Television series
Making the Cut
A fashion design competition where Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn mentor emerging designers competing for a global fashion brand partnership and investment. It's briskly paced, visually lush, and genuinely invested in the business side of fashion—not just runway drama. For anyone who loves seeing creative people solve problems under pressure and actually build something.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy competition shows where the drama lives in the making rather than the winning, and you find yourself won over by talented people racing to sew, sketch and sell under pressure.
Skip it if you want a tight, fast-moving format; with 26 episodes across three seasons and around 52 minutes each, it lingers on the business side and can feel padded for viewers wanting quick thrills.
What it asks of you: A long commitment: roughly fifty minutes an episode, stretched over three seasons, with a steady, upbeat rhythm that rewards staying with the same hosts and contestants week after week.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Project Runway2004
The spiritual predecessor that perfected the formula: weekly design challenges, runway reveals, and mentorship from people who've genuinely been in the trenches. It's the reference point for good reason.
But If you've seen multiple seasons, the challenge structure can feel repetitive. The later seasons also chased drama over craftsmanship.
The Great British Sewing Bee2013
Gentler competition focused on skill and ingenuity rather than personality conflict. Contestants remake famous garments and complete creative challenges with real technical depth and warmth between competitors.
But The pace is leisurely and there's minimal stakes. If you want high tension and eliminations, this prioritizes community over conflict.
Next in Fashion2020
Tangi Guereré and Alexa Chung host with genuine playfulness. It focuses on the designers' unique perspectives and global influences rather than manufactured drama, with a real fashion industry partnership at stake.
But Some found the judging inconsistent and the stakes vaguer than Project Runway. It's shorter-lived, so there's limited catalog.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Making the Cut
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Devil Wears Prada2006
Making the Cut shows the reality of what this film fictionalizes: the mentorship dynamic, the business stakes, the clash between ambition and vision. This version simply has better jokes.
A purely fictional film that nails the anxiety and exhilaration of working in high fashion under impossible standards. Miranda Priestly is one of cinema's great mentors. It's beautifully cynical and surprisingly smart.
But It's fiction, so it prioritizes drama and wit over reality. If you want actual fashion thinking, this favours entertainment and catharsis.
More like this (7)
The Apprentice2005
If you like watching ambitious people pitch themselves and manage tasks under pressure, this nails that tension. The business mentorship angle and high-stakes elimination structure are gripping.
But Depending on your version and which version, it can veer toward spectacle over substance. Some seasons feel more about entertainment than genuine business acumen.
RuPaul's Drag Race2009
A masterclass in competition pacing and personality. Challenges test creativity, improvisation, and business sense alongside drag artistry. The emotional beats land because the judges actually care.
But The runtime and number of seasons are daunting. If drag isn't your entry point, the cultural specifics might feel less accessible.
Shark Tank2009
Real entrepreneurs pitching to investors under scrutiny. It's tense, occasionally brilliant, and shows you how people actually think under pressure when real money is involved.
But The formula becomes predictable fast. Success is often determined by market luck rather than the pitch itself, which can feel hollow.
Queer Eye2018
Not purely a competition, but it captures the same energy of experts mentoring people toward transformation. Warm, funny, and genuinely moving without being manipulative.
But The life-coaching elements might feel saccharine if you prefer pure creative challenge. It's more about emotional growth than winning.
Top Chef2006
Cuisine instead of fabric, but the structure and mentality are identical: quick challenges, runway presentation, skilled judging. The competition feels earned and the judges respect the craft.
But If you don't care about cooking, the technical details can lose you. Some seasons prioritize drama casting over culinary excellence.
Under the Gunn2014
Tim Gunn mentors a smaller group of designers competing for his mentorship. It's personal, focused, and shows real investment in the contestants' growth beyond the competition.
But It was short-lived with limited reach. The stakes feel lower than the main Project Runway format, which matters for some viewers.
High Score2020
Both follow the same principle: watch talented creators make real decisions under pressure with a mentor figure. The constraints are different but the problem-solving instinct and judgment criteria are parallel.
A six-part series about video game design and creative problem-solving under technical and commercial constraints. Each episode explores how designers innovate within limitations. Completely different medium, identical creative tension.
But You need baseline interest in gaming history. It's essayistic and slow rather than dramatic, so it won't satisfy people who need obvious stakes and eliminations.
People
Cast
Heidi KlumHost
Tim GunnHost
Recommended by
Project Runway, Project Runway All Stars, Next in Fashion, Making It, Ink Master, Harry & Meghan, Under the Gunn, Songland, Flirty Dancing