Can a recession dull the mood of the nation's favourite business show? Will the credit crunch sap any of the red-blooded capitalism from the series' veins? Not a bit of it. This year's hard-faced hopefuls looking for a job with Sir Alan Sugar are as cocksure as ever, introducing themselves with remarks like "For me, making money is better than sex" and "You don't need to make friends on the way up if you're not coming down". It's good to have them back, isn't it? The candidates' first task is to set up a cleaning business, but first there are the team names to choose (Carpe Diem, Strike and Shazam are among the rejects) and the ticklish question of who goes first to be project manager - a poisoned chalice the girls' team fall over themselves to avoid. Then the gears of the series start turning, a ruthless machine that sucks in confidence and turns it into flailing, animal fear. It shouldn't be a pleasure to watch, but it always is.