The show lost viewers because they started airing multiple series a year and had one or two duff casts, the slight increase last year, and significant increase in buzz suggests that aired once a year and with a fun but interesting cast the show has a few years left yet, last year was one of my favourites of the lot.

There have never been two series of the adult edition broadcast in the same calendar year. From 2010 to 2012, each year had one adult series and one series of Young Apprentice. YA didn't get anything like the figures of the main show, so that can't have been it.

S6 and S7 were very close together, though, and following all the different series I was starting to get Apprentice burnout. I was initially gutted they were delaying the next series 'til after the (bloody) World Cup, but I actually think the short break will do some good. S9 was a corker - excellent cast, interesting week on week, great fun. Very good note to pause on.

I totally agree with you, rwebster. Although it's annoying, i think it will do the show good, especially seeing as you said, Series 9 was a great series to pause on.

I think there is maybe too much competition between October and December though - Series 6's ratings weren't as good as Series 4 and 5's IIRC.

Series 6 and 7 were that close together though because there was a long gap between Series 5 and 6 due to the General Election - apart from Junior Apprentice, and that was on for only five weeks (the last two episodes were on consecutive days) and not as many viewers watched that anyway. And besides, Series 7 was still broadcast a little bit later than normal for more of a break - they're usually on around March/April time, but Series 7 didn't start until May. It doesn't equate to Digital Sid's assertion that there were multiple series per year, as the adult edition has gone back to a more traditional broadcast since that time. If the series continues beyond Series 10, I expect Series 11 and 12 to be broadcast quite close together in the same way as 6 and 7. They won't be able to show Series 11 at the normal time of year because it hasn't been commissioned yet and they'll need time to film it, so if it happens it will probably be Autumn 2015. After that, I expect they'll want to go back to their Spring/early Summer slot, so Series 12 may be broadcast reasonably soon after. But of course, it's all subject to commission.

I am pretty confident that the show will have at least one series after Series 10. If Series 11 gets the go-ahead, it will not only be because commission won't be happening until the Autumn - even if Series 11 was commissioned with Series 10, it would still be delayed, because there's a general election in Spring 2015.

I am unsure where the show would go from Series 11... I am not sure if they'd want to have two series six months apart, because people might start to lose interest if they show it too often.

Did you see, I've started uploading Series 4 to Youtube?

Well, they've done that before, and Series 7 actually got really high ratings.

Good point I have missed the Apprentice in spring this year, so it would be good if we could have it back in the Spring timeslot at some point.

I think that should the series continue, they will definitely want it back in the Spring time slot at some point, because it has worked so well up until now. The question is whether they would do that by putting two series quite close together in a similar way to Series 6 and 7, or if they would have a full year without a series. (Incidentally, if they were doing a full year without a series, would it be too much to ask for another series of Young Apprentice in the meantime to give us our Apprentice fix? Not likely, I know, but at least it's something that in theory could be brought back any time they felt like it.)

That would be interesting, a Young Apprentice would be quite nice. However, if YA wasn't on the cards, I'd hate to wait 16 months between Series 11 and 12, I'd prefer it if they just put it back into the Spring (2016) albeit slightly later.

I am feeling confident as I said that we'll get a Series 11.

And Patrick McDowell!

He was very camp and certainly came across that way, but has he ever made any public statements concerning his sexual orientation? I agree it seems likely, but we can't know for sure unless he has.

Don't even bother with uncertainty, George, lol. He himself is proof of it. I've never seen anyone like him who is't gay.

So would you say the same thing about someone being straight then? If someone had a particular demeanour, would you say, 'They're definitely straight, I've never met anyone like them who isn't.' I agree that from his overall style it's very likely that Patrick is gay, but I don't think you can ever say that definitively unless they've said it themselves in interviews or there is any information about relationships.

Why are you trying to convince me that it's not fact? You don't have to be a rocket science to recognise that he's gay...

I'm not trying to convince you of anything. I have even said that you're probably right. I am just pointing out to you that just because a person happens to carry several indications that they are a certain sexuality based on stereotypes, doesn't mean anything until that person has outwardly commented on their sexuality. It's the same as if a girl had short hair, a low voice and wore leather a lot, doesn't necessarily mean she's gay unless she said that. I completely agree with what you're saying and I also think that Patrick McDowell is probably gay, but you can't comment categorically on someone's sexuality unless they have discussed it openly.

I think you can in some cases though, and in Patrick's case you definitely can...

But as soon as you start doing that, you start opening up a can of worms, as you start encroaching on territories where you're asking, 'When can you do that and when can't you?' And of course there is no answer to that question, as it's all relative and some people are better at assessing other people's sexual orientations than others (personally, I'm really bad at it). There is only one consistently fair way to go about things, and that is just not to make any assumptions until either someone has publicly come out in the public domain, or there is other information about it, like information on a relationship that they are in or have been in in the past.

I'm not gonna get into a debate. All I'm saying is I'm convinced that Patrick is gay.

I think it's quite likely it will be discontinued. I think structure is good but I think it needs to be mixed up a bit. It seems like its hard to get their audience between people who enjoy watching drama and silliness or people who enjoy the entrepreneur/ business aspect. Series 9 was more comedy and face palming at stupidity and Series 8 for example, more serious with a clearer focus on business I thought. I didn't think Series 9 was great and personally enjoyed Series 8 better as it had a lot less face palming moments. I'm disappointed Young Apprentice isn't continued, some of the teenagers have shown so much more common sense than the adults in business, especially in Season 2, and I thought it was a really good watch. In terms of the end result of the Apprentice, it has been frustrating that Lord Sugar hasn't a clue in any detail about what the businesses of the candidates are which you would have thought is important i.e Neil was the most capable candidate in Series 9 but he fell on the basis of an unworkable business plan. I personally think that the Apprentice should be a training job with Lord Sugar with young people aged 18-25 say as it is called the Apprentice which means being trained for position. There should be a very focused position for which all the candidates are suited to ie. a training job to be in the managing board of one of Lord Sugar's companies. I think the concept is brilliant but its just got lost recently in my opinion.

Oh Matt, I hope you're not right! I personally think Series 9 was one of the best series, and I think the show has not run its course yet, and as long as they get a good formula that can be made a reality.

I just did average ratings for Series 8 and 9... Series 8's average was 7.347, whereas Series 9's was 7.340... I do have a feeling that Series 9's ratings were a bit screwed over by the weather... I remember so many Wednesdays last year when the weather was very pleasant... Not only that, but they were picking up ratings towards the end, with the interviews breaking the 8 million mark, but then they decided to put the final on at 8PM!!! I hope they don't do that again...

Yep, just had a look... Series 7 final was broadcast at 9pm, and bagged 10 million viewers...

Whereas Series 8 and 9 finals were broadcast at 8pm, and couldn't even get 7 million...

Notice a pattern? I have no idea why the BBC didn't learn their lesson the first time!

Also, the third series of Young Apprentice was broadcast at 8pm, when the previous series were at 9pm. I think it's pretty ridiculous that they cancel it due to low ratings having put it on at that time. There were rumours about it being on the way out before YA3 even happened, so why make it even less likely to pick up? Surely if that was being considered, the third series should have been given a final push to see if it picks up, not aired as quietly as possible so that it doesn't.

I don't think the BBC were ever resally that into it, and produced it only because Lord Sugar wanted it so badly. They prefered to put their time and money into other shows.

Also, YA just didn't have as much as an appeal to the audience. Unfortunately I think no matter what time slot it was put in, it was never going to last long.