The Apprentice (U.S. TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Apprentice is an American reality television show hosted by real estate magnate, businessman and television personality Donald Trump
, created by Mark Burnett
and broadcast on NBC
. Billed as "The Ultimate Job Interview", the show stars sixteen to eighteen business people competing in an elimination-style competition for a one-year, $250,000 starting contract of running one of business magnate Trump's companies. The show typically ends with Trump eliminating one of the contestants with the words, "You're Fired".
The show first aired in January 2004 and has run for eleven seasons, with the seventh, eighth, ninth, eleventh and twelfth seasons featuring celebrities competing for charity.
's organizations. The contestants (who are referred to as candidates) come from backgrounds in various enterprises, but typically include backgrounds in real estate, accounting, restaurant management, consulting management, sales, and marketing. During the show, these contestants live in a communal penthouse, allowing their relationships to build. The only exception however, was in the sixth season, when the show moved to Los Angeles
; Teams had been separated, with the winning team living in a mansion and the losing team taking up residence in tents located in the mansion's backyard. These candidates are placed into teams, and each week are assigned a task and required to select a project manager for the task. The winning team receives a reward, while the losing team faces a boardroom meeting in order to determine which team member should be fired and eliminated from the show.
Eliminations proceed in two stages. In the first stage, the entire team is confronted with their loss in a boardroom meeting. The project manager is then asked to select up to either one, two, or three of their team members who are believed to belong in the final boardroom meeting. In the second stage, the rest of the team is dismissed, while the project manager and the selected members face a final boardroom showdown where at least one of the candidates is fired and subsequently leaves the show.
Trump reserves the right at times to do the following: not allow the losing project manager to choose who goes into the boardroom for a final hearing, fire any candidate without a final boardroom session if there's enough information to warrant so, and fire multiple people if they are found liable for an unsatisfactory performance. On occasion, candidates will leave on their own free will; while this is usually discouraged, Trump does accept their resignation(s). When the final three or four candidates are left, an interview process typically begins, involving executives from various companies who interview each of the finalists and report their assessments of them to Trump. After which, a firing takes place where one or two people are usually fired.
(With the exception of the sixth season) The final two are then assigned different tasks, along with support teams composed of previously fired candidates. After the tasks are done, a final boardroom occurs, with testimonials from the team members and a last chance for the final two candidates to prove themselves to the target CEO. Finally, Trump hires one of the two candidates to become his Apprentice.
The opening theme music used on the show is "For the Love of Money
", a 1973 R&B song by The O'Jays
.
and is hosted by real estate magnate, Donald Trump
, who also serves as co-producer of the show. The premise of the show, which bills itself as the "ultimate job interview" in the "ultimate jungle," is to conduct a job talent search for a person to head one of Trump's companies. The position starts with an introductory 1-year contract with a starting yearly salary at six figures ($250,000 USD to be exact, roughly $4807.70 USD per week assuming a 52-week work-year). The show led Trump to become known for his fateful catch phrase
, "You're fired!"
The contestants live communally in a suite at Trump Tower
in Manhattan
and the boardroom showdown is with Trump and two of his associates (originally Carolyn Kepcher
, Former Chief Operating Officer and General Manager for the Trump National Golf Club, and George H. Ross
, Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel, The Trump Organization). Season 6, which was the most unsuccessful, saw the show move to Los Angeles.
In late August 2006, Donald Trump released Carolyn Kepcher from her duties at the Trump organization saying only that he "wishes her the best." No official reason has been given for her being fired from the company, but Kepcher was quoted as saying "After 11 years with the Trump Organization, Donald and I had different visions for my future role in the company." Her future role on The Apprentice has not been confirmed, although Kepcher has appeared on tape for the 6th season one or two times. Ivanka Trump appeared in a similar role on the show as Kepcher's, but was not an official replacement.
Known for his tendency to surround himself with beautiful women, Trump's on-screen (and real-life) assistants have each grown in personal fame. Two assistants appeared jointly for the first five seasons: Rhona Graff and Robin Himmler. In the sixth season, Trump elected to have his newest executive assistant, Andi Rowntree, star in the LA-based show. For the Celebrity Apprentice, Annette Dziamba appeared for the seventh season, and Amanda Miller for the eighth and ninth season.
On May 14, 2007, the series was left off NBC's schedule but NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly said he was still in discussions with Mark Burnett
and Trump. However, on May 19, 2007, Trump announced that he was "moving on from The Apprentice to a major new TV venture", effectively ending the series in the United States. But on May 22, 2007, NBC announced The Apprentice might return next season even though Trump had said he quit.
On July 6, 2007, it was announced that The Apprentice had been renewed for a seventh season, with a possibility of an eighth season. In an effort to revitalize interest in the series, the seventh season featured celebrities playing the game to raise money for charities. British tabloid editor Piers Morgan
was declared the victor of that season. On January 28, 2008, NBC confirmed that the show's eighth season would feature celebrities playing the game to raise money for charity. That season premiered in January 2009, and resulted in a win for comedian Joan Rivers
. The third season of The Celebrity Apprentice
aired in the spring of 2010, and was won by musician Brett Michaels.
On March 17, 2010, NBC officially stated that a new season of the original Apprentice would be brought back, with the explanation that regular working people would again attract audiences in light of the damaged U.S. economy. That season premiered September 16, 2010.
The Apprentice also spawned a reality television dating game show
. On June 17, 2010, Donald J. Trump Presents The Ultimate Merger
premiered on TV One. The series stars Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth
, a former political consultant who in 2004 appeared on the first season of The Apprentice and once again in 2008 on the first celebrity edition of the show. Each of the twelve contestants vying for the affections of Manigault-Stallworth were selected by Trump himself.
. The show, which ran from September 21 to December 21, 2005 was hosted by Martha Stewart
, who was the first woman in the world to become a self-made billionaire. It kept the format of the original series but changed a few elements to fit Stewart's personality. Trump was one of the executive producers of the show and castings were held in 27 cities across the United States.
The fourth season of The Apprentice earned less than spectacular ratings, while The Apprentice: Martha Stewart struggled. Trump claimed that there was "confusion" between the two shows. There has also been talk that Trump did not want Stewart to host the spin-off show. NBC announced that it would not bring back the show for a second season, although the network stressed that the show was initially planned to air only for one season. The show averaged between six and seven million viewers. Before the show left, both Donald Trump and Martha Stewart had a fight due to Stewart accusing Trump that he didn't want her to have a successful show, that he might have wanted it jinxed. Trump denied this charge, and both TV stars have not worked together again, and there are no plans for the future.
.
Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.
The Apprentice was the breakout rookie hit of the 2003–04 U.S. television season and helped NBC
at a time when the network's two long-running successful comedies, Friends
and Frasier
, were ending their series' runs. The Apprentice filled the void on Thursday nights as NBC held on to the tagline Must See TV, even though CBS
was quickly becoming the most-watched network on Thursday night.
Although the series is still one of the most-watched programs on NBC in the advertiser-friendly 18–49 age demographic, the franchise's total audience gradually dissolved, starting in late 2004, when it aired its second season that culminated in, what most Apprentice fans deem, an "overextended" 3-hour season finale on December 16, 2004.
The audience numbers (11.25 million viewers) for the June 5, 2006 fifth season finale were not factored in the fifth season average because it aired after the official television season ended.
The audience numbers for the show have still remained on the decline since its first season. Originally, NBC aired the sixth season
of The Apprentice, competing against both immensely popular series, Desperate Housewives
and Cold Case, just a few weeks before competing against Brothers & Sisters and Cold Case.
, on his first day working for Trump, was introduced by his boss to Florida developers working on a Trump-branded condo, the Trump Tower
, in Tampa, Florida
, where he was told that he would help promote sales of the building by appearing at promotional events.
In the wake of Trump's statements about the current president of the United States, Barack Obama
, The Apprentice has been criticized for its involvement with Trump. There have been public calls for NBC to fire Trump from his role on The Apprentice-- most notably from sister-network liberal political commentator Lawrence O'Donnell and from the former US Congressman Anthony Weiner.
NBC also reported having been contacted by a number of its sponsors in response to consumer complaints. Industry media has speculated on the extent to which Trump's media comments may have contributed to the decrease in the show's ratings, as other Trump-associated businesses have suffered since the start of Trump's political campaign. On April 28, 2011, show sponsor Groupon
publicly announced that it would no longer do business with The Apprentice. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-29/groupon-won-t-place-apprentice-site-ads-amid-complaints-1-.html. One (anonymous) celebrity has even announced an intention to boycott the May 15 taping of the finale, unless forced by contract to appear.
created a video game version of The Apprentice for the PC
. It features Donald Trump and his advisors, as well as past candidates, and is currently available on Yahoo! Games
.
The player selects either a male or a female character to play and must control the character through a number of tasks including puzzles. The character must create a billboard; sell ice cream, Italian food, or hamburgers; help create toys, chocolates and lamps; and sell items in different neighborhoods.
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
, created by Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...
and broadcast on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. Billed as "The Ultimate Job Interview", the show stars sixteen to eighteen business people competing in an elimination-style competition for a one-year, $250,000 starting contract of running one of business magnate Trump's companies. The show typically ends with Trump eliminating one of the contestants with the words, "You're Fired".
The show first aired in January 2004 and has run for eleven seasons, with the seventh, eighth, ninth, eleventh and twelfth seasons featuring celebrities competing for charity.
Premise
The Apprentice is a reality television show with each season beginning with a group of contestants vying to earn a place in one of Donald TrumpDonald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
's organizations. The contestants (who are referred to as candidates) come from backgrounds in various enterprises, but typically include backgrounds in real estate, accounting, restaurant management, consulting management, sales, and marketing. During the show, these contestants live in a communal penthouse, allowing their relationships to build. The only exception however, was in the sixth season, when the show moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
; Teams had been separated, with the winning team living in a mansion and the losing team taking up residence in tents located in the mansion's backyard. These candidates are placed into teams, and each week are assigned a task and required to select a project manager for the task. The winning team receives a reward, while the losing team faces a boardroom meeting in order to determine which team member should be fired and eliminated from the show.
Eliminations proceed in two stages. In the first stage, the entire team is confronted with their loss in a boardroom meeting. The project manager is then asked to select up to either one, two, or three of their team members who are believed to belong in the final boardroom meeting. In the second stage, the rest of the team is dismissed, while the project manager and the selected members face a final boardroom showdown where at least one of the candidates is fired and subsequently leaves the show.
Trump reserves the right at times to do the following: not allow the losing project manager to choose who goes into the boardroom for a final hearing, fire any candidate without a final boardroom session if there's enough information to warrant so, and fire multiple people if they are found liable for an unsatisfactory performance. On occasion, candidates will leave on their own free will; while this is usually discouraged, Trump does accept their resignation(s). When the final three or four candidates are left, an interview process typically begins, involving executives from various companies who interview each of the finalists and report their assessments of them to Trump. After which, a firing takes place where one or two people are usually fired.
(With the exception of the sixth season) The final two are then assigned different tasks, along with support teams composed of previously fired candidates. After the tasks are done, a final boardroom occurs, with testimonials from the team members and a last chance for the final two candidates to prove themselves to the target CEO. Finally, Trump hires one of the two candidates to become his Apprentice.
The opening theme music used on the show is "For the Love of Money
For the Love of Money
"For the Love of Money" is a soul/funk song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Anthony Jackson; and recorded by Philadelphia soul group The O'Jays for the album Ship Ahoy. Produced by Gamble and Huff for Philadelphia International Records, "For the Love of Money" was issued as a single in...
", a 1973 R&B song by The O'Jays
The O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...
.
History
The first season aired during the winter and the spring of 2004. The Apprentice is produced and created by Mark BurnettMark Burnett
Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...
and is hosted by real estate magnate, Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
, who also serves as co-producer of the show. The premise of the show, which bills itself as the "ultimate job interview" in the "ultimate jungle," is to conduct a job talent search for a person to head one of Trump's companies. The position starts with an introductory 1-year contract with a starting yearly salary at six figures ($250,000 USD to be exact, roughly $4807.70 USD per week assuming a 52-week work-year). The show led Trump to become known for his fateful catch phrase
Catch phrase
A catchphrase is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through a variety of mass media , as well as word of mouth...
, "You're fired!"
The contestants live communally in a suite at Trump Tower
Trump Tower (New York)
Trump Tower is a 58-story mixed-use skyscraper located at 725 Fifth Avenue, at the corner of East 56th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was developed by Donald Trump and the Equitable Life Assurance Company, and designed by Der Scutt of Swanke, Hayden Connell...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and the boardroom showdown is with Trump and two of his associates (originally Carolyn Kepcher
Carolyn Kepcher
Carolyn Kepcher is an American businesswoman, perhaps best known for her regular appearances on the NBC television program The Apprentice. She was formerly the Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and General Manager for the Trump National Golf Club...
, Former Chief Operating Officer and General Manager for the Trump National Golf Club, and George H. Ross
George H. Ross
George H. Ross is Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel of the Trump Organization. He is perhaps best known as one of Donald Trump's two advisors on the NBC reality television program The Apprentice; Carolyn Kepcher was the other...
, Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel, The Trump Organization). Season 6, which was the most unsuccessful, saw the show move to Los Angeles.
In late August 2006, Donald Trump released Carolyn Kepcher from her duties at the Trump organization saying only that he "wishes her the best." No official reason has been given for her being fired from the company, but Kepcher was quoted as saying "After 11 years with the Trump Organization, Donald and I had different visions for my future role in the company." Her future role on The Apprentice has not been confirmed, although Kepcher has appeared on tape for the 6th season one or two times. Ivanka Trump appeared in a similar role on the show as Kepcher's, but was not an official replacement.
Known for his tendency to surround himself with beautiful women, Trump's on-screen (and real-life) assistants have each grown in personal fame. Two assistants appeared jointly for the first five seasons: Rhona Graff and Robin Himmler. In the sixth season, Trump elected to have his newest executive assistant, Andi Rowntree, star in the LA-based show. For the Celebrity Apprentice, Annette Dziamba appeared for the seventh season, and Amanda Miller for the eighth and ninth season.
On May 14, 2007, the series was left off NBC's schedule but NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly said he was still in discussions with Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...
and Trump. However, on May 19, 2007, Trump announced that he was "moving on from The Apprentice to a major new TV venture", effectively ending the series in the United States. But on May 22, 2007, NBC announced The Apprentice might return next season even though Trump had said he quit.
On July 6, 2007, it was announced that The Apprentice had been renewed for a seventh season, with a possibility of an eighth season. In an effort to revitalize interest in the series, the seventh season featured celebrities playing the game to raise money for charities. British tabloid editor Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
was declared the victor of that season. On January 28, 2008, NBC confirmed that the show's eighth season would feature celebrities playing the game to raise money for charity. That season premiered in January 2009, and resulted in a win for comedian Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers is an American comedian, television personality and actress. She is known for her brash manner; her loud, raspy voice with a heavy New York accent; and her numerous cosmetic surgeries...
. The third season of The Celebrity Apprentice
The Apprentice (U.S. season 9)
The Celebrity Apprentice 3 is the ninth installment of the United States version of the reality television series, The Apprentice. On April 29, 2009, NBC officially announced the renewal of Celebrity Apprentice for Spring 2010. The show premiered on Sunday, March 14, 2010...
aired in the spring of 2010, and was won by musician Brett Michaels.
On March 17, 2010, NBC officially stated that a new season of the original Apprentice would be brought back, with the explanation that regular working people would again attract audiences in light of the damaged U.S. economy. That season premiered September 16, 2010.
The Apprentice also spawned a reality television dating game show
Dating game show
Dating game shows are television game shows, some say reality game shows, that incorporate a dating system in the form of a game with clear rules. Human matchmaking is involved only in selecting the game's contestants - usually for amusement value as opposed to any concern for their happiness or...
. On June 17, 2010, Donald J. Trump Presents The Ultimate Merger
The Ultimate Merger
Donald J. Trump Presents The Ultimate Merger is an American reality television dating game show. A spin-off of The Apprentice, the series premiered on TV One on June 17, 2010. Notably, The Ultimate Merger is the first reality dating series to feature contestants who are almost entirely from the...
premiered on TV One. The series stars Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth
Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth
Omaroseonee Manigault-Stallworth , usually known simply as Omarosa, is a two-time participant on Donald Trump's television reality show The Apprentice.-Early life:Manigault-Stallworth was born in Youngstown, Ohio...
, a former political consultant who in 2004 appeared on the first season of The Apprentice and once again in 2008 on the first celebrity edition of the show. Each of the twelve contestants vying for the affections of Manigault-Stallworth were selected by Trump himself.
Martha Stewart
On February 2, 2005, NBC announced that they would broadcast the first spin-off from The Apprentice, called The Apprentice: Martha StewartThe Apprentice: Martha Stewart
The Apprentice: Martha Stewart is a spin-off from the American reality television series The Apprentice that ran in the fall of 2005. Broadcast on NBC, the show featured business tycoon Martha Stewart. Tasks were centered around Stewart's areas of expertise: media, culinary arts, entertaining,...
. The show, which ran from September 21 to December 21, 2005 was hosted by Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
, who was the first woman in the world to become a self-made billionaire. It kept the format of the original series but changed a few elements to fit Stewart's personality. Trump was one of the executive producers of the show and castings were held in 27 cities across the United States.
The fourth season of The Apprentice earned less than spectacular ratings, while The Apprentice: Martha Stewart struggled. Trump claimed that there was "confusion" between the two shows. There has also been talk that Trump did not want Stewart to host the spin-off show. NBC announced that it would not bring back the show for a second season, although the network stressed that the show was initially planned to air only for one season. The show averaged between six and seven million viewers. Before the show left, both Donald Trump and Martha Stewart had a fight due to Stewart accusing Trump that he didn't want her to have a successful show, that he might have wanted it jinxed. Trump denied this charge, and both TV stars have not worked together again, and there are no plans for the future.
U.S. television ratings
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of The Apprentice on NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.
| Season | Winner | Winner's Project | Timeslot | Season Premiere | Season Finale | TV Season | Ranking | Viewers (in millions) |
Finale Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bill Rancic Bill Rancic William "Bill" Rancic is an American entrepreneur who was the first candidate hired by The Trump Organization at the conclusion of the first season of Donald Trump's reality television show, The Apprentice... |
Trump Tower Chicago Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago) The Trump International Hotel and Tower, also known as Trump Tower Chicago and locally as the Trump Tower, is a skyscraper condo-hotel in downtown Chicago, Illinois. The building, named after real estate developer Donald Trump, was designed by architect Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill... |
Thursday 9:00PM | January 8, 2004 | April 15, 2004 | 2003–04 | 7 | 20.7 | 28.1 |
| 2nd | Kelly Perdew Kelly Perdew Kelly Crawford Perdew of Carlsbad, California was the winner of The Apprentice 2.-Before The Apprentice:Perdew was born in Lexington, Kentucky and was raised in Florida and Wyoming... |
Trump Place Trump Place Riverside South is an apartment complex originated by Donald Trump and six civic partners on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, in New York City.The $3 billion project on a site between 59th Street and 72nd... |
September 9, 2004 | December 16, 2004 | 2004–05 | 11 | 16.1 | 16.9 | |
| 3rd | Kendra Todd Kendra Todd Kendra Todd is a real estate agent in Seattle, Washington. In 2005, she was the winner of season 3 of NBC's The Apprentice. She was the first female candidate, and the youngest, to be hired on the U.S. Apprentice.-Overview:... |
Palm Beach Mansion | January 20, 2005 | May 19, 2005 | 15 | 14.0 | 14.0 | ||
| 4th The Apprentice (U.S. season 4) The Apprentice 4 is the fourth season of The Apprentice, with Donald Trump as the executive producer and host. The show was aired on Thursday nights at 9 p.m... |
Randal Pinkett Randal Pinkett Randal D. Pinkett is a business consultant who in 2005 was the winner of season four of the reality television show, The Apprentice... |
Trump Entertainment | September 22, 2005 | December 15, 2005 | 2005–06 | 38 | 11.0 | 12.8 | |
| 5th The Apprentice (U.S. season 5) The Apprentice 5 is the fifth series of The Apprentice, with Donald Trump as the Executive Producer and Host. Applications were available online and filming occurred in the fall of 2005. Sean Yazbeck was named the winner and hired by Donald Trump as the new Apprentice during the season finale... |
Sean Yazbeck Sean Yazbeck Sean Yazbeck is the winner of the fifth season of the reality show, The Apprentice, where candidates compete in several tasks on a 15-week "job interview" for a position in one of Donald Trump's companies... |
Trump Soho | Monday 9:00PM | February 27, 2006 | June 5, 2006 | 51 | 9.7 | 11.3 | |
| 6th | Stefani Schaeffer Stefanie Schaeffer Stefanie Schaeffer is an American defense attorney from California. She was named Season 6 Apprentice on the reality show of the same name... |
Cap Cana Cap Cana Cap Cana is a resort located in the Eastern Dominican Republic known as Juanillo. The site was founded as a new and more ambitious touristic site with contributions from international investors and partners such as Ritz-Carlton, Sotogrande, and Donald Trump. The site has beaches, golf courses, and... |
Sunday 10:00PM | January 7, 2007 | April 22, 2007 | 2006–07 | 75 | 7.5 | 10.6 |
| 7th The Apprentice (U.S. Season 7) The Celebrity Apprentice is the seventh installment of the United States version of the reality television series, The Apprentice. This season features celebrity candidates vying for the title of Donald Trump's, "Best Business Brain," as a way to revitalize the series, with the winner donating... |
Piers Morgan Piers Morgan Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children.... |
N/A | Thursday 9:00PM | January 3, 2008 | March 27, 2008 | 2007–08 | 48 | 11.0 | 12.1 |
| 8th The Apprentice (U.S. Season 8) The Celebrity Apprentice 2 is the eighth installment of the United States version of the reality television series, The Apprentice. It premiered on March 1, 2009. The Celebrity Apprentice 2 aired for two hours on Sundays at 9:00 Eastern time... |
Joan Rivers Joan Rivers Joan Rivers is an American comedian, television personality and actress. She is known for her brash manner; her loud, raspy voice with a heavy New York accent; and her numerous cosmetic surgeries... |
Sunday 9:00PM | March 1, 2009 | May 10, 2009 | 2008–09 | 52 | 9.0 | 8.7 | |
| 9th The Apprentice (U.S. season 9) The Celebrity Apprentice 3 is the ninth installment of the United States version of the reality television series, The Apprentice. On April 29, 2009, NBC officially announced the renewal of Celebrity Apprentice for Spring 2010. The show premiered on Sunday, March 14, 2010... |
Bret Michaels Bret Michaels Bret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single... |
Sunday 9:00PM | March 14, 2010 | May 23, 2010 | 2009–10 | 59 | 7.4 | 9.3 | |
| 10th The Apprentice (U.S. season 10) The Apprentice 10 is the tenth installment of the United States version of the reality television series, The Apprentice. On March 17, 2010, NBC officially announced the renewal of The Apprentice for the fall of 2010. For the season, the show went back to its regular version, with non-celebrities,... |
Brandy Kuentzel Brandy Kuentzel Brandy Kuentzel is an American corporate attorney and businesswoman born in San Francisco, California. She was the candidate hired by The Trump Organization at the conclusion of the tenth season of Donald Trump's reality television show, The Apprentice.Kuentzel grew up in Anchorage, Alaska... |
Thursday 10:00PM | September 16, 2010 | December 9, 2010 | 2010–11 | 113 | 4.7 | 4.5 | |
| 11th The Apprentice (U.S. season 11) The Celebrity Apprentice 4 is the eleventh installment of the United States version of the reality television series, The Apprentice. On May 16, 2010, NBC announced that the show would be returning to its Celebrity Apprentice format after returning to its regular version for the tenth season of... |
John Rich John Rich (musician) John Rich is an American country music singer-songwriter. From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the country music band Lonestar, in which he played bass guitar and alternated with Richie McDonald as lead vocalist... |
Sunday 9:00 PM | March 6, 2011 | May 22, 2011 | 46 | 8.8 | 8.3 |
The Apprentice was the breakout rookie hit of the 2003–04 U.S. television season and helped NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
at a time when the network's two long-running successful comedies, Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
and Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, were ending their series' runs. The Apprentice filled the void on Thursday nights as NBC held on to the tagline Must See TV, even though CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
was quickly becoming the most-watched network on Thursday night.
Although the series is still one of the most-watched programs on NBC in the advertiser-friendly 18–49 age demographic, the franchise's total audience gradually dissolved, starting in late 2004, when it aired its second season that culminated in, what most Apprentice fans deem, an "overextended" 3-hour season finale on December 16, 2004.
The audience numbers (11.25 million viewers) for the June 5, 2006 fifth season finale were not factored in the fifth season average because it aired after the official television season ended.
The audience numbers for the show have still remained on the decline since its first season. Originally, NBC aired the sixth season
The Apprentice 6
The Apprentice: Los Angeles is the sixth installment of the US version of The Apprentice reality television show. It was confirmed on November 30, 2005. Like the other Apprentice seasons, Donald Trump is the executive producer and host in his quest to hire a sixth apprentice...
of The Apprentice, competing against both immensely popular series, Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
and Cold Case, just a few weeks before competing against Brothers & Sisters and Cold Case.
Criticism and Boycott
Criticism has been leveled at the series for allegedly giving jobs to the season winners that are less than what they are claimed to be on the show. Whereas winners have been named "executive vice presidents", and given the title of "owner's representative," in actuality, they were employed as publicity spokespeople for the Trump organization. Second season winner Kelly PerdewKelly Perdew
Kelly Crawford Perdew of Carlsbad, California was the winner of The Apprentice 2.-Before The Apprentice:Perdew was born in Lexington, Kentucky and was raised in Florida and Wyoming...
, on his first day working for Trump, was introduced by his boss to Florida developers working on a Trump-branded condo, the Trump Tower
Trump Tower (Tampa)
Trump Tower Tampa is the former name of an unfinished condominium project located in downtown Tampa, Florida. The building would be visible from the end of Bayshore Boulevard and Tampa General Hospital on the Hillsborough River waterline...
, in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, where he was told that he would help promote sales of the building by appearing at promotional events.
In the wake of Trump's statements about the current president of the United States, Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, The Apprentice has been criticized for its involvement with Trump. There have been public calls for NBC to fire Trump from his role on The Apprentice-- most notably from sister-network liberal political commentator Lawrence O'Donnell and from the former US Congressman Anthony Weiner.
NBC also reported having been contacted by a number of its sponsors in response to consumer complaints. Industry media has speculated on the extent to which Trump's media comments may have contributed to the decrease in the show's ratings, as other Trump-associated businesses have suffered since the start of Trump's political campaign. On April 28, 2011, show sponsor Groupon
Groupon
Groupon is a deal-of-the-day website that features discounted gift certificates usable at local or national companies. Groupon was launched in November 2008, the first market for Groupon was Chicago, followed soon thereafter by Boston, New York City, and Toronto...
publicly announced that it would no longer do business with The Apprentice. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-29/groupon-won-t-place-apprentice-site-ads-amid-complaints-1-.html. One (anonymous) celebrity has even announced an intention to boycott the May 15 taping of the finale, unless forced by contract to appear.
Video game
Legacy InteractiveLegacy Interactive
Legacy Interactive is a video game developer and media company based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1998 by Ariella Lehrer, Legacy initially developed medical simulations such as Emergency Room and Pet Pals: Animal Doctor. Since 2004 Legacy has focused almost entirely on creating casual...
created a video game version of The Apprentice for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. It features Donald Trump and his advisors, as well as past candidates, and is currently available on Yahoo! Games
Yahoo! Games
Yahoo! Games is the section of the Yahoo! website in which Yahoo! users can play games either with other users or by themselves. The games on the website are typically Java applets or quick Flash games, but there are others which require a download. Many of the games that require a download...
.
The player selects either a male or a female character to play and must control the character through a number of tasks including puzzles. The character must create a billboard; sell ice cream, Italian food, or hamburgers; help create toys, chocolates and lamps; and sell items in different neighborhoods.
Similar programs
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, a parodyParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
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- Diili, with Hjallis Harkimo