Bravo sends me every screener they can. I mean every one. Not only series and season premieres, but sometimes individual midseason episodes of their gayish shows. (I got a screener of the second season of Work of Art in my DVD player right now.)
So why, I wondered, did I have to learn about the new series Mad Fashion from on-air promos? Why no press releases, no screeners? Why did I have to watch it on debut night like everyone else?
Now I understand: Mad Fashion is mad bad.
In the unending trend of all reality TV shows including at least one former reality star among its cast or guest judges, Mad Fashion stars former Project Runway designer Chris March. March, pictured, was a fan favorite, a zaftig, lisping teddy bear with a drag queen’s sensibility whose droll, heavy-lidded pronouncements of fashion and outrageous designed seemed destined to grab attention if not praise from the judges. March is the star of this new half-hour show, wherein he and his crew (he spends most of the first episode, which premiered Tuesday night, introducing them it seemed) come up with tacky takes on haute couture to their horrified but equally delighted clients.
March was a hoot on Project Runway, but here, he seems catatonic and distracted, walking through the reality TV cliches (direct addresses to the camera, coyly sowing (sewing?) controversy among his staff and clients, etc., all while sounding like the bastard child of South Park‘s Mr. Slave and Roseanne Barr.
Everyone knows all reality TV is scripted, but the ability to make it feel improvised is what sets the good apart from the bad. March doesn’t possess that skill, so nearly every scene feels excruciatingly posed. Mercifully, the series forces us to endure its fake grotesqueries in only 30-minute increments. I suspect we won’t have many of those either. If Bravo doesn’t wanna preview this uber-gay fashion series to the gay press … well, that tells you something.
Chris March was so talented and so funny on Project Runway and I was hoping that I hadn’t seen the last of him when Season 4 had ended. Much to my surprise, he premiered in his own new show, ‘Mad Fashion’ last night and again, I remembered why I loved him so much. He’s not only super talented in his craft of bringing out the zany and unpredictable in fashion ala Lady Gaga style, but you won’t stop smiling from beginning to end. Kudos to Bravo for bringing back one of my all time favorite Project Runway contestants!
Gurl…after I reading your review, I was expecting something pretty bad, but when I saw this, it was actually pretty good. The first episode is is over the top cloths with colorfully pop culture references. Pushing the client might get old after a while, but I’m having fun with it.
Wow! Perhaps you should read your own review–how biased and unprofessional. Your bosses should take notice of your lack of unbiased viewpoint and bitchy “journalism”. In fact, I am going to make sure to send it to them with a proper complaint. While you are, of course, entitled to your opinion, but personal attacks on your subject and whining about your lack of “special treatment” in not getting an advance copy make you look like just another nasty queen who’s pissed about his lack of success. Jealous much? Perhaps you should have looked at some of the other reviews of this show, which are 99% glowingly positive. You think people care about your little pissy rant after reading the Hollywood Reporter? I hope you get fired so that someone deserving and respectful of your position gets the job. Go eat another bowl of self-indulgence.
I agree. This show is garbage. What a waste of space tbh. Rachel Zoe is so much better than this crap.
The show is pretty good, but that mean “blonde” woman is frightful. Get rid of her!