"See you later, decorator" - !?

I didn't want to write about this show until I'd seen at least 2 episodes and now, having seen the first couple, I don't predict Top Design will go on to a second season; in fact, it might even be cancelled before this initial season plays out.

Top Design is sort of like Top Chef or Project Runway except instead of cooking or making clothes, the contestants design rooms. This could be exciting, I guess, if the contestants showed more creative fervor, but they're kind of boring and a few of them are downright dreary. The host is no Robin Williams either, the judges are tedious at best, and the prime qualities that make Chef and Runway so inherently watchable are missing here: energy, edge and spark. With Runway in particular, the hour just flies by because we're so engrossed in watching the outfits come together and observing the interplay between the contestants. This show, even though it's also an hour long, seems to be dragging before the first commercial. Not a good sign.

2/18/07: So now I've seen 3 episodes - the one at the beach, where the contestants had to build a cabana, was better than the first 2; there was more creativity shown at least, along with a little more energy and focus. It's still no winner, though, this show, in my book, and the host has got to stop saying "See you later, decorator" to the person who gets booted, that's just plain lame.

3/29/07: "See you later, decorator" is still lame-o as a catch phrase, but I have to say, the show is far more interesting now than it started out - the challenges are more creative, and since the worst contestants are gone, it's a lot of fun to watch, actually. It's down to 3 of 'em now, the two women and Matt. I think it's a no brainer that Matt will win, he's shown extremely formidable work in the past few weeks, and last night his hotel suite was just as good as the judges raved it was.

4/12/07: So Matt won last night. His loft was chic, no doubt, but I have to say I was very impressed with Carissa's loft as well. He still deserved it, for his cumulative performance on the show, but she did herself proud, as she said before leaving. This last show was exciting, actually - the loft challenge was a HUGE undertaking, and it was inspiring to see what they both did with the space. Hopefully, if the show is back for a second season, it'll start off a little brighter.