So...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/18/AR2009021803756.html

Basically:

Drama began back in April when Lifetime Networks announced that it had licensed rights to future cycles of the reality show -- currently on Bravo -- from the Weinstein Co., which produces "Runway." This was a huge coup: "Project Runway" is a flagship program for Bravo (4.8 million viewers tuned in for last season's finale) and the first reality show to win a prestigious Peabody Award. Lifetime paid a reported $200 million for the rights to five seasons, plus other non-"Runway" projects that came as part of a package deal.
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According to Lifetime, the new season was expected to premiere in fall 2008. (We remember this. We remember thinking: Lifetime? Really? How long before the design challenges become: "Create a comfy, pre-menopausal pair of drawstring pants"?)

The very same day, NBC Universal, which owns Bravo, filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the Weinstein Co., claiming that it had been denied right of first refusal, that the show never should have been sold to Lifetime.
This is when the real-life story turned into its own reality show: Project Catty Moguls.

Wounded NBC Universal struck first. The lawsuit mentioned a Four Seasons lunch at which Harvey Weinstein allegedly promised not to sell "Runway" to another network. Supposedly, he reassured NBC Universal head Jeff Zucker by saying, "You can only have in your life five true friends and I consider you one of my five friends. And I'm telling you, I will not embarrass you." Along with this claim of BFF betrayal, NBC Universal also accused the Weinstein Co. of engaging in double-crossing and "sham negotiations."

Oooh.

But wait, the Weinstein Co. responded, addressing NBC Universal's claims. That Four Seasons lunch? Not as cozy as Zucker remembers: "Weinstein told Zucker that one has about 15 friends in the business world," the response read.

Oooh.

The Weinstein Co. then launched into its own allegations -- that NBC Universal had failed its promotional obligations by "purposefully revealing spoilers," that it had stolen "Runway's" format for "Top Chef," "Shear Genius" and other Bravo reality shows.

The Weinstein Co. also claimed that NBC Universal had been unwilling to pay a "competitive amount" for the non-"Runway" package deal projects that Lifetime later accepted.

By late October, Lifetime had entered the brawl. The network claimed copyright violation with its own lawsuit, then tried to get the case moved from New York state court to a federal one. That request was rejected in December.

Now the whole mess is waiting to be untangled in the New York State Supreme Court. A trial date has not been set. No one knows when -- or where -- the show will appear again.

This being a lawsuit, none of the parties involved are offering further details:

Lifetime: "We continue to look forward to this entire matter being resolved expeditiously and remain hopeful that, in the end, Lifetime will be home to 'Project Runway.' "

NBC Universal: Declined to comment, citing the lawsuit.

The Weinstein Co.: "For viewers at home, with some special planning we've done, the experience will be seamless."

The bad sewing pun does not amuse us.