that enables fans to view       multiple design photos and zoom in on images for a closer look before       rating each episode's runway creations.  Rate the Walk will feature       video of each model walking the runway during each episode and enable       fans to rate their performances.   --  GAMES: Lifetime Digital will create custom dress-up closets for site       visitors to dress models using designs from each Project Runway       episode.   --  DESIGNER PORTFOLIO: Sketches and finals designs for each design in       every episode will be added to this new, interactive, Flash       application that shines a spotlight on the designers' amazing       creations like never before.   --  "MAKE IT WORK" SWEEPSTAKES: Sponsored by L'Oreal Paris and Garnier,       this unique video sweepstakes engages fans by asking their opinion       "did the judges get it right?" with exclusive episodic video of the       bottom three designers. Fans will have a chance to win $1,000 and       L'Oreal Paris and Garnier products each week, with a grand prize of       $25,000 and a trip to New York City to meet and lunch with Tim Gunn.   --  COMMUNITY: Greatly enhanced community functionality will enable site       visitors to engage far deeper than just message boards and will       include discussions, groups, member profiles, photo face-offs and       more.   --  L'OREAL PARIS MAKEUP ROOM: The custom micro-site will feature Get the       Look videos following each episode, with L'Oreal Paris makeup artist       Collier Strong demonstrating how to replicate a select look from each       week's episode.   --  GARNIER HAIR STUDIO: The custom micro-site will feature Get the Look       videos following each episode, with Garnier hair stylist Philip       Carreon demonstrating how to replicate a select hair style from each       week's episode.   --  TIM GUNN INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE (IVR): Lifetime gives fans the       opportunity to create and send customized messages to friends and       family from Tim Gunn - complete with friend's name, occupation,       hobbies, favorite designer and favorite Project Runway phrase,       including his trademark "make it work." Messages can be sent to       anyone's email or cell phone number at no charge.   --  FAN POLLING AND INTERACTIVE WIDGET: Fans can express their allegiance       to their favorite contestant using embeddable designer and model fan       "badges" (featuring streaming video) on their Facebook page and other       social platforms.   --  TLO AWARDS: Every Monday, the "fabulous and opinionated" Tom and       Lorenzo (founders of the popular Project Rungay blog) will offer up       commentary and awards in eight categories, including "Miss       Photogenic," "Miss Congeniality" and "Best Actress."   --  BLOGGING PROJECT RUNWAY JUDGING: Popular fan site Blogging Project       Runway will play the final fashion judge every Monday, delivering       their own take on each of the final designs from each episode.   --  SCORECARD: A tracker that follows each designer's finish by episode       (winner, loser, top three and bottom three).   --  OFFICIAL PROJECT RUNWAY FACEBOOK PAGE:       http://www.facebook.com/projectrunway   --  OFFICIAL PROJECT RUNWAY TWITTER ACCOUNT:       http://www.twitter.com/projectrunway    --  DOWNLOADS: AIM icons, wallpaper and more for each designer as well as       Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum.   

Exclusive Project Runway and Models of the Runway content is also available at The Weinstein Company's Project Runway site, http://www.projectrunway.com/, where the full Project Runway experience is enhanced with featured designer interviews, special messaging to the fans and additional content that includes:

   --  DESIGN AUCTIONS: Each week's designs will become available immediately       following the West coast airing of Project Runway, complete with       commentary on the designer's inspiration for the auctioned piece. All       proceeds from each auction are donated to charity.   --  EXCLUSIVE LIMITED EDITION DESIGNS: New to the site are additions to       the licensing line created by Project Runway designers including       limited edition t-shirts and totes with access to the contestants own       lines ranging from Epperson's signature fragrance to Carol Hannah       Whitfield's original dresses.    --  BEHIND-THE-SCENES INTERVIEWS: Exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews       with the contestants can be found in addition to new web content and       applications each week.                 ABOUT PROJECT RUNWAY AND MODELS OF THE RUNWAY  

Hosted by supermodel and fashion maven Heidi Klum, the hit series Project Runway provides budding designers with an opportunity to launch their careers in fashion, under the watchful eye of mentor and Liz Claiborne Chief Creative Officer Tim Gunn. The wildly successful competition reality series has proven to be one of television's most talked about shows and was the highest-rated unscripted competition on all of cable for 2008.

Models of the Runway, an exciting new companion series to Project Runway, will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the reality competition - from the models' perspective. Viewers can experience the drama, anxiety, joys, tears and frustrations as the models themselves face elimination each week and compete for a cash prize and photo spread in Marie Claire Magazine.

Produced by The Weinstein Company, Miramax Films, Bunim-Murray Productions and Full Picture Productions, Project Runway and Models of the Runway are executive produced by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairmen of The Weinstein Company, and Jon Murray and Sara Rea of Bunim-Murray Productions (The Real World). Heidi Klum; Desiree Gruber and Jane Cha of New York City-based Full Picture also executive produce both series. Barbara Schneeweiss oversees the production on behalf of The Weinstein Company.

About Lifetime Digital Media

Lifetime Digital Media, the ultimate digital source for women's entertainment, escape and play, reaches women wherever and however they connect, play and share. Combined with the reach of the Lifetime Networks, Lifetime Digital Media provides sponsors an unrivaled opportunity to reach women with a powerful, singular-branded experience across all platforms. More than 3.8 million women per month (May, 2009; ComScore Media Metrix) visit Lifetime Digital's robust properties (myLifetime.com, Roiworld.com, DressUpChallenge.com, LMN.tv, LifetimeMoms.com, and MothersClick.com) and consume Lifetime's content on mobile devices and partner platforms.

About Lifetime Networks

Lifetime Networks is a diverse, multi-media company, committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming that celebrates, entertains and supports women. Through its award-winning public affairs initiatives, the Company also advocates a wide range of

issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

             Photography is available at www.lifetimepress.com. Project Runway site: http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/project-runway.                         Models of the Runway site:        http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/models-of-the-runway.  

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Source: Lifetime

CONTACT: Chris Brienza, cbrienza@coynepr.com, or Lauren Curtin,
lcurtin@coynepr.com, both of Coyne PR, +1-212-938-0166; or Cindy Ronzoni,
Lifetime Networks, +1-310-407-8525, cronzoni@lifetimetv.com

Web Site: http://www.projectrunway.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment