Why don't they try making a series where the contestants are actually quite skilled, but 'normal' i.e. they can work stuff out consensually, delegate well, get the team on board etc., rather than just act like some bad 80s idea of what it takes to succeed ?

I know telly bosses now think that it's all got to be about the arguments, but I think it could be interesting and (dare I say it) instructive viewing....

That's how I felt about series 1.

So many normal likeable people in that series.

There are business training films, company dvd's etc like that. They are deadly DULL. You don't learn from them as your brain switches off. The ones that try to be funny are even worse (they make Comic Relief sketches look genuine).

In some ways you could say Fawlty Towers is instructional, or The Office. Such a bad example sticks in your mind better.

You learn more from mistakes. Less painful and costly if you can watch someone else doing them instead.

The fights between Saira and Paul are what I remember first about S1. Both talented people, but with massive egos, that couldn't stop clashing.

I agree 100% the first series had some very good candidates. I have said this before and will say it again. The final four in the first series, would have won any other series. Paul being the only doubtful candidate. Even he would have won a series or two.

Nobody would watch it - 99% of the fun is the sheer vacuous uselessness of these people, making all their big 'I am' claims and promptly proving how, in reality, they have a hard job even tying their own shoelaces.

Who remembers "We WORK till we BLEED" bloke, who promptly got fired first in that series. What a pillock

BBC 4 ought to try a mini series, but it would have to make the tasks a bit more demanding/realistic

when they are described as the best business minds that cracks me up....I only watch when the density of delusional tools is high ( most years).

Plenty of eye candy for the boys though...

after programme 1 - you'd not expect many of the boys to be around long -

The girls will implode next week - we all know that. The production team will see to that

Big brother tried that once didn't they?

The apprentice has pretty much jumped the shark, they aren't doing it for the job but for the publicity - look at Kate.

Arrrgghhhh!!! MY EYES.... MY EYES!!





(actually it's my brain, my brain!!)

This^^^^

In a similar way 99% of people watch skiing to see people crash and ice skating to see them fall over

This is how it would look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ss-59fi4nM

I know exactly what you mean. The irony is, the Apprentice's success comes from developing a strong fanbase in its two BBC2 series when the candidates were mostly normal, and those who were a bit weird were still pretty sharp.

Maybe the OP hasn't seen the first two series of The Restaurant (or The Apprentice with nice people)

Other than that, there have been three series recently that did try and show normal business, but they were all documentaries.

One on John Lewis, which I think was wasted as they never tried to show what makes JL different i.e it's a co-operative. Just skated on the surface. It came across as a bit dull IMHO.

There was another on a re-launching of an independant department store. More personal in tone and caught some of the problems and saw them being over come.

The development of St Pancras is possinly the nearest to large team business working seen recently. Wasn't bad at all.

Then there's those with Mary Portas. Those do have an element of tension where the business owners are really competing against themselves and against Mary

None are BBC1 shows of course.

Not true.

This is exactly how Big Brother slowly died in the ratings. Each year they get crazier and crazier and it becomes impossible to top them without hiring actors.

I hope they go back to "normal" people before the characters get too crazy. it might not be too late.

There are always a number of normal(ish) people in this show. It's just a question whether under the pressure schedule or the actions of the crowd pleasers they can hang on in there. Normally some do. Partly because they have already been identified and Sugar doesn't want to end up employing some selfserving dingbat. The interviews round is the way of getting them out.

Yes, and then they accidentally include one controversial character and suddenly the following series they're all like that because the producers want to boost ratings.

The same thing happens on so many reality shows (especially Big Brother) which is a shame.

Don't you mean BBC 3? BBC 4 is the TV equivalent of BBC Radio 4 where they show documentries so a light-entainment wouldn't be suitable in that channel!!