Project Runway Season Ratings Finally Pay off Andy Cohen's Voodoo Hex

Project Runway ended last night -- and I don't just mean its sixth season concluded. The show's once-deafening buzz seems to be a thing of the past, and the ratings...well, there's no easy way to say this. Despite the fact that the sixth season's Lifetime debut in August was up 45% from the previous year's Bravo premiere, the reality competition atrophied viewers as it continued to run, actually descending beneath its Bravo average even though Lifetime has far greater market penetration than our favorite gay-vague cable channel. How bad did things get last night?

This bad: Lifetime's season finale was down a full 40% from last year's season-ender. To begin the season 45% higher than Bravo and end it 40% lower -- that's quite a slide. Somewhere, Bravo figurehead Andy Cohen is looking at the pin-stuck Jaclyn Smith action figure he redressed as a Lifetime executive (wearing a miniature Talbot's blouse and sensible flats) and thinking this has all been worth it.

Lifetime's Project Runway finale hits season high [THR]