Lifetime says deal makes ‘Runway’ its project

“Project Runway” is trying to run away to Lifetime – but NBC Universal is suing the hit reality show’s makers to keep the series on its Bravo network.

Lifetime announced that it had reached a reported $150 million deal with the Weinstein Co. to televise five seasons of “Project Runway” beginning in November.

The fashion-designer contest, hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum, is Bravo’s top-rated program and was the highest-rated reality competition show in all of cable for 2007.

“Project Runway” finished its fourth season on Bravo last month, drawing nearly 5.2 million viewers to its finale. Production is under way on the fifth season, which will air on Bravo starting in July.

NBC Universal contends Weinstein violated an agreement to give Bravo the right of first refusal to the series after the initial five-season run concluded. Weinstein says there was no such agreement, and that NBC was simply outbid.

“We offered it to them, they turned it down and we sold it to somebody who paid more,” said Weinstein lawyer David Boies. “They blew it, and now they’re embarrassed by it and are trying to get back in court what they lost in the marketplace.”

“Project Runway” is a hit with young viewers and that makes it particularly valuable to Lifetime, which is moving away from a once-dowdy image with such programming as the drama “Army Wives.”

Lifetime plans to air a sixth season of “Runway” in November.