Apparantly The Apprentic is now censored? I noticed a censored word last night and I’m absolutely certain it was only “f*cking”.

I’m really annoyed about this and I feel the viewer is being patronised.



The Apprentice is an adult reality TV programme. That’s what it is. We tune in to see a bunch of adults facing stressful challenges, and to see a candid, uncensored look at how they cope. We want to see all the real-life tension and drama. We don’t need it to be sanitised: we’re adults and it’s on after the watershed. It even has nudity (like when they showed Yasmina’s arse a few weeks ago, which was a treat).

A censored Apprentice is no longer an edgy adult show. It’s just another cosy family reality TV show like The X Factor. We may as well watch it with our kids! (Maybe that’s what the BBC are trying to achieve here? A change in audience demographic?)

For me personally, a big part of the show’s appeal is seeing smartly-dressed professional-looking ladies using foul language. It’s sexy; it’s funny; but most of all, it’s just really refreshing and satisfying as you don’t normally ever get to see such a thing. This is what first got me into the show, back in series 2 when I saw Michelle Dewberry swearing her head off and I was really impressed at how raw it was.

I’m really annoyed about this new censorship, and I feel patronised. I’m 32 and I’ve heard the “f” word plenty of times in my life. When I switch on the TV after 9pm to watch an adult programme I don’t expect it to be censored!

You should try watching the repeats of series 1 on Dave. I thought my ears were ringing there's so much bleeping of even the tamest swear words. It's like trying to watch Jerry Springer.

Possibly its because its shifted to BBC1 and a "broader" audience. Just a guess......

JJ

Hmmm… I don’t ever remember it being on BBC2.

I frankly dont see the point. Anyone watching can tell exactly what has been said so why edit out the F words. For the sake of a few letters from 'outraged of somewhere in Middle England', I think its pointkless.

The first 2 series were on BBC2.

It's been on one for 3 years now..

Doesn't time fly....................

JJ (lol)

I couldn't disagree with this more. Quite frankly I have found all the effing and blinding in the past few years of The Apprentice tedious and unneccesary. I think we've all heard the "f" word plenty of times, but as a licence payer I don't think the BBC should be bringing it into my home in what is essentially a mainstream show.

Personally, I think the swearing in the past detracted from the overall quality of the show. Sexy and edgy - it ain't!

As suggested, it's probably because of the move to BBC One. I recall Saira swearing like a trooper, even in the intro on S1!

I also don't see the need to bleep the swear words. It is an adult programme on at a time too late for young children, and can't see it attracting that young an audience anyway. Besides, parents can limit what children watch if that is the concern.

It also annoys me that even on programmes like Jonathan Ross (on even later and certainly aimed at the adult market) swearing is often bleeped. It makes little sense.

I find it difficult to believe people are truly offended by this language anyway. And I mean, really and truly offended. I'm not exactly a serial swearer, but I can see why people under enormous stress on the Apprentice would, and as I say, fail to see the need to bleep.

And if you don't agree, you can p*** off.

So, some people would rather not actually hear the “f” word, while some would rather not have it censored. So it’s up to the producers which type of audience they want to aim for. I normally wouldn’t question this judgement.

But my objection here is to them making quite a drastic change, after having established over 4 years that this is an adult programme, with adult language.


I don’t think the “f” word itself is edgy, but I had thought the programme was somewhat edgy, in that it wasn’t trying to portray its stars (or the world) in an optimistic, heroic light — rather we are glimpsing into the uglier, less glamorous side of both a group of competitive people working together, and how business is done. For me, whatever “edge” it had has been taken away with the censoring; it signifies that this programme now has some kind of conscience about offending its viewers in how candid it is, which I find offputting.

As for sexy, that’s just my little thing. I don’t expect anyone else to get that!

Why is it such a problem that they censor it? We all know exactly what they're saying. And lots of families watch the show. I'd hardly say it's watched only by adults.

To be honest, the censoring is hardly anything to worry about. I can think of many far greater problems with the show.

Well, at least they didn't censor Yasmina's reaction to being told that she'd used 450g of sandalwood oil!

The main programme (but not You're Fired) is repeated at 7:30 on one of the regional BBC One's on either a Friday night or over the weekend. Can't remember whether it's BBC Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, but I noticed it in my Sky planner when it failed to record the Wednesday night showing of it a couple of weeks back. And I don't suppose you can have f**k being said at 7:30 on BBC1.

I agree totally. I find it better to watch. It's not necessary on TV. A few words in moments of anger and stress is one thing but I thought last year was way OTT and tiresome to listen to. They might actually be forced to converse properly without the F word in every sentence...though that could be difficult for most of the candidates this year.

I don't see the point in censoring any word from the telly on grounds of supposed obscenity. After Four Weddings and a Funeral, no word qualifies. I do, however, approve of televisual garbage ending up on the cutting room floor. The middle ground of bleeping things only results in things of no broadcasting merit being broadcast.

What utter bollocks!!

The Apprentice is based on the US version which has no swearing in it whatsoever, but relied on intrigue, character and so on to show the less glamorous side of a competitive group of people. I think that too much swearing is a sign of a limited vocabulary, and is a sign of the BBC "dumbing down".

I don't swear very much, but if I do it's for a reason, and I don't want any ****er ****ing it out!

But no one’s forcing them to refrain from swearing, they’re just being censored.


I’d have thought it was the other way around. “Dumbing down” implies something has been adjusted to be more suited to the viewer, which is exactly what censorship does. Simply showing uncensored footage of real-life people speaking candidly in their own words… I can’t see how that could be “dumbing down”.

IMO dumbing down is reaching the stage where almost every mainstream BBC show shown after 9pm seems to have swearing almost as a matter of course. I feel it is dumbed down tv because previously the show was using excesive swearing to draw in the audience. For instance, Saira Kahn used to be shown swearing vorociously in the opening credits at 9.01 pm. It's just not necessary.

I would expect tv editors and producers to use greater creativity to draw in an audience. Not just rely on otherwise well spoken people effing and blinding. It just does not enhance the show. Not every adult who isawake after 9.00pm wants to hear swearing. My poor old mother has never been able to watch The Apprentice for this very reason - or many other otherwise decent shows on the BBC too.

I think we have two different issues, here. Offence and gratuity. (And I agree with you about one, but not the other):

1. Offence
I can completely sympathise with you on this issue, about your mother who doesn’t like to hear foul language. That is a very valid argument for censorship. People shouldn’t have to listen to bad language if it bothers them.

Unlike with commercial channels, this TV programme is BBC, and therefore is being paid for by your mother. The programme makers therefore have a little more responsibility to try and make it accessible to a broader audience where possible. If censoring a couple of words allows an entire generation to enjoy something they previously found a little distasteful, that’s probably not a bad move.

Hopefully, in the future, such TV programmes will have an optional uncensored audio track, available via interactive controls. That would be a good way to ensure that foul language isn’t accidentally heard by people who may be offended by it.

2. Gratuity
But I think the other issue you touched upon is a completely separate issue: one of taste and creativity. Is it just lazy of the programme makers to rely upon gratuitous swearing to get people interested? My response to that issue is different. I don’t think the programme makers are pushing the swearing. The candidates haven’t been selected because they swear; if some of them swear then that is simply a reflection of the British population. They are obviously not told to swear by the programme. So the only scope the programme has at all for emphasising the swearing is in its editing.

So does the programme make a point of keeping all the swear words in the edit? Yes, I would imagine so, but that’s only because the swearing generally represents an outburst of people’s frustration: the peak of the drama. The moments where people swear are inevitably the most tense or dramatic ones, which is why they’re highly suitable for being repeated over and over in the intro. (Although I have to say, I can’t personally remember hearing the f word in the intro on the Apprentice, but I didn’t catch the first series).

Conclusion
So, after deliberating both the above issues, I can see reasons both for and against censorship. Swearing represents the truth of the way British people speak, and airing it keeps the programme real, candid, and captures the height of the more dramatic moments. But as this programme has such a wide appeal, removing the swearing allows many more licence payers to enjoy it. So I’m torn.

The only strong opinions I have, therefore, are:
1. I find it annoying that the programme makers have given us an uncensored programme then changed their minds and made it into a more family-friendly show. Also annoying for people who might have liked the censored Apprentice but have no idea it’s now censored.
2. I really hope that one day the BBC will offer two audio tracks for programmes with swearing in, with a setting in your digital receiver to turn on swearing for all programmes. It would be off by default, meaning elderly people would not hear it unless they specifically wanted to.

I would like to add that I’m not generally a fan of swearing. I don’t swear, and I don’t like to hear people swearing casually (in real life or on TV). But that doesn’t mean I want it censored from a dramatic programme when someone is swearing out of genuine emotion.

Talking of Dave. I noticed they censor Argumental which doesn't make sense. The target audience of Dave and Argumental are not going to be offended by a few f words. Also there is alot of adult humour left in and so is the w word.
I agree that the censoring is not necessary and they haven't done this previously so this is really a case of the BBC being affraid of getting more bad press from the right wing newspapers.
They normally show clips uncensored on The Apprentice:Your fired! So maybe they should repeat an uncensored version later at night on BBC2.
Recently Mark Thompson said that a survey the BBC carried out recently showed most people are relaxed about swearing. If this is the case then then this sort of censoring is not needed.

It's just a f**king word. Get over it. Hardly the holocaust.

(This applies to everyone who complains about swearing, not just apprentice viewers.)