Season Pass has never been about a roundup of TV news around the Web. We figure savvy TV lovers can peruse the Net on their own. But today we'd like to give a shoutout to our favorite TV sites — some are old friends and a few are newly discovered.

Amuse yourselves while you wait for the latest posts in our Q&A series. Coming up shortly are “Friday Night Lights” showrunner Jason Katims, who is still trying to work us into his busy schedule, and “The Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons, who is scheduled to sit down with me on Friday to answer your questions. Look for that post next Wednesday. For more upcoming features, have a look at the menu there on the right side of this page. And we are open to suggestions from readers as well.

Our favorite sites (in no particular order):
Cynthia Littleton’s On the Air blog: Our Variety colleague blogs about all things TV.
TV Series Finale, which remarks on the last episodes of your favorite (or not so favorite) shows. Recent posts include “The Riches,” “King of the Hill” and the MRC slate for the CW. I look forward to their take on the last ep of the venerable NBC series “ER,” which is on its its 15th and final season.
By Ken Levine, from the Emmy-winning vet sitcom scribe and baseball announcer. Hard for me not to dig someone who loves TV and baseball!
What’s Alan Watching?, by New Jersey Star-Ledger tube critic Alan Sepinwall. His “Mad Men” recaps left us feeling inadequate. We bow to his genius insights.
Television Without Pity for their snarky, in depth recaps of our favorite shows
Pop Candy, Whitney Matheson’s fun pop culture blog for USA Today
Coaxial, the TV page on fanboy fave site Ain’t It Cool News
The Watcher, our pal Mo Ryan’s TV blog on the Chicago Tribune site. Check out her funny comments on those silly CNN election night holograms. That ridiculous bit of technology reminded us of watching the NFL on Fox, where there are so many gimmicks and graphics you can scarcely see the play on the field.
Project Rungay, for a laugh-out-loud take from a couple of witty gay guys on one of our favorite reality shows and more
TV Tattle, a roundup of TV news and criticism

And there are many others. Check out our list of links on the bottom right-hand side of this page. Are there any we missed? Please clue us in.

Posted by Kathy Lyford

Posted by Kathy Lyford

There's something about "Project Runway." The contestant I like never wins. Ever.

Last night Leanne Marshall won season 5, continuing my trend in this, the show's weakest season creatively to date.

I thought Leanne's collection was gorgeous, it's just that I was pulling for Korto, who also put on a lovely show.

Oh well, I suppose Leanne deserves it, if only for using "sustainable" fabrics. I guess that proves she's forward-thinking. I just hope that maybe next time she has a show she'll run a comb through her hair. If you want people to buy your clothes, you have to show a little flair for style.

And thank God Kenley and her bad attitude were elimintated first. How that woman thinks she'll ever be able to run a business acting like a spoiled child is beyond me.

The assignment was a head-to-toe makeover for a recent college grad entering the job market. Only the mothers got their say as well.

Ugh. What a bunch of ugly outfits.

Designs I loved: None

Designs I thought were OK: Jerell's top, although I didn't care for the skirt. (But why did he have birds nesting on his head?); Korto's jacket, which would look hot with jeans, and her dress, which was cute on its own. Didn't like them together. Leanne's dress/jacket ensemble was OK, but kind of the same thing she always does. And, personally, I didn't think Suede's dress was that bad. The jacket was horrific, but the dress with OK, although inappropriate for a photographer.

Designs I hated: Joe's martronly, poorly made suit. I don't think even that poor girl's mother would be caught dead in that thing. Also, and here's where I differed with the judges again, Kenley's dress was godawful. The print was like grandma's sofa. The vest looked cheap. The belt looked cheaper. The width of the skirt added unnecessary girth to the girl. Ugh all around. And yet, the judges seemed to like it. What do I know? And what do you think?

Michael Kors' best line: Regarding Joe's creation, "It's Faux Becky home ec-y." Heh.

Most annoying designer: Oh, that's so easy. Kenley with the inappropriate tears and laughter, the pouting and the disdain for advice ("I never listen to Tim"). She's like a giant toddler with bright red lipstick.

Front-runner: Korto still with Jerrel hot on her tail. Leanne will fade, I think.

Joe is "outsie daisy," as his daughter says. He was always a gentleman and didn't deserve to be mocked by Kenley.

— Kathy Lyford

Did anyone notice Kenley without makeup? She looked like a different person. Still pretty, but totally different. Anyway, the designers gather to hear their assignment and … What on God’s green earth is Blayne wearing?! (Red skinny jeans, hot pink sweatshirt? Oh my).

Heidi brings out some “special guests” and, guess what?, it’s all of the eliminated designers. They really are into the Old Home Week theme this season aren’t they? The challenge is to pair up with an eliminated designer to create an avant-garde look based on one of the team member’s zodiac signs. My immediate thoughts are: 1) Please don’t pair up Leanne with the other mousy girl; it will only confuse me and 2) I don’t like avant-garde and could care less about zodiac signs. This will be one long hour.

After a day and a half of work wherein it quickly became apparent why the eliminated designers had already been sent home, the designers are summoned to the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the Museum of Natural History to show off their designs to some former “PR” contestants. It’s nice to see some of them (Kara Janx, Daniel, Allison) but I could have lived without seeing others (Carmen and Christian – enough already with him!). I’m neutral on Jay and Robert. Those folks will pick the winner. Our regular panel of judges, plus Calvin Klein’s Francisco Costa, will decide which two designers are going home. That’s right, two.

The designers are told they’ll be designing for a “fashion legend” and are taken on a field trip to meet said legend.

Blaine, being the ninny that he is, is convinced the fashion legend is Mary-Kate Olsen. Yeah, right.

In the Meatpacking District, the designers are met by the incomparable Diane von Furstenberg! (I worship Diane von Furstenberg.) The designers are overwhelmed… except for Blaine who really wanted it to be Mary-Kate. I wonder who explained to him who Diane von Furstenberg is. I’m guessing it was Kenley who was absolutely verklempt at the idea of designing for the fashion queen.

Diane’s challenge: Design a look inspired by her fall 2008 collection, A Foreign Affair, inspired by Marlene Dietrich’s 1948 film in which she portrays an actress/singer/spy in Berlin who escapes to Shanghai and then moves on New York. Lots of options there. And a 40s themed challenge? That's right in Kenley's wheelhouse.

Oufits I loved: Kenley’s lovely simple dress (even though it was just one piece); Korto’s dramatic black and white gown with just the right pop of bright yellow; and (at left) Leanne’s sexy dress with the surprising ruffles at the back (although the jacket was just so-so).

Not so much: Joe’s poorly tailored ensemble; Suede’s muumuu; Terri’s ill-fitting pants; Blaine’s riding get-up and Jerrel’s stewardess uniform. And, yes, Stella deserved to go home for her boring garb that did not even attempt to follow the extremely generous guidelines.

Front-runner: Still Korto, although Leanne is starting to win me over.

Most annoying: Blaine. No explanation necessary.

Shameless plug: American Express

Huh?: The American Express ad that ran right before the winner was announced featured a dress that looked an awful lot like Korto's, leading me to believe Korto had won. What a surprise to see Leanne win after that.

Note: I'm sure glad Nina is back next week. Two weeks without her was too much.

— Kathy Lyford

I thought the “Project Runway” producers had lost their minds, asking designers to create outfits out of car parts. And while the Saturn product placement was heavy-handed, the challenge turned out to be quite entertaining and gave the designers a chance to show their innovative side.

Outfits I loved: Korto’s gorgeous coat (I covet it and she should have won); Kenley’s air filter cocktail dress; Terri’s pants and top and, although less practical, Leanne’s cocktail dress.

Outfits I hated: Keith’s boring skirt and top; Blayne’s ill-fitting dress.

Best moment: A tie. 1) Guest judge Laura Bennett (love her!) saying “Excuse me?!” to Keith after he sassed under his breath. 2) Keith sniffling that he's trapped in Utah and doesn't get out much. I didn't realize they'd erected a fence on the Utah border to keep people in. I think New York is still accepting people if he wanted to move. What a whiner.

Front-runner: Korto

Most annoying contestant: Kenley, for not asking after the welfare of her model when she found out she’d dropped out. It was all about Kenley all the time.

— Kathy Lyford

Another season of "Top Chef" comes to a close and I couldn't be happier with the result. Stephanie wins!

Finally, a winner of a Bravo reality show that I can applaud. Not only is Stephanie deserving of the title but the fact that she's the first female winner in the show's four seasons is just icing on the cake, or in this case, braised pistachios on the lamb.

For a while there I thought Lisa might pull out a miracle win. That would have made at least one viewer very, very unhappy. And kudos to Richard for not taking the safe route. He over-shot and, in his words, "choked" but he went down with his integrity intact.

So what's a "Top Chef" lover to do now that the season is over? Why, "Project Runway" of course. During the "Chef" finale, the network announced the premiere date of the fifth season of the intoxicating fashion design series. Heidi, Michael, Nina and Tim return to the catwalk July 16 at a new time, 9 p.m., along with the latest crop of aspiring fashionistas. That means only four months will have passed since the season four finale, making the beyond-annoying Christian Soriano's reign as champ mercifully short.

Enjoy "Runway's" last strut on Bravo before it moves to Lifetime this fall. I know I will.

— Kathy Lyford

While it's true that the networks are throwing every questionable reality concept against the wall this summer to see what sticks, TV lovers should not despair. Cable is roaring back with plenty of superb programming and the networks are offering the occasional quality scripted fare to keep us entertained during the hot months.

So there's plenty of small screen delights to tide us over until the granddaddy of all event programming, the Summer Olympics, arrives Aug. 8-24 with hundreds of hours of real-life drama on NBC and its sister networks.

Before you plop down on the couch and glaze over watching the likes of "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" or "Celebrity Circus," set your Tivo for some of these gems:

This viewer's picks:

New series

"Fear Itself" (NBC, Thursdays at 10 p.m., starting June 5) — A repurposed version of Showtime's "Masters of Horror," this anthology series brings the best horror scribes and directors in the biz together for hourlong episodes appropriate for broadcast audiences. (The net promises more chills on the DVD set.) I'm particularly looking forward to the episode titled "Eater," about a rookie cop ("Mad Men's" Elisabeth Moss, right) who spends her first night in the precinct guarding a serial killer.
Brian: I liked the potential of "Masters of Horror" and the pedigree was great, but it was pretty uneven, and I'd worry that "broadcast-friendly" means that storylines get even further diluted to be mass-appeal. Plus, horror film fests like After Dark, and its extensive DVD brand, have stolen some thunder from the TV anthology format. There's plenty of horror out there for fans who want it. How much regular auds will be drawn to it on TV is a big question mark.

"Swingtown" (CBS, Thursdays at 10 p.m., starting June 5) — The pilot for this '70s-era romp about suburban promiscuity and open marriages was promising. I look forward to seeing where they go with it. See Season Pass panelist Cynthia Littleton's take on episode two.
Brian: "Swingtown" felt to me like a promising attempt to bring edgier cable-style material to broadcast TV. But the execution was fairly timid, and selling a show about sexy swingers without much sex doesn't give me much hope. I do love Molly Parker ("Deadwood" has a lot of residual goodwill in my book) and I'll stick around to see how the show develops through episode three.

Returning series:

"Meerkat Manor: The Next Generation" (Animal Planet, Fridays at 9 p.m., starting June 6) — Who knew these odd little critters led such fascinating lives?
Brian: I'm in! "Manor" fans will be keen to see if Flower power still rules, or whether the too-hip promos for the new generation will dilute the charms of the first seasons. Will Stockard Channing prove a better voice for the 'Kats' exploits than Sean Astin?

"My Boys" (TBS, Thursdays at 9:30, starting June 12) — I can't wait to hang out with this tomboy Chicago sports reporter and her posse of beer-swilling, poker-playing dudes for a second season.
Brian: I'm from Chicago, and these stereotypes feel a little clunky, but the girl was cute and thanks to some buzz, I may give this one a shot.

"The Closer" (TNT, Mondays at 9 p.m., staring July 14) — Kyra Sedgwick's tour de force performance as sweet as pie on the outside, tough as nails on the inside Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson elevates this to something above your standard murder of the week procedural. I'm in for season four.
Brian: This and Holly Hunter's show carry some heft in my book thanks to the star pedigree. But it wasn't enough to get me to sample either so far, and isn't likely to in the future. Still feels a little Lifetime-ish to me.

"Mad Men" (AMC, Sundays at 10 p.m., starting July 27) — This sterling period drama is back for its hotly anticipated second season. The cabler is helpfully running a marathon of season one on July 20 as a primer for new viewers or a refresher for returning viewers. The "Carousel" pitch for the Kodak slide projector from the season-one finale titled "The Wheel" may very well have been the finest scene of the last TV season, broadcast or cable. Despite the implausible twist involving Peggy in that same episode, I am enthusiastically, eagerly on board for the further adventures of these dapper 1960s ad men and the complicated women in their lives.
Brian: I've set my DVR for the July 20 marathon. This may be my catch-up show of the year.

Reality that doesn't make us cringe

"So You Think You Can Dance" (Fox, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8, bowed in May) — The dance competition enters the serious phase of the contest as only the best move on.
Brian: I can't read that without giggling.

"Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List" (Bravo, Thurdays at 9, staring June 12) — Sure she can grate on your nerves, but she's damn funny. (Pictured left)

"Project Runway" (Bravo, July date TBD) — It doesn't get better than this competition reality series where the sometimes overly dramatic contestants reap what they sew. Heidi Klum, Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and Tim Gunn are worth making a weekly date with. This is the last season on Bravo before the show packs its garment bags and moves to Lifetime.
Brian: I've got plenty of friends who remain diehard fans, so I'm sure to see some episodes. But like "America's Next Top Model," it seems like there's always a new season of "Runway" just around the corner, so no single run ever real stands out.

See what else summer has to offer on the next page.

— By Kathy Lyford with Brian Cochrane 

Special thanks to Rick Kissell

Speaking of “Project Runway,” the Paley Center for Media is back with another great offer for Season Pass readers.

The first three readers to post a comment correctly naming the winners of the show’s first three seasons will win two tickets to the Center’s screening and Q&A on Tuesday evening.

For those unaware of the premise, “Project Runway” revolves around up-and-coming designers who must create garments on the fly in a series of wacky challenges. The show is hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum (pictured).

Style guru Tim Gunn mentors the out-there contestants, while guest judges rotate in with regular judges Michael Kors, fashion designer, and Nina Garcia, fashion journalist.

Following a screening of an upcoming episode, guests Klum, exec producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz and memorable former contestants Santino Rice, Kara Saun and Andrae Gonzalo will discuss the production of the show, its impact on popular culture, and the burning question: “Where’s Andrae?”
Additional panelists to be announced.

The contest starts now. You’re either in or you’re out. Good luck!

This strike is a real momentum killer.

Three of my season pass shows of the new season continue to earn my love week after week — “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Big Bang Theory” and “Pushing Daisies.” (“Reaper,” while still enjoyable, has not lived up to the promise of its pilot, but I’m still watching. And "Gossip Girl" is a little too "Cruel Intentions" for me.)

And several of my returning favorites are peaking creatively, in my opinion: “Ugly Betty” has never been cuter and funnier and the sublime “Friday Night Lights” still takes my breath away every week, despite the questionable and shaky murder storyline. And “House” continues to be one of the more entertaining procedurals out there. Even “Desperate Housewives,” which had been on shaky ground for me for a while, seems to be back on track.

But with holiday preemptions upon us and original episodes dwindling due to the strike, there are fewer and fewer shows to watch. That’s why I’m so thankful for the return of “Project Runway,” which you can catch almost any time of the day or night on Bravo. Episode 3 is tomorrow and I can’t wait. They had me at episode 1.

I haven’t bothered to learn their names yet but I’m loving (and fans of the show will know who I mean) the portly fellow (left), the former runway model stuck in the 80s, the bald guy and the French Stewart look-alike who enunciates perfectly. And I’m loving to hate the cocky kid with the Flock of Seagulls haircut and the spitter (both pictured at left). You just know the producers will hang on to that duo for a while. The other contestants are one big blur so far.

The judges, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia, are as sharp as ever and host/judge Heidi Klum gets better every year. I nearly died laughing when she said the spitter’s dress in challenge one made the “model look like she was poo’ing fabric.” And while Tim Gunn has lost a bit of his charm, due to overexposure, the show wouldn't be quite the same without him.

Thank God for top-notch reality shows like this one and CBS’ “The Amazing Race.” At least we have something to look forward to for the next couple of months if the strike drags on. Just don't expect me to embrace "Big Brother."