By this time, we should have met the 16 designers. We should have heard Tim Gunn say "Designers, gather round" at least half a dozen times. And Michael Kors should have pulled on his black blazer and started offering quips such as "Let's be honest, she looks like she has an old diaper pushed between her legs."
In an ideal world, one where Entenmann's Cheese Danish Twist is considered health food, "Project Runway" would have begun its sixth season last month and our Wednesday nights would once again have meaning. Instead, Bravo, its parent company NBC, the Weinstein Company, and Lifetime are ensnarled in an ugly lawsuit over who should be broadcasting "Project Runway," and there appears to be no end to the case in sight. In the words of season four winner Christian Siriano, the whole thing is a hot tranny mess.
"Runway" fans already know that their beloved show won't look the same when (and if) it returns for a sixth season. The show was shot in Los Angeles instead of New York (that's right, no Mood), and host Heidi Klum said that judges Kors and Nina Garcia won't be appearing in every product placement-filled episode. The show's beloved production team, the Magical Elves, have also jumped ship. However, Gunn told me last fall that despite the changes, he was feeling good about the mythical sixth season.
"I will say that Lifetime has been absolutely wonderful, and they're deeply respectful of the quality of 'Project Runway' and what Bravo brought to it," Gunn said then. "Did I have concerns? Yes. What was the origin of the concerns? Mostly fear of the unknown. Now I'm not only placated, I'm enthusiastic."
Gunn's words would make me feel much better if I knew when "Project Runway" will return to the air. Now it simply feels like a cruel tease. The truth of the matter is that I feel like I'm going through "Project Runway" withdrawal.
"I wouldn't say that 'Project Runway' fans are ready to hit the panic button," says Patrick Cullen, who runs the website Blogging Project Runway. "But we're awfully close."
A long gap between "Project Runway" seasons isn't unprecedented - there was more than a year between seasons three and four - but it's the uncertainty of the show's future that makes this break particularly tense. NBC Universal, which owns Bravo, sued the Weinstein Company, which produces "Project Runway," after it announced it was moving the show from Bravo to Lifetime. NBC Universal claims that Harvey Weinstein promised the network it would have the opportunity to match any offer to the rights to the show. To make the whole affair messier, the Weinstein Company then sued Bravo, and, not wanting to get left out of the action, Lifetime has sued them all. In "Runway" terms, it's uglier than a cage fight between Santino Rice and Jeffrey Sebelia.
Undaunted by the lawyers, "Runway" has continued to film. Season six is nearly complete, and the final three designers will show at Fashion Week in the Bryant Park tents next week. Photos that come out of that show may be our only look into the world of "Runway" for quite a while. That may be enough to hold over casual "Runway" fans, but I'm a junkie. Bravo will debut a "Project Runway"-esque show called "The Fashion Show" later this year. But I decided I couldn't wait any longer, and I've started watching "Project Runway Canada."
The Canadian version of the show is nearly identical to ours. Host Iman tells losers that they "Just don't measure up," and instead of Tim Gunn, designer Brian Bailey acts as mentor. Toronto Fashion Week may not have the same cachet as New York Fashion Week, but junkies can't be choosers, and the challenges and the personalities are just as entertaining. Finding episodes online can be a challenge (the official site only allows Canadian viewers to watch), but it's worth the hunt. The stress of the first challenge in the most recent season sent two designers to the hospital. Oh, the joys of Canadian fashion and universal health care.
As much as I enjoy "Project Runway Canada" and am looking forward to catching up with "Project Runway Australia" and "Project Runway Philippines," I have to confess that I won't be content until Klum, Garcia, Kors, and Gunn are back in my living room. Frankly, my dears, I don't give a damn which network "Project Runway" airs on. I just wish all parties involved could figure out a way to, you know, make it work.
Christopher Muther can be reached at muther@globe.com. 
