The Apprentice is unlike most other shows of its ilk.

From its inception, it is virtually unchanged.

Every year, the format is the same; the challenges are identical & it could be argued that the contestants are identikit too, yet it remains compulsive viewing.

Apart from the prize (was a job with Sir Alan now to an investment from Lord Sugar), this series remains unchanged after so many years, yet has not gone stale IMO & still manages to pull in viewers & capture the imagination.

What is the secret of The Apprentice in your opinion?

I'm not sure it will be "compulsive viewing" for very much longer, speaking for myself. After the four series I've watched I'm tiring of the same old same old now...

It's picking up new viewers all the time - it's v. popular with teens at the minute, and Nick presenting Countdown won't dent any ratings either. If a competition show is good, it doesn't need twists. The Apprentice has found the perfect formula, and I think it will continue to be successful for years to go.

There's something of the freak show watching so-called ordinary people make idiots of themselves. Where "The Apprentice" scores is twofold -

1. Nobody is being asked to do anything humiliating for the sake of entertainment. It's not a question of "How far will they go?" In fact it's rather the reverse. The candidates are being asked to participate in a challenge of common sense, creativity and logic and they could keep their dignity if they lived up to anything like their own opinion of themselves.

This then naturally leads on to

2. Watching some of the supposed brightest young business people in the country make outlandish claims about their capabilities and then crash and burn making errors that your averagely bright 14 year old could sidestep is something that never gets old.

This isn't the be all and end all of the show but it is a large part of it. Bumptious, cocksure young people "talking the talk" and then spectularly failing to "walk the walk". It's great fun watching the arrogant being taught a harsh lesson (even if they fail to learn it).

Your last line hits the nail on the head - that is precisely what the show is about. I think it has changed, certainly since the original American inception which really was about a genuine business apprentice. I can't imagine LS employing anybody from the last few shows (except Tom) unless he was being paid.

Although the original, US Version of The Apprentice is still successful by virtue of the calibre of panel and candidates, the UK version coversely remains successful because, irrespective of the candidates, the loser always remains. Sadly, Mr Alan Sugar remains a mere pygmy amongst those candidates with even a single A level to their name.... unfortunately, Mr Sugar left school with a few mediocre grades at O level, before becoming a mere Barrow Boy.

One of the attractions of the show, is that, despite its popularity, in every new series they manage to find 16 candidates who quite clearly have never seen any episodes of previous series.

Nothing else could explain the fact that they always manage to keep repeating the same stupid mistakes, then look like stunned mullets when Lord Sid pulls them up in the boardroom.

Think you must have forgotten to include ..... who despite his lack of education went on to become a millionaire.

You mean like Debbie Gibson and one of the Real Housewives?

All 3 above posts sum it up perfectly, it's that these are supposed to be the UKs brightest Business brains, yet when it comes to doing the tasks they fail spectacularly[Marrakesh one perfect example]. It's funny considering how many series have been made, & yet the candidates are still making the same basic errors. Anyone with half a brain should have sussed out how The Apprentice works out by now.

Since the prize is a partnership & no longer working for Loard Sugar, the nature of the programme has changed, like Tom winning last year, had it been the old format think he'd have been fired long before he reached the final.

I love it (and the US original).

I like that each week isn't entirely predictable. Candidates who are quiet and seem silent one week may come to the forefront and possibly be fired the following week. Probably due to editing yes, but the show keeps me guessing what will happen next.

I disagree. They do have off-days, but if you were being thrown in at the deep end of eleven businesses in sectors you'd never prepared to deal with in your life, I'm willing to bet you'd have an off-day or two, too. Especially when you get thirty minutes of task time split between two groups, edited down to the crucial moments - which for one team at least, will have to include gaffes. I'm sure if I filmed you for three days I could make you look a right wally. Some weeks it is carnage - the condiments didn't go particularly well - but they still both made quite handsome profits, both sold relatively iffy products very adeptly, and I wouldn't dream of claiming to be any more talented than them.

I'd have happily employed any of the four finalists, last series. All very credible, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. And Lord Sugar has. Despite not winning, he's taken up business with Suzie.

Then again, I seem to be the one viewer who loves when tasks go well. I get a little sceptical of the old truism that it's about watching people fail spectacularly; sure it's true for some viewers, but I loved marvelling at Jim's negotiations and rooting for Yasmina to win... I enjoy going "oh wow, that's grand" as much as I like going "oof, that's crap."

I disagree; the show sets out to humiliate them from the start. Everything from not allowing them a decent night's sleep, to concealing task restrictions, to calling them "boys and girls" as if they were children playing rather than serious business men and women. The reason they big themselves up is because they are asked to; candidates know they won't be selected if they are modest or understate their potential. They all give interviews to the camera each task, and they know their piece will only be used if it makes good TV.

Perhaps it's just me, but having watched since series 2 I think it's popular because it used to be so good, and that as it continues to decline in quality the popularity will wear off. I think it'll run for a bit longer though because it's a bit of an 'institution' on TV now - like Eastenders continues even though it's been rubbish for at least the last two years.

This series will probably be the last one I watch. The entertainment value's sunk for me, and I don't know if it's any coincidence (I think not) the quality and character of the contestants.

The change in the prize has undermined the whole concept for me. With so much of his money at stake in a business idea it's obvious that the best business ideas will get to the final, as long as their creators are reasonably competent. There will be the odd one, like Helen (was it? The one with the concierge/bakery idea) who is a standout throughout the tasks despite a wonky business plan and so is impossible to fire, but the best candidates based on what we get to see of them throughout the series are no longer necessarily in with a chance of winning. It makes the whole thing even more pointless for me.

I also think the edit has a big thing to do with it. The Apprentice is mostly an unpredictable show.
Every episode, I am never certain which team has won the task until Nick and Karen read out the figures.

However I have only been watching for the past two series so maybe are getting bored of the continually repeated formula.

Sadly I feel the same.

Disagree - it loses viewers who get bored but gains new viewers each year.

It is a strong format which is produced excellently making it an enjoyable watch...i think it will remain popular for a few more years yet.

Massive fan over the years. The most important part of the show is before it starts, ie the process of choosing the contestamts. It has to be perfect, not academically perfect as it were, but mass audience perfect. There has to be characters, people who might not win, but who might create a few waves along the way for viewer interest. Maybe this year they havent got it quite right as its a bit bland and maybe too they have got rid of the potential wave makers already (that process doesnt always help as it rather demands the characters get dumped anyway).
Having said that its still great tv and ratings have gone up with every show so far iirc.
Long may it continue.

Yes, it is picking up viewers all the time, as fast as it loses them. I feel this is because it has a mixture of all TV genres, it's the kind of TV show that everyone can agree with. It doesn't really need to change the format.

I know "it's all in the edit" and I know there's a chuff of a lot of manipulation behind the scenes. However, this is not Big Brother (which was my main "humiliation" point) - they are not being made to dress up in gimp suits and sombreros, talk in Mexican accents and go congaing down the M1 in order to possibly win an extra tub of margarine.

Sure they get woken up when they think they ought to be getting a lie in (big deal, I spent a year suffering the same thing when I was a supply teacher, thinking I might not be working and then getting a call at 6.45 am to go to Oldham and did I fluster, intially go to Bolton by mistake then end up teaching the little darlings that 3+7=12 or possibly 14 or... oh sugar, I don't know, I'm crap at maths? No I did not ) and I realise that they get prodded to big themselves up to ruler of the universe proportions to get themselves a place on telly, but that doesn't really make the garbage they come out with any more excusable. Explainable (possible made up word alert) maybe but excusable no.

And despite editing, there remain sections of gold. Jenny Celery ducking and diving and tying herself in more knots than Houdini as she tried to extricate herself from the kosher chicken debacle. Jenny M and Lindi's mutual lurvefest and "We are so the best - you are going down big time cos we have just owned this task" only to have their strategy and their sales torn to shreds and flushed down the bog in the boardroom. These candidates may be set up but they put the noose round their own necks and jump off the chair on by themselves (mostly).

After saying all this, I confess that I too rather like it when a team blows a task out of the water and does brilliantly. It doesn't happen that often but I enjoy it when it does.

It's not as down market as Big Brother, but they are sometimes expected to dress up in silly costumes to help sales. Remember when they made Stella be photographed in a swimming costume for the Beach Toy task 2 years ago? And she was PM.


They have late nights and early mornings virtually back to back for weeks. They get so they hate the treats because the winning team would rather just sleep. They also aren't allowed much contact with friends and family, but must socialise with the people they are competing with. It's unnatural and designed to increase the psychological pressure.

For example, remember Jenny bullying Lucinda on the laundry task? I don't recall the times now, but it was probably a 6:30am start, work all day, then close the laundry at 12pm, and then another hour or so to drive home. Then a quick meeting, and Lucinda gave a piece to camera before bed. Then cameras were there next morning at 6:30 again. I think they'd had about 4 hours sleep. They are going to be tetchy. They are going to make mistakes and get on each other's nerves. It amplifies personality conflicts. (I'm not saying this justifies Jenny, just that it brought out the worst in her. As it was intended to.)


I mostly agree; I just don't see it as much different to other reality shows. For me these shows are all about letting the audience judge the characters. Big Brother puts its housemates into unusual situations, but how they deal with it is up to them. Some have more grace and integrity than others. Whatever happens is edited into a simple coherent story, with heroes and villains and lovers. Anything that doesn't fit the story gets lost on the cutting room floor. Big Brother has occasional tasks, and The Apprentice is back to back tasks. They aren't that different.

Part of The Apprentice success is that it does put an up-market spin on it, so it can be watched by people who would be ashamed to watch BB.