Running In Heels Premiere: Nina Garcia, Lindsay Lohan & Barefoot Interns

The premiere episode of the Marie Claire-oriented reality show Running In Heels has hit the web, and despite the annoying “interns” and the overall farce, the show is fairly entertaining.

The ep begins by introducing you to the three “new interns.” Ashley, from DC, is an aggro bitch; Talita, from L.A., is a diva with long legs, long hair and a chihuahua named Chanel; Samantha is the wide-eyed noob from Wisconsin who’s never seen the big city. Ashley claims they “decided to live together” so she “found an apartment online.” (It’s a pretty big SoHo one-bedroom. They have a bunkbed.) Far more interesting are the characters we meet at Marie Claire magazine: Joanna Coles, the quippy, brisk editor-in-chief; Zoe, the hard-working, long-suffering shopping editor; and, of course, Nina Garcia, of Project Runway fame. Where the interns were obviously chosen for their personalities and camera-friendly looks, the mag staff all seem sleep-deprived and stressed out, although they each swear, “I love my job.” About 22 minutes into the episode, Coles sends Samantha to pick up a dress and we see her — you guessed it — running in heels.

The best part of the episode was toward the end: At a party to celebrate Nina Garcia’s arrival at the magazine, there’s word Lindsay Lohan has arrived but may not walk the red carpet because there’s no poster of her cover displayed. Somehow, Joanna Coles magically convinces LL to pose for pictures and gets what she calls her “money shot.” Meanwhile, Samantha from Wisconsin is hanging out at the party — she’s supposed to be working — and she’s not wearing any shoes, which infuriates the other interns. (Clip above.)

Between The Devil Wears Prada, Ugly Betty and Stylista, this show seems the most realistic, coming from someone who has worked in magazines. Which is not to say that it’s not completely preposterous: The interns are clearly just for TV (Joanna Coles herself said they never intended to hire these women) and there’s a lot of cheek-kissing and not a lot of actual working. That said, there’s a sick pleasure in watching these “interns” — who think they’re “perfect” for the job despite having zero fashion magazine experience — find out how painful running in heels can be.