With a new Emmy(R) Award in hand, Tim Gunn takes the reigns as host of Lifetime's new fashion competition series, Under the Gunn, premiering tonight, January 16, 2014, at 9pm ET/PT.
America's favorite mentor, Tim passes the torch to Project Runway alumni Mondo Guerra, Anya Ayoung-Chee and Nick Verreos, who have shown their prowess on the runway as contestants, but now must prove they have the vision and business savvy to mentor and manage a fashion empire with 15 new up-and-coming designers under their watch. Each mentor will have a team of designers they must manage, coach, cheerlead and, when necessary, knock down with Tough Love in order to lead them to runway success. This new crop of designers will face the critiques of designer Rachel Roy, celebrity stylist Jen Rade, creator of some of the most iconic red carpet looks in Hollywood, and TV fashion correspondent and Marie Claire Senior Fashion Editor Zanna Roberts Rassi.
In the first two episodes of Under the Gunn, Tim will present a race-around-the-clock challenge to the fashion hopefuls as Mondo, Anya and Nick measure the skill level of the contestants and duke it out to determine which four designers will land on their teams. In the subsequent episodes, Tim will present new challenges that will test the mentors' ability to bring out the best in their designers as they guide them through the competition. While the designers are whittled down during the season, only the most talented and creative individuals will survive to compete in the finale, where one designer - and one mentor - will be deemed the winners of Under the Gunn.
The show's sponsors are: Lexus, Marie Claire Magazine, Benefit Cosmetics, Blowpro, francesca's, Brother Sewing and Embroidery, ROWENTA and SC Johnson's Glade.
Under the Gunn hails from The Weinstein Company, Bunim/Murray Productions and the producers of the Emmy nominated Project Runway. The 13-episode series begins production in Los Angeles this November at Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM). Executive producers include Bob and Harvey Weinstein (Co-Chairmen of The Weinstein Company), Meryl Poster and Barbara Schneeweiss of The Weinstein Company, Jonathan Murray, Sara Rea and Teri Weidman of Bunim/Murray Productions and Tim Gunn. Eli Lehrer, Mary Donahue and David Hillman of Lifetime also executive produce.
ABOUT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in 1979. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, which has released such popular franchises as Scream, Spy Kids and Scary Movie. TWC also boasts an active television production division led by former Miramax Films Co-President of Production Meryl Poster. TWC garnered nine Emmy nominations in 2013. The Weinstein Company Television produces the reality powerhouse Project Runway; with its spin-off series Project Accessory and the critically acclaimed
Project Runway All Stars, hosted by Alyssa Milano in its upcoming third season. TWC recently launched
Miami Monkey on VH1, and
Million Dollar Shoppers and
Supermarket Superstar on Lifetime. TWC is currently in production on
Mob Wives Season 4 for VH1; and
Welcome to Myrtle Manor Season 2 for TLC. Upcoming TWC series premieres include
Rodeo Girls for A&E. Announced scripted projects in development include John Fusco's historical action-adventure
Epic Marco Polo and an adaptation of Daniel Stashower's bestselling Civil War-era spy thriller
The Hour Of Peril. TWC also developed Amy Sherman Palladino's The Nanny Diaries for
ABC and produced the award-winning
HBO series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, directed by Anthony Minghella.
ABOUT BUNIM/MURRAY PRODUCTIONS
Bunim/Murray Productions is the leading producer of innovative entertainment content. The Emmy Award-winning company is widely credited with creating the reality television genre with its hit series
The Real World (28 seasons for MTV). BMP continued to innovate with the first reality game show, Road Rules (MTV), in 1995; the first reality sitcom, The Simple Life (E!), in 2003; and the first reality soap opera, Starting Over, in 2003. Bunim-Murray's programming includes Bad Girls Club, Bad Girls All Star Battle, Love Games and
Best Ink (Oxygen), Keeping up with the Kardashians, Kourtney and Kim Take Miami and
Total Divas (E!),
The Real World and
The Challenge (MTV), The Ruckers: Southern Royals (WE tv) and
Project Runway and
Project Runway All Stars (Lifetime). Bunim/Murray Productions has also produced films, including Valentine Road (HBO), Pedro (MTV) and the Emmy Award-winning Autism: The Musical (HBO). Bunim/Murray Productions has launched additional entities including BMP Films, BMP Digital and BMP Latin. Based in Van Nuys, CA, Bunim/Murray Productions was founded in 1987 by Jonathan Murray and the late Mary-Ellis Bunim, who were inducted into the Television Academy of Arts & Science's Hall of Fame in 2012. The company joined Banijay Group in 2010.
ABOUT LIFETIME
Lifetime is a premier female-focused entertainment destination dedicated to offering the highest quality original programming spanning scripted series, non-fiction series and movies. In 2012, as a result of its aggressive programming strategy that doubled the hours of original programming, Lifetime posted its strongest year-on-year growth among the key demographics in 10+ years, while also reaching its youngest median age in 16 years. Lifetime Television(R), LMN(R), Lifetime Real Women(R) and Lifetime Digital(TM) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.
