TLC's long-running fashion transformation series, "What Not To Wear," is coming to an end.
Launched in January of 2003, "What Not To Wear" is TLC's longest-running primetime series, and one of TV's seminal makeover shows. Fashion experts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly, the hidden cameras, and the notorious 360 mirror will make their last appearances on "WNTW" in July of 2013 -- and the series will return to its original air day, Friday nights.
Why end the series now? Amy Winter, Executive VP and GM of TLC, said via release that the network "felt that it was the right time," and went on to praise Stacy and Clinton as "two of the most sought-after fashion experts and TV personalities in the industry," as well as makeup guru Carmindy and hair wrangler Ted Gibson, a.k.a. "the glam squad." Winter called the final set of episodes "a celebration" of the show's "monumental run."
Monumental, indeed -- Stacy and Clinton have presided over more than 300 makeovers to date, including not just civilian ladies but menfolk, famous people, and parent-child fashion offenders. The final July episodes promise to send "WNTW" out with a bang -- bigger changes, pricier shopping sprees, and special guests.
We suspect that the decision to draw the curtain on "WNTW" may have to do with the increased demand for Stacy and Clinton's services elsewhere, and Stacy may have implied as much when she said the show "changed me and the trajectory of my life." (Not to mention the way Americans see fashion and dressing ourselves; she added that "I certainly see our rules in practice every day!")
Clinton, meanwhile, joked that, when he booked the gig, "I told everyone I knew that we'd probably do ten episodes, get canceled and I'd go crawling back to my old job in magazine publishing." Not so, obviously -- he's almost a single-name celebrity today, and holds down a co-host slot on "The Chew," to name just one -- and he's thrilled the show lasted as long as it did.
For our part, we can't believe it's been ten years -- and that it's almost over. Are you bummed that the show's coming to an end, or do you think it's good for them to go out on top? Predict what the final eps have in store, and/or mourn the fact that you'll never get your own five-thousand-dollar credit card, in the comments.
Here's Clinton and the "WNTW" glam squad on "The Chew":
"What Not To Wear" currently airs Thursdays at 10 PM on TLC.
