JOSSIP BREAKS IT DOWN — Since Friday's announcement that a court ruling would keep The Weinstein Company from moving Project Runway from NBC Universal's Bravo to Lifetime, where it got a sweeter deal, the TV press and most homosexuals have been wondering what, exactly, this means for the future of the series. Is Heidi Klum going to lose her shit and auf everybody? Is Tim Gunn going to be able to make it work? Who will Nina Garcia stab with her heel? Time-sensitive questions, people! So given the current situation — which keeps Lifetime from airing the show, and leaves its status on Bravo with a very giant cursive question mark — here's how the decision is going to affect interested parties:

• NBC Uni won't necessarily get the show back. Because their lawsuit against the Weinsteins alleges Harvey and Bob didn't honor a "first refusal" contract — which gives NBC the right to bid for the show before anybody else — they might, in theory, go back to the negotiating table. But if NBC hits its price ceiling, the Weinsteins would then get to take the show out to market; if Lifetime pays a higher fee, it would get the show. Then again, there's no written contract guaranteeing right of first refusal. NBC claims it was an oral agreement (stupid!). The Weinsteins say no agreement was made. But the judge says emails suggest there was such an understanding.

• The in-fighting between NBC and the Weinsteins continue. While the court injunction blocking Lifetime from airing Runway stands, there's still a breach of contract lawsuit moving through the courts. Likely, if the two can work out a deal, it'll be dropped.

• The Weinsteins' court problems possibly don't end there. If NBC gets Runway back on Bravo, or another network, Lifetime could then sue the Weinsteins themselves for breach of contract, handing Harvey two lawsuits for the same deal maneuvering.

• Lifetime might have to return money to advertisers. Because TV networks sell ad commitments ahead of time, Lifetime's ad sales force has been aggressively pushing Runway. If they don't get to air the show, they must return the advertisers' dollars, or work out another arrangement.

• Lifetime's attempt to rebrand itself as a network of original programming runs aground. The independent television network canceled syndication arrangements for The Golden Girls and The Nanny to make room (on the dial and on the balance sheet) for its own shows, like Carson Kressley's new talker. Without Runway to be the beacon signaling the change, ad buyers might be less likely to sign on with the network's manufactured buzz. (All this, and Lifetime wasn't even named in the lawsuit.)

• And what about viewers? You're F'd! The sixth season of Runway, and Lifetime's first with the series, was already pushed back from this fall to January. If the matter isn't cleared up by then — or, more importantly, in time to complete casting and pre-production work for a January debut — viewers may have to wait till next fall, since Runway revolves around its proximity to New York Fashion Week. Or, since the show is moving to Los Angeles, maybe it'll revolve around the much crapper, and slightly later, Los Angeles Fashion Week.

[HT: MediaPost]