TVSquad

You know, I have to tip my cap -- yes, I'm wearing one -- to Bravo. It seems to me that everything NBC does wrong with their programming, the NBC Universal cable net Bravo does right. Case in point is this new innovation, if you want to call it that, the lost footage episode.

Suddenly, out of nowhere really, Bravo has been stretching their unscripted, reality shows by adding an extra show labeled The Lost Footage. The Real Housewives of New York City was the first I caught, but soon after there was Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List Lost Footage. Coming up is one on The Real Housewives of Orange County.

This may seem like a simple idea. It is. But it's also smart. After all, they already have the excess material, why not compile the footage into an hour and add it to the programming rotation? In these days of summer reruns on the big four, and while waiting for summer series like The Closer and Psych to start up again, Bravo is offering fresh material.

And while you might suspect that the lost footage is unworthy of airing, I have to disagree. The Real Housewives of New York City Lost Footage, for instance, had a lot more of Bethanny Frankel -- the most fun "wife" (she's not married) -- and included scenes that were just as interesting as some of the regular episodes.

The Kathy Griffin Lost Footage was similarly entertaining. The comedian wisely filmed funny inserts that set up the footage, which covered the previous four seasons, and included a very sweet tribute to her late father, Johnny. Kathy also displayed some class by showing ex-husband Matt in a few clips but never saying a word about him. If she were Joan Rivers, I suspect she would have used the opportunity to rip the guy.

I can imagine that Bravo will be extending this Lost Footage concept across the board. We should be seeing Top Chef, Project Runway, Workout, Flipping Out and other shows get the treatment, too.