so they will ineffect be showing this years whilst filming next years then

Partly yes. I think they start filming in September. Partly because some eagle eyed posters on another forum have spotted the dates of previous tasks, and partly because early tasks don't look autumnal

Would love to see the final air christmas week, especially on christmas eve or boxing day, would be a lot better than the tripe that was on last year. Though obviously I'd rather it air before then.

Whlist I agree about the tripe we had last year, I'd hate it to be mixed up in the Christmas festival. Please please please do not give the editors any more reasons to turn the thing into even more of a pantomine with a fairy tale ending. You know that's what they keep trying to do anyway.

I doubt that an autumn election would affect the BBC's scheduling of the new series. The postponement from the spring was due to Lord Sugar's role as a governmental business adviser - a role he no longer plays, for a government that no longer exists.

If there were to be a snap election and Sugar had meanwhile been appointed to the shadow cabinet (both extremely unlikely developments) then there would be grounds to postpone The Apprentice again. As it is, I don't think Lord Sugar's appearance on TV would be any more contentious that Lord Lloyd Webber's!

Lots of tweets from people who were at the preview screening today saying, the first episode is fantastic.

So when do we get to find out who the candidates are?

Early next week.