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Bravo Trains 'Queer Eye' on Women

Wednesday, April 07, 2004

02:14 PM PT

Having metrosexualized a legion of formerly slovenly straight men, the folks behind "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" are ready to work their makeover magic on women.

"Queer Eye for the Straight Girl" will make its way to Bravo early next year, network president Jeff Gaspin says.

"It's the most-asked question I get: 'When are you going to do one for women?,'" Gaspin tells USA Today. "We are answering that call."

"Queer Eye's" omnipresent Fab Five won't be regulars on the new show; instead, Gaspin says "Straight Girl" will have a new team of gay lifestyle experts, and there may only be three of them (the Terrific Trio, perhaps?). A smaller regular group leaves room for guest experts, including celebrities and the inevitable crossover.

The premiere of "Queer Eye" last summer was a huge success for NBC-owned Bravo, increasing ratings for its time period by more than 600 percent. It remains a solid performer for the network, averaging close to 2 million viewers a week. The Fab Five also have a best-selling book and several individual endorsement contracts to their names.

Gaspin says Bravo is aware of the dangers of overexposing "Queer Eye," but he doesn't think "Straight Girl" will harm the franchise.

"You always worry about overexposure," he says. "Nothing's a guarantee, but this is about as close as you can get."