I know this forum is very quiet when it's in the Reality TV sub-forum, but hopefully I can muster some replies


I have my doubts about this. There has been some talk about LS leaving after Series 10 - I know that BBC like to make some people the center of attention on some of there shows, and it makes them irreplaceable, and it makes it seem as though the show can't last without them (it's the same with Brucie on SCD)

Some people are finding that it's getting stale now - although they imprved last year, the ratings have slumped a bit since 2012. They just need to keep it fresh IMO - going abroad once in a series helps this, and they also need to keep thinking of new tasks, but keep the ones everyone loves, like the Scavenger hunt.

Also, with the cancelling of YA, meaning the Apprentice is off our TV screens for over 14 months, could this be the beginning of the end?
There's certainly been no talk of an eleventh series being commissioned, it seems all about celebrating the fact that 'The Apprentice is turning ten!', in an end-of-term-ish kind of way.

Anyway, I hope the Apprentice stays on our screens for years to come, but what does everyone else think?




(PS, You know how when Series 6 was delayed to the Autumn? Did they film Series 7 while Series 6 was airing?)

I posed this question a while back (I think it was back before Series 9 aired.) I think it could do, as it does seem to be becoming something that isn't quite so popular as it once was. On the other hand, Series 9 got better reviews than Series 8 (though I personally preferred Series 8), and if Series 10 does well then there could be demand for more.

I do think that while we have to wait ages for a new series, it could save the show. I remember that Series 6 was very popular, because it was welcomed by the community after the programme was off air for so long. There was the first series of Junior Apprentice in between the two, but not so many people watched that and it was very short in any case (I think that the last two episodes were screened on consecutive nights, making it only five weeks in total.) One criticism I have heard of the show is 'it's on too much', which I heard just before Series 8 started. I don't think that one adult series and one young series a year was too much, but I understood the criticism as Series 6 and 7 were broadcast very close to one another, then there was a young series, and then Series 8 came on. With this break, the show might pick up popularity again as there has been a bit of a break from it - or it may not. But in any case, if it does get cancelled, it has achieved thirteen series if you include Young Apprentice, and I think that that is quite impressive.

There is also the idea that Lord Sugar and Mark Burnett may approach another channel when their contract ends, or the BBC might bring it back in a few years with someone new at the helm. Somehow I don't think that Lord Sugar would do that; I might be wrong as he has threatened that in the past, but I think that generally he has quite a good relationship with the BBC. If they brought it back with someone new, I'd watch a series to see how it went, but I think it would be hard to find anyone to fill his shoes. Despite the 'Britain's most belligerent boss' label, he always strikes me as a very fair, genuine person who really cares about promoting opportunities for people to succeed in the way that he did. I actually think that Karren Brady could do a great job, but I'm sure that she wouldn't do it as she and Nick are very loyal to Lord Sugar.

In answer to your question, yes Series 7 was filmed whilst Series 6 was broadcasting. Each adult series has been filmed in the Autumn prior to it, which means that Series 6 was filmed a full year before broadcast (in fact, it was filmed before the first series of Junior Apprentice, though that was broadcast first, which is why there are a few minor inconsistencies in Series 6 - Karren is introduced as the new Margaret, and Lord Sugar tells a team that they are the first to not get any orders). So, if we need to wait for the reception to Series 10, we may be waiting a long time for Series 11 even if it is commissioned. If they film it in the autumn as usual, it will have to be the following Autumn, which would mean a 2016 broadcast. But of course, they could just film it at a different time.

Yeah, you could be right, perhaps they'll wait to see how Series 10 goes , before commissioning it for an eleventh series, which could mean a 2016 airdate - or they might just start having TA on in Autumn instead.

One thing that has always peeked my interest is that everyone called Adam who has been on The Apprentice seems to fill a similar role. Adam Hosker, Adam Eliaz and Adam Corbally were all working-class types who were determined to do well for themselves, strong salespeople but overall had weaknesses that outnumbered their strengths. Adam Freeman (the guy who dropped out of Series 5) seemed a bit like that as well.

Funny coincidence, isn't it? Had this occurred to anyone else?

Oh yeah that is weird haha

Is there any chance we would get a Series 11 next spring, or would it be autumn at earliest? Is 12 months too short a time frame to commission a New series, open applications, film a series, and edit it?

Not necessarily. Series 7 was filmed whilst Series 6 was still being broadcast, so it's definitely possible for that to happen. The only issue with that is, I can't see Series 11 being commissioned before the BBC see how Series 10 does, as it is my belief that they are using how it does to determine whether it's worthwhile commissioning further series. So while they are very much able to film a series whilst the previous series is still being broadcast, I think it's unlikely for that to happen on this occasion.

So you think it will be at least Autumn 2015 if a possible Series 11 broadcast?

I actually think you are right about them not wanting to commission an eleventh series until they see the reception Series 10 gets. Were Series 6 and 7 commissioned in one go?

Yes, I do. Or possibly, slightly earlier in 2015, like May or June, if they did a load of filming in the early months of next year.

I'm not sure if they were commissioned in one go because I wasn't watching it religiously then, but Series 6 was filmed a full year before it was broadcast. The broadcast was delayed because of the 2010 general election, which meant that by the time they were broadcasting it, Series 7 was already being filmed. Series 7 began airing only a few months after the end of Series 6, though it was pushed back a couple of months from normal to give more of a break - it started in May, rather than March or April as normal. The first series of Junior Apprentice was broadcast earlier in 2010, around the time that the adult series are usually shown. Series 6 had actually been filmed before it, but Junior Apprentice was broadcast first.

My Series 1-6 DVD arrived on Friday! Its such a novelty having Series 3 and 5 in good quality!

I am currently watching Series 6, because I have never actually watched it from start to finish. It is very entertaining with some goodmoments but it lacks likeable personalities TBH.

As you know, I found Laura really likeable, but I think I'm possibly the only one who did. It's just personal taste.

Also, I feel a strange connection with Melissa. Not that I find her likeable, but I do feel for her a lot. I feel as though she represents all the worst aspects of my own personality. I think that underneath it all she did have a lot of skills, but she had no confidence in herself whatsoever, and was so focussed on making sure that no one else lacked confidence in her that she forgot to prove herself. I can relate to that. Actually at the time that that series was on, I was just starting sixth form, I was determined to prove myself and I think I came across quite a lot like her, and seeing her on The Apprentice taught me a few home truths, I think. It helped me realise that you don't need to be like that, and trying to come across supremely confident when in fact you're very insecure only makes you seem weak. It's really easy to tell the difference between genuine confidence, and the faux confidence that comes when you're trying to make people think that you're confident, when you're actually not. I think if Melissa had done this series at another time of her life when she was more calm and grounded in herself, she could have done a lot better. Her skills were clearly there, and were displayed a few times in the early episodes - for example, in the sausage episode, she pushed for the gourmet sausages because that was what they had been told would sell, and she was right.

I actually really like Laura too, very genuine and very beautiful! But... I don't think she had much there in terms of skills on the task.

I actually didn't mind Melissa either, I found her quite funny! But I found her outburst after she was fired a bit off-putting!

I am on episode 6 - Liz has come across as the early choice for winner so far - I don't know how she manages to get fired in Week 10.

Stuart. Is. Terrible.

It's so nice when someone else likes Laura! I agree about genuine and beautiful, I found her a real pleasure to watch. In terms of her winning, I've gone into why I thought she should win so many times, and I can't be bothered to go through it again. You've probably seen me explaining it anyway. Basically, I just don't feel that any of the other front-runners were suited to the job.

As I said, I think that Melissa definitely has the skills to be a really successful businesswoman, but she lacked any form of confidence, and some people react to lack of confidence by going the opposite way - coming across as supremely confident. If she actually had belief in herself, she wouldn't have taken it so personally if anyone said anything even mildly negative about her. As I said, I've been in situations like that myself, and I can empathise with it. I really hope that she has learned from the experience and is doing well for herself now.

I don't actually think that Stuart is that bad. He's an unpleasant, arrogant child, no question about it; but in terms of actual task performance, he is able to perform. He's a strong salesman, and he works very hard to get things done, even though he doesn't have the maturity to plan and remain calm and level-headed. He should undoubtedly have been fired over Liz, but he was always going to get to that episode, because he had only been in the boardroom twice before that, facing Dan and Melissa respectively.

Stuart was just such a tw*t though! ugh, Episode 7, as I've been watching just makes me shiver, cringing! Ugh, such an unpleasant thing.

One thing that made me laugh was that in Week 7 he said something like, he performs best at the top, organizing people - in that case why the hell was the looking for a job working IN one of LS's companies?!

He may have been competent at sales and organizing people, but I would never employ someone like him if I had a business - can't wait till the week he gets fired!

Oh don't get me wrong, he's really unpleasant - but you can't deny that he works hard, and isn't actually a bad task performer.

Yeah, but the personality cancels that out - again, I would never employ him - would you?

No. I'd employ Laura though, as I felt she had enough integrity to learn.

I think Liz or Chris could have taken a lot from the job - I agree with those who say Stella was over-qualified for the job.

I think that Liz and Chris were a bit overqualified as well though. Jamie and Joanna had things to work on already, and no one was going to employ Stuart. So in a very poor line-up for the job at hand, I think that Laura was the most appropriate person. Unless of course you wanted to go with someone like Sandeesh, but I don't feel that she went far enough to really judge her objectively for the position.

But were we told what the job was before (or during) the series

Laura's main problem was her immaturity, which for me disqualifies her already from the final. Joanna and Liz were only a few years older, but came across like women (while in almost every episode Laura was seen crying or throwing a tantrum).

It was hard for me to take her serious as a candidate and I don't think that anybody took her serious (at the time) as a possible winner (just like the Laura from series 8).

Whilst I take your point about immaturity, I think 'almost every episode' is a bit of an exaggeration. There are only a few which spring to mind:
-In Episode 2 she pretty much lost it, but I had a lot of sympathy for her because her team were being a nightmare.
-In Episode 4 she got cross because of issues with the sales. I was completely on Paloma's side there, I thought that Laura was unreasonable.
-People apparently had a problem with her in Episode 6, but I actually thought that she was talking great sense. She pointed out the 'keep out of reach of children' notice to Alex - she was the only person who did, and that was brought up in the boardroom as one of the reasons why they lost.

That leaves Episodes 1, 3, 5, 7 and possibly 8 as occasions when she worked fine (although something tells me that there was some kind of issue in Episode 8, but it's not sticking in my memory.) She wasn't shown a huge amount in those episodes, but as we all know, if someone isn't shown enough in the edit, it's probably because they're not being entertaining rather than because they're no good - just ask Lohit Kalburgi. She did have a lot of issues with people, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. A lot of people had issues with me when we were doing DSA - I was in the boardroom on every losing team bar one, but I was a very hard worker, 'Lady Sugar' saw that and I got to the last five. Laura was also pretty much the only candidate who was able to work well with Stuart.

As I said, I did see Laura's immaturity (Episode 4 demonstrated that), but I do think that she displayed enough basic business skills to have developed into a very credible businesswoman in a few years time. We weren't told what the job was, but the programme is called The Apprentice. Laura wouldn't have been a good bet to win on the 'business plan' format, nor could she have won any of the previous series that had more people who were suited to the job (with the possible exception of Series 4, which had some very odd candidates). But for this series, it made sense. Stella was successful, but she basically was not an apprentice, nor were many of the other candidates. Whereas Laura was.

Series 11 will be Autumn 2015 mainly as i think the next General Election will be held between April & early June 2015, this is because of Lord Sugars links with the Labour party, plus the 2010 series was put back from it's usual March-May slot because of the 2010 General Election.

What has always confused me is that whilst the sixth series was pulled back for the same reason, Junior Apprentice still went ahead. Why was that not an issue?

Good point - if we do get an eleventh series

I am sure we will - I am hoping they would let us know before the final series aired so we had time to prepare ourselves

But I think Series 10 will be used as the judge to determine whether an eleventh is viable, so that wouldn't make sense.

They didn't announce the end of Young Apprentice before the third series - it was leaked and reported in the papers, but it was never officially confirmed. In fact, the BBC haven't made a statement regarding that even now - we only know because Lord Sugar tweeted it.