Anyone else finding this series totally soul-less so far? No personalities are coming through and it's becoming drearily formulaic.

- Group sits around making stupid suggestions
- Cut to: Margaret's "oh FFS" face
- Group invents rubbish product
- Cut to: Margaret's "oh FFS" face
- Debra says something bitchy
- Cut to: everyone else making "oh she's such a bitch, isn't she!" faces
- Group goes and makes an awkward, embarrassing sales pitch
- Cut to: lots of close-ups on shifting eyes and =/ faces
- Groups go to boardroom and start flinging knives like nobody's business

Don't even get me started on Sir Alan's wooden script-reading abilities.

That Weasely-Looking Arsehole: "He wasn't exactly Winston Churchill."
Siralan: "What, more Churchill the nodding dog?"
Entire boardroom: (robotic) "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha."

Series 4 was a total farce but at least most of the contestants were entertaining in some way or another. I was sad to see Maj go tonight because he seemed like one of the only genuinely funny guys. Everyone else is either a bore, a back-stabber or an arsehole.

Is Ben supposed to be the funny one or something? I thought his arseholes/rabbits' noses remark was crude-without-the-funny, and most of his other "jokes" are just nasty snipes said in ironic deadpan. Blech!

/rant

They're not actors, are they?
It's very badly edited as well.

I think there are lots of personalities to be honest.

There is a sense of deja vu about this series.

It's almost as if the same script is being played out by a different set of actors.

And yes, some aspects are very contrived.

But I'm still as glued as ever - I can't help it!

not very imaginative tasks either! How about organising a jelly wrestle or send 'em out on the streets with a box of big issue

I think we're starting to get to see the characters now, although I think some are a little too contrived, I suspect they will be exposed as time goes on though.

Plus Maj on Your Fired saying "I don't think BLANK will go very far" and "I think BLANK will go far" which were spoliers because the whole series has already been filmed but for some reason continue to pretend it's not.

Yeah, I wasn't sure whether I was going to bother with the series as it has become so formulaic. They really should have shaked things up with a different host or moving it out of London. It's also clear that most of the contestants are there because they want to be famous rather than because they posses any business skills.

And another thing!

Is it me or are the winning-team "rewards" getting much lamer? Or is Siralan/the TV company tightening his/its purse in the recession too?

I don't agree about the personalities thing myself. I was worried during episode 1 that they wouldn't (because not many did that first episode, which let it down for me) but over the past two weeks I've changed my mind.

James, Ben, Debra, Yasmina, all great characters.

Plus the tasks are formulaic (each year the first task's a grafting task, second task's a service task, third tasks' a design task, etcetera) but that stops them getting daft in my opinion like other reality shows (Big Brother).

It's much easier to think..

what can they sell on the streets for the first task this year?

Than:

what can they do for their first task.. what haven't we done?

The latter, apparently.

Don't get your hopes up for an overseas episode this series. They can only afford to send the teams to Manchester or Birmingham I heard!

Such a shame as Marrakech and France provided some of the most memorable Apprenitce moments.

What's killing this series for me is the lack of Lucinda. She made series 4 for me.

Me too. She was class. But we have to try and move on!

I'm developing a soft spot for Lorraine now

Hmm, well this episode was a pretty lifeless one. The products were boring and there were no cringe-worthy or funny moments, and the entire thing just felt rushed.

This entire series is slightly flatter than the one preceding it, and I think that's mainly been down to tasks that simply haven't been as interesting - washing cars just isn't as fun as selling fish. Who was that woman that got fired? Dunno, don't care; compare and contrast with Nicolas de Lacy Pinhead etc.

Indeed. She was so refreshingly bright and glowing - yet ironically made everyone else excessively angry and miserable.

But it isn't just her - it's also the lack of her nemesis Jenny. She was utterly vile, but at least she was a charismatic villain. There always is one.

Paul - Series 1 - was driven and intelligent, but also fiery and aggressive.
Sayid was arrogantly suave yet also really goofy.
Katie had a catalogue of withering put-downs on her and was a force of nature in the boardroom. Not to mention her many other villainous traits. She was perfect for the role.
Jenny was just bullying and evil with a touch of the madwoman in her eyes.

Debra isn't cutting it for me. She's cold and bossy, but most of the time the editing is so ridiculously unsubtle in its aim to assassinate her character as viciously as possible that I feel a bit sorry for her.

It's also very thin on genuinely funny people. James is cringey, but is a little too pathetic to amuse me; Ben isn't funny - just nasty and crude.

Holding out hope for: Mona, Lorraine, That Mysterious Ginger Woman, Kimberly and Yasmina.

Hmm. All women. I suppose Phillip's OK too - but I feel like he's being obviously edited as "The Good Guy" which puts me off a little bit.

The boardroom stuff needs to be cut down, as classic as it can be, we need to see more of what they've done to be able to take part in our own debates about who's to blame when we reach the firing.

As I said before. Either cut out the third boardroom stage (project manager and co) and just have both teams then one team or cut out the second and just have both teams then the loosing project manager and co.

Agreed. I swear about two thirds of the first episode took place in the boardroom...

Before, boardroom meetings would take place in the last 15 minutes, but recently they start at 9.30!

According to an interview Maj has given, all the candidates get on in the house:


... which might explain the lack of real drama. It's possible they do get on and there's a little tension during the tasks but that's all there is - a little tension. I get the impression they're less volatile than previous contestants - Debra seems the only loud one and who knows, maybe she's not that loud in the house. Maybe the show's been on too long so contestants are aware how they come over on tv? The earlier series might have been a bit more 'raw' because the contestants were new to the experience but I reckon most people going on reality tv these days know what they're getting into and try their best not to act too mad or too much like a bully. The earlier series had far more aggressive candidates.

It should heat up a bit once Olive from on the buses lets out about the love affair - reckon a few sparks might fly then.

I concur with all three of you.

I used to wait with great anticipation for the boardroom confrontations - they were once the most compelling part of the show for me.

But not anymore. The boardroom proceedings have become overly long and predictable.

I want to see more action from the task itself.