This blog originally appeared on elkharttruth.com on April 17, 2014. The latest season of “Project Runway” premieres Aug. 17.
Spinoffs have become a huge part of TV culture, especially in the last year or two.
Whether it’s because it’s a way to capitalize on what’s already good or just a lack of original ideas, we are stuck with spinoffs.
One such spinoff is “Under the Gunn,” a Lifetime reality competition that’s a spinoff of the hit design show, “Project Runway,” hosted by Heidi Klum.
“Under the Gunn,” which aired its season finale April 10, was supposed to center around “Project Runway” mentor Tim Gunn, the beloved fashion instructor and mentor who is a big component of the success of “Project Runway.”
Many people voiced their excitement about the show on social media, mainly because it was all about Gunn.
But ultimately, that was not what “Under the Gunn” turned out to be.
Yes, it was a design competition. It had the usual drama, mess ups and down-to-the-wire moments. But Gunn didn’t mentor that much during the show’s 13-episode run.
Gunn served as a host and a mentor to the three true mentors of the show: Anya Ayoung-Chee, Mondo Guerra and Nick Verreos.
The trio of “Project Runway” alumni were the ones who actually mentored the contestants. They were the ones who walked around asking designing questions and pushing the designers to the next level.
The idea was that once all of one mentor’s contestants were eliminated, the mentor would be eliminated as well. But, predictably, each mentor was represented in the finale. The last four standing were: Asha Daniels (Mondo), Shan Keith Oliver (Anya), Sam Donovan (Mondo) and Oscar Garcia-Lopez (Nick), who was named the winner by judges Jen Rade, Rachel Roy and Zanna Roberts Rassi. Heidi Klum and actor Neil Patrick Harris were guest judges for the finale episode, which saw each designer complete a mini collection.
While viewers got to watch Anya, Mondo and Nick grow as mentors, I wanted to see Gunn mentoring more. That’s what he does on “Project Runway,” and that’s why people love him.
Gunn has a flair for mentoring. It’s his gift. He’s tough, but kind. He makes people question their work, he makes people laugh and he makes designers fulfill their potential.
His signature fashion, critiques and motto, “Make it work,” are what makes “Project Runway” so fun to watch.
And that was missing on “Under the Gunn.”
It’s not that Gunn was a bad host. It’s just this: He’s a better, more entertaining mentor.
