Tag: Lifetime

‘Under the Gunn’ tries to capture ‘Project Runway’ attention, but ultimately fails

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.

Emmy nominations 2014: ‘Modern Family’ up for fifth win, ‘Orphan Black’ snubbed

In preparation for Sunday’s 2016 Emmys, here is a blog about the 2014 Emmys, originally published on elkharttruth.com on July 10, 2014.

It’s summer TV time, but it’s also Emmys time.

The Emmy nominations for 2014 were announced Thursday, July 10, and as usual, there were obvious choices and total snubs.

Here’s my breakdown of this year’s nominations:

Surprise nominations

While “Mad Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Breaking Bad” and this year’s season of “American Horror Story” are obvious returning nominations, there were a few unexpected twists.

“Bonnie and Clyde” was nominated for best miniseries. Considering many critics didn’t love the A&E, History and Lifetime show, which was plagued with historical inaccuracies, it was a shock to see it receive a nomination. It won’t win, though. The race will be between “American Horror Story: Coven,” and Billy Bob Thornton’s “Fargo.”

Melissa McCarthy is nominated for her work on “Mike & Molly.” Out of all the comedic actresses, I think there were other choices from shows more people are watching.

Biggest snubs

Andy Samberg, who (surprisingly) won the Golden Globe for his role on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” was left out of the Emmy race. The Fox comedy wasn’t nominated either.

“The Good Wife” received many deserved acting nominations, including Julianna Margulies 10th overall Emmy nomination — she had won once for “ER” in 1995 and once for “The Good Wife” in 2011, but the CBS show was left off the best drama category. Considering its rise to Sunday TV gold this season, I figured it would be a shoo-in for a nomination.

But perhaps the biggest snub of all was the omission of “Orphan Black.” It’s a show that may not appeal to everyone, but Tatiana Maslany plays multiple clones. Multiple! How does that not deserve a lead actress nomination?

“Modern Family” again?

The ABC comedy is up for outstanding comedy series for the fifth year in a row.

It’s been nominated every year it’s been eligible, and it’s won every year so far.

Will the show take the win again? It could happen. “Modern Family” showcased touching moments that still turn out a laugh, including Cam and Mitchell’s (played by Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson) wedding in the season 5 finale.

But I think a new show could take over, and with “Orange is the New Black” and “Silicon Valley” being first-time nominees, I expect the reign of “Modern Family” to end.

The conundrum of “Orange is the New Black” nominations

In its first year of eligibility, “Orange is the New Black,” the hit Netflix prison dramedy, snagged a decent amount of nominations. That’s no surprise, considering how popular and acclaimed the show is.

But what is surprising is what categories in which the actresses were nominated. Taylor Schilling (Piper) is in the lead actress category, with Kate Mulgrew (Red) is the supporting actress category.

Three actresses, however, are nominated in the guest actress category. Natasha Lyonne, Uzo Aduba and Laverne Cox have been lumped together with Tina Fey (“Saturday Night Live”), Melissa McCarthy (“SNL”) and Joan Cusack (“Shameless”).

The last three are guest actresses for those shows. But the OITNB stars, while not the leading actresses, are certainly more than guest actresses. Aduba is credited with being in 37 of the show’s 39 episodes, and Lyonne is credited with being in every episode on IMDb. They had standout and background moments. The characters are key to the story, so to only put them in the guest actress seems a bit strange.

The Emmys will air at 8 p.m. Aug. 25 on NBC. The show will be hosted by Seth Meyers.

What do you think? What were your surprises and snubs?