Project Runway" — one of TV's more entertaining competition/reality shows — returns in four weeks for its eighth season. And there will be more of it than ever before.
Lifetime has announced that, rather than airing hourlong episodes, the new season will feature 90-minute episodes.
Which sounds like a horrible idea.
Making the show 50 percent longer doesn't mean it will be 50 percent better. As a matter of fact, more often than not addition turns into subtraction when it comes to taking a show outside its regular format.
Arguably the worst episodes of "The Office" are the hourlong installments. Because that show works much better as a half-hour sitcom than as an hourlong comedy.
And "The Office" isn't alone. The finales of shows like "Cheers," "Seinfeld" and "M*A*S*H" were disappointing episodes of great series. And the first two ran 60 minutes, the third ran a whopping 150 minutes.
Despite box-office success, the "Sex and the City" movies were creative abominations, because what worked as a half hour didn't work when it was translated into movies that each ran nearly 21/2 hours.
Blech.
Even when it comes to reality/competition shows, there's certainly evidence that more isn't better. Under any circumstances, watching "Celebrity Apprentice" is a painful experience.
As presented by NBC for the past couple of years — in two-hour blocks — watching "Celebrity Apprentice" has been a poke-your-eyes-out experience.
So, no, the prospect of 90-minute episodes of "Project Runway" isn't exactly encouraging. It's rather clearly just a chance for Lifetime to sell more advertising.
Hey, if Lifetime wants to show us more of the designers, how about wasting less time before commercial breaks showing us what's coming up, and less time after the commercial breaks showing us what's already happened?
The new season of "Project Runway" begins Thursday, July 29, at 7 p.m. on Lifetime.
IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED: Tyler Labine has become the most successful unsuccessful actor on TV in the past few years.
He's had no trouble finding work despite cancellation after cancellation after cancellation of his shows.
Labine co-starred in the short-lived science fiction series "Invasion," playing the goofy brother-in-law, during the 2005-06 season.
He didn't have a regular role during the 2006-07 season, but he did appear in five episodes of "Boston Legal" as an assistant district attorney.
From 2007-09, Labine co-starred in the comedy/supernatural series "Reaper" as the goofy best-friend.
Even before that show was officially canceled, Labine was cast as the goofy father-for-hire in "Sons of Tucson," another short-lived sitcom that Fox is burning off this summer.
Before the final episode of "Tucson" airs, Labine has already had another pilot picked up.
CBS has picked up "Mad Love" as a midseason replacement. Labine, Jason Biggs, Sarah Chalke and Judy Greer star as four single friends — "two who are falling in love and two who despise each other … at least for now."
How much do you want to bet that Labine plays the goofy one?
At this point, Labine remains a hot commodity.
Although the way Hollywood works, it won't be long before his string of unsuccessful series will get him labeled as a "show killer."
It won't be fair. But who said Hollywood is fair?
NOT EXACTLY ORIGINAL: CBS is touting its Great New Twist for the upcoming season "Big Brother" — the "Saboteur."
One of the "houseguests" has been planted among the contestants to cause trouble.
"This is a twist that will wreak havoc on the house," said executive producer Allison Grodner in a prepared statement.
Um, wasn't that pretty much the entire premise of "The Mole"?
Viewers will find out who the Saboteur is on July 15; following the revelation, viewers will be able to submit strategy suggestions online for him/her to use in the show.
The new season of "Big Brother" begins Thursday, July 8, at 7 p.m. on CBS/Ch. 2.
TOP TEN THOUGHTS that Went Through John Isner's Mind During the 11-Hour Tennis Match (from the "Late Show With David Letterman"):
10. "I'm exhausted."
9. "We've been playing so long, I've forgotten — am I Isner or Mahut?"
8. "Remember when I said I'm exhausted? That was eight hours ago!"
7. "Wonder if I'll be sore tomorrow?"
6. "I'm gonna lay back until 51-50, then make my move."
5. "I'm asleep."
4. "Why couldn't I have played Federer? It would have been over in 15 minutes."
3. "Cramp!"
2. "Honestly, I don't care if I win or lose — I just don't want to die."
1. "Larry King has had marriages that didn't last this long."
e-mail: pierce@desnews.com