Parents' Guide to

Under the Gunn

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Runway spin-off is more of the same for fashionistas.

TV Lifetime Television Reality TV 2014
Under the Gunn Poster Image

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What's the Story?

Tim Gunn, best known for kindly mentoring multiple seasons of contestants on Project Runway, gets his own spin-off in UNDER THE GUNN, a fashion competition that's much like its parent show, with some tweaks. Here, Gunn takes on Heidi Klum's PR role, while three past contestants, Nick Verreos, Mondo Guerra, and Anya Ayoung-Chee, act as mentors. Each mentor chooses a team of designer-contestants, who are winnowed down week by week with design challenges that culminate in a runway show with a winner and a loser. The last designer wins $100,000, a car, a guest fashion editorship, and more prizes.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Under the Gunn is frank about being derivative: "I've taken everything I love about Project Runway and added my own flair and flavor," Tim Gunn says on the voiceover that opens the show. That flair and flavor, by the way, comes straight from The Voice, itself an American Idol rip-off that adds in mentorship. But no matter, since idea theft is common in the reality world.

The important point here is that if you like Project Runway, you'll like this, particularly if the dapper and gentle Mr. Gunn is one of the original's most potent pleasures for you. Under the Gunn is basically Project Gunn-way, with no Klum or Nina Garcia, and more Tim. There's a workroom, fabrics from Mood, even an accessories wall for the runway show. Having past contestants return to mentor current ones is a bit of a twist, but the basic framework is the same. It'll hold Runway fans over until its next season, anyway, if nothing else.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Under the Gunn is so similar to the show that brought Tim Gunn to fame, Project Runway. Why is Lifetime not just running another season of Project Runway? Why create a new show that's so similar?

  • The models used on Under the Gunn are various races and ethnicities, but all are very young and thin. Why is this?

  • Look up some of the past contestants from Project Runway. Does it appear as though being on the show helped their careers? Do winners do better than those who didn't win? Does it look to be worthwhile to compete on such a show?

TV Details

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