Next in Fashion is more proof Netflix can excel in reality TV competitions

The Guardian

"If there’s one thing streaming services might have been expected to leave alone, it’s competitive reality TV," says Rebecca Nicholson. "Unlike a thriller, or a drama, competitions suit a weekly rollout. You spend a while getting to know the contestants, so you can really root for them, and it’s far easier to be forgiving of the necessarily repetitive nature of the format when it is spaced out in the right way. It’s hard to imagine The Masked Singer, say, working in a dumped block of episodes, because few could stomach it all in one go. But in its bid to be all things to all people, Netflix keeps churning out competitions, in baking, cooking and even glass-blowing. And, in part thanks to big names and seemingly big budgets, they keep working. Next in Fashion, a take-me-seriously-but-not-too-seriously update of Project Catwalk/Runway, is not about to break that pattern."

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• Hosts Tan France and Alex Chung's banter feels too scripted and inauthentic on Next in Fashion: "France and Chung’s hosting style contributes to Next in Fashion’s struggles," says Caitlin Moore. "The two are fairly hands-off during the preparation, spectating and speculating rather than interacting and interviewing. There’s an art to reality show hosting, and the best of the best do it with grace. France and Chung, charming as they may be, aren’t quite there yet. In fact, I wouldn’t guess just from the show that those two are designers in their own right, just that they’re two pretty people who know a lot about fashion. The guest judges display much more technical knowledge and usually have more interesting things to say."
• Unlike past Project Runway knockoffs, Next in Fashion has the advantage of having Tan France front and center
• Next in Fashion judges take into account what they think will sell via Net-a-Porter
• Tan France always wanted to work with Alexa Chung, who was a fixture on British TV