Jean-Christophe Novelli runs Bravo's "Chef Academy."

Two reality-competitions wrap up this week, while another launches, and the first Christmas specials break the pre-Thanksgiving barrier. (At least they waited until after Halloween.) Here’s all that and more.

“Chef Academy,” 9 p.m. Monday on…

The talent this season has been a bit disappointing, and anybody who was surprised by which designers made the Top 3 just wasn’t paying attention. But each of the three finalists, who’ll show their collections at New York Fashion Week in…

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As someone (I think it was one of the models in the after-show) said, lots of the designers seemed talented in the early going of this “Project Runway” season. Now? Not so much. What’s gone wrong? Has stress gotten…

Here’s the transcript from my Oct. 22 TV chat on STLtoday.com. If you’re reading it and have questions or comments of your own, post them now for next week’s chat.

After finishing at the bottom for three of the first four weeks on “Project Runway,” designer Qristyl Frazier was done in Thursday night by a little black dress declared safe, boring and cheap-looking by the judges.

Frazier, 42, a graduate of the Visual…

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Qristyl Frazier

It wasn’t an auspicious start for the two Missouri designers in the season premiere of “Project Runway.” Both Qristyl Frazier, a St. Louis native now living and working in New York, and Ari Fish of Kansas City wound up in…

Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum return with "Project Runway.'

In the most loaded week of TV since summer set in, the No. 1 show that should be on your radar is “Mad Men.” Somehow miss the Season 3 premiere? It’s repeated…

Frazier

Qristyl Frazier, 42, who now lives in New York, was announced Thursday as one of 16 designers for Season 6 of “Project Runway,” which debuts Aug. 20 on Lifetime. Her “official bio” tells us Frazier is self-employed, loves Gaultier and…

'Fashion Show' designer Merlin.

Given: “The Fashion Show,” which made its debut tonight on Bravo, is a deliberate copy of “Project Runway” — a ripoff, if you will. When the Weinstein Co. decided to yank “Runway” from Bravo and hand it…

I don’t know why Lifetime isn’t rushing “Project Runway” onto the air now that legalities have been cleared up. But the cable network has announced that the new season, which has already been completed, would premiere on Aug. 20. Here…