The Apprentice (U.S. TV series)

The Apprentice
Genre	Reality game show
Created by	Mark Burnett
Starring	Donald Trump (2004–15) Carolyn Kepcher (2004–06) Arnold Schwarzenegger (2016–) George H. Ross Bill Rancic (2004–09) Ivanka Trump (2006–15) Donald Trump, Jr. (2006–15) Eric Trump (2010–15)
Theme music composer	Kenneth Gamble Leon Huff Anthony Jackson
Opening theme	"For the Love of Money" by The O'Jays
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	14
No. of episodes	185 (as of February 16, 2015)
Production
Producer(s)	Mark Burnett Donald Trump
Location(s)	New York City, NY, United States
Running time	60 minutes (seasons 1–7, 10) 120 minutes (seasons 8–9, 11–)
Production company(s)	Trump Productions Mark Burnett Productions (seasons 1–13) United Artists Media Group (seasons 14–)
Distributor	FremantleMedia Enterprises MGM Worldwide Television
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	January 8, 2004 (2004-01-08) – present
Chronology
Related shows	The Celebrity Apprentice The Apprentice: Martha Stewart The Ultimate Merger The Apprentice (UK)

The Apprentice is an American reality game show that judges the business skills of a group of contestants. It is closely associated with real estate magnate, businessman, and television personality, Donald Trump, who hosted 14 seasons of the show from its inception in January 2004 until 2015. The show is broadcast on NBC. It was created by English-born American television producer Mark Burnett. Billed as "The Ultimate Job Interview", the show features sixteen to eighteen business people who compete over the course of a season, with usually one contestant eliminated per episode. The original prize for the first six seasons was a one-year, $250,000 starting contract to run one of Trump's companies. Each episode typically ended with Trump eliminating one of the contestants with the words, "You're fired" (which has become a locution of both the program and Trump).

After six seasons of The Apprentice, a new format was introduced: The Celebrity Apprentice. The celebrity series generally follows the same premise as the original, but with celebrities as contestants participating to win money for their chosen charities, rather than winning a job opportunity. There have been seven seasons of The Celebrity Apprentice since 2008. In 2010, a seventh (and the most recent) season of the original Apprentice was aired in between Celebrity seasons. There were a combined 14 seasons of Trump's Apprentice. Another season of The Celebrity Apprentice is planned to air in 2016-17, to be hosted by actor, politician and businessman Arnold Schwarzenegger.^[1]

The U.S. series originated a franchise of international television shows collectively known as The Apprentice, which has had over 20 local versions. The series also spawned another U.S. series, The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, featuring lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart, which ran for one season in 2005.

Premise

The Apprentice is a reality television show featuring season-long competitions. Each season begins with a new group of contestants vying to earn a place in one of the organizations run by the host (previously, Donald Trump). The contestants (who are referred to as "candidates") come from business backgrounds in various enterprises, but typically included backgrounds in real estate, accounting, restaurant management, management consulting, sales, and marketing.

During the show, the contestants live in a communal dwelling (for almost all seasons, a supposed "penthouse suite"). The candidates are divided into two teams. Each week, the teams are assigned a task and required to select one of their members to lead the team as "project manager". Tasks are generally business oriented and tend to highlight one of several business skills. Tasks most commonly revolve around sales (selling the most items or earning the most money); and marketing (producing a specific marketing material or campaign that is judged by a company's executives). During the tasks, the teams are usually visited by one of Trump's two "advisors" for that week. In early seasons, the show included segments of Trump speaking directly to the audience with business advice typically relevant to that episode's task. After the completion of the task, the teams meet with the host and his two advisers in "the boardroom".

Boardroom meetings generally proceed in three stages. In the first preliminary stage, all of the remaining candidates on both teams gather in the boardroom to be debriefed on the task by the host and his advisors. Team members are asked about how the task went and whether there were any strong or weak players. Teams are sometimes asked to comment on materials or products produced by the opposing team. At the end of this stage, the host or his advisors would reveal the results of the task and which team was the winner. The winning team wins a reward (usually a unique, luxurious experience) and are excused from the boardroom while the losing team returns to the boardroom for an elimination. In later seasons, winning teams have been permitted to view the next stage of the boardroom on the TV in their suite.

The entire losing team remains in the boardroom and are confronted with their loss. They are interrogated as to the reasons for their loss and which players contributed to or failed at the task. Then, for the final stage of the boardroom, the project manager is asked to select a certain number of teammates (typically two, but on occasion one or three) to bring back into the final-stage boardroom meeting. The remaining teammates return to the suite while the project manager and the selected teammates stepped out of the boardroom momentarily so the host can consult his advisors.

Upon returning to the boardroom for the final stage, the host and his advisors continue interrogating the remaining players about their loss. The project manager is sometimes further analyzed for their choice of teammates to bring back into the boardroom. Ultimately, at least one project manager and/or the remaining teammates are "fired" at the host's discretion, and leave the show.

It is notable that Trump was shown to have the ultimate discretion in running the boardroom and at times he would disregard the typical format of the show, including: firing multiple candidates in one week; firing candidates before the final stage; bringing candidates back into the final stage who were not chosen by the project manager, etc.

When the final three or four candidates are left (depending on the season), they engage in a formal interview rather than a task. Several executives from various companies interview each of the finalists and reported their assessments to the host. Based on the interviews, a boardroom and firing take place, leaving a final two candidates.

The final two candidates are then each assigned a different final task, and given a support team of previously fired candidates. Final tasks generally require the finalists to organize (to various degrees) an event such as a party or a fundraiser. In a final boardroom following the final task, the host hired one of the two candidates to become his "apprentice".

History and production

The first season aired during the winter and the spring of 2004. The Apprentice is produced and created by Mark Burnett and was originally 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 of $250,000. The popularity of the show led to Trump becoming known for his fateful catch phrase, "You're fired!"

The opening theme music used on the show is "For the Love of Money", a 1973 R&B song by The O'Jays.^[2]

For most seasons, the candidates ostensibly live in a communal suite at Trump Tower in Manhattan. This was originally billed as a penthouse suite, and after boardrooms, candidates were told to "go up" to the suite. However, in reality, the suite and the boardroom (and its elevator lobby) are all purpose-built sets within Trump Tower, all on the same floor. Later seasons of the Celebrity Apprentice no longer conceal this.

As the popularity of the series grew, more and more of the tasks began to be tied to specific companies. For example, sales tasks would require a team to take over a brand-name storefront or restaurant and operate it; and marketing tasks would require teams to prepare a marketing material (e.g. a jingle or flyer) or campaign for an established company. In later series, the launches of specific products would be tied to the airing of episodes of the series. Several companies have appeared multiple times on the show.

Trump's original advisors were 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. In August 2006, Trump released Kepcher from her duties at the Trump organization saying only that he "wishes her the best." Kepcher also left The Apprentice at that time. Upon her departure, Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump became a regular advisor; though she was not officially billed as a replacement for Kepcher.^[3] As the series progressed, the advisors were occasionally substituted on a weekly basis with other advisors including two of Trump's other children, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as past winners of the show and other business executives (typically from the company whose product or service was featured in the episode.

During Trump's tenure, the series frequently featured and promoted his properties, products and brand. Trump's wife Melania Trump was also featured on the series several times including in several tasks that have featured her fashion and cosmetic products. Ivanka Trump's fashion products have also been featured in tasks.

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 since the eighth season.

Season 6, unlike the rest of the series, took place in Los Angeles. The teams resided in a mansion, with the winning team of each challenge occupying the house, and the losing team camping out in tents in the backyard.

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.^[4] On May 19, 2007, Trump announced that he was "moving on from The Apprentice to a major new TV venture".^[5] On May 22, NBC announced The Apprentice might return next season even though Trump had said he had quit.^[6] However, NBC and Trump resolved their differences, and the first season of The Celebrity Apprentice began production shortly thereafter.

Spin-offs

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.^[7] Each of the twelve contestants vying for the affections of Manigault-Stallworth were selected by Trump himself.^[8]

Martha Stewart

On February 2, 2005, NBC announced that they would broadcast the first spin-off from The Apprentice, called The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. 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.

At the time, the original Apprentice was airing new seasons in each of the fall and winter, each with declining overall ratings. The Apprentice: Martha Stewart aired on Wednesdays during the same fall season as the fourth season of the original Apprentice (which aired Thursdays). The Apprentice: Martha Stewart struggled while the original series' fourth season again earned poorer ratings than the previous season. 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 Stewart's show ended, Trump and Stewart had a fight over 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.

Statistics by season

Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of The Apprentice on NBC.

Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.

(Note: Given the show has a sequel TV series known as Celebrity Apprentice, the above chart is continued on the article of the show's follow-up TV series, found under "statistics by season" for Celebrity Apprentice. Note as well that season 10 is included in the above chart given the show reverted back to The Apprentice for that season)

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 was 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"^[19] 3-hour season finale on December 16, 2004.

The audience numbers (11.25 million viewers)^[20] 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 steadily declined following the 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.

Teams by season

Controversies

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 Perdew, 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.^[21]

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.^[22] Industry media has speculated on the extent to which Trump's media comments may have contributed to the decrease in the show's ratings,^[23][24] as other Trump-associated businesses have suffered since the start of Trump's political campaign.^[25] One (anonymous) Celebrity Apprentice contestant even announced an intention to boycott the May 15 taping of the season 7 finale, unless forced by contract to appear.^[26][27]

Video game

Legacy Interactive 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.

Similar programs

• The Benefactor, with Mark Cuban
• Hell's Kitchen with Gordon Ramsay
• The Rebel Billionaire, with Richard Branson of the Virgin Group
• The Law Firm with Roy Black
• Fire Me... Please/The Sack Race, where contestants try to get fired from their job
• My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss, a parody and hoax
• Win In China
• Diili, with Hjallis Harkimo
• The CfC-Stanbic Bank Magnate, also known as The Magnate, Kenyan business reality show
• Big Boss (Germany)
• Traumjob (Switzerland)

See also

• The Celebrity Apprentice
• Television in the United States

References

External links

• Official website
• The Apprentice at the Internet Movie Database
• The Apprentice at TV.com