yes but the Nick Knowles deal is coming to an end and hes been quoted as saying he cant wait

Shame about GS not getting a series. Was the only one I found to have some humour about it.

Previous Apprentice series launches:
2015 - 6.35m (29.2%)
2014 - 6.66m (29.7%)
2013 - 6.01m (26.2%)
2012 - 6.42m (25.9%)
2011 - 7.80m (30.9%)
2010 - 6.91m (27.2%)
2009 - 8.11m (33.3%)
2008 - 6.40m (25.6%)
2007 - 4.50m (18.8%)
2006 - 3.60m (15.8%)
2005 - 2.10m (8.8%)

I should imagine it will be around 2013 level. People will try and make mountains out of molehills when the number arrives tomorrow, however the reason it might be down is being on a new night. The overall series average will potentially be helped by not having the lower-rating second episode the next night.
Also remember this is a show that get 1.5-2m on timeshift, and close to 2 million on catch-up. It is the definition a successful show!

It was a phenomenal start, great personalities in there and Lord Sugar as hilarious as ever. Should be a stellar series!

Yes they've both been filmed so will be broadcast as originally planned. Without getting into fantasy schedule mode, I think they'd be mad not to place one of the two on Christmas Day as a big swan song for Bake Off on the BBC.

So delighted to see The Apprentice move to Thursday nights. Too often programmes end up in the same slot every series so it's nice when the TV stations shake things up a little bit.

Should give BBC1 a decent Thursday overnight audience for something other than EastEnders. Wonder if Anne Robinson will get a boost sandwiched in between two shows at the higher end of the overnight figures. I notice the average prediction for The Apprentice on the Ratings Prediction Game thread is 5.9m. I hoping it will get above 6m, something it's done every year since 2008, although only just in 2013.

One of those programmes with a very high time shift, which seems strange because that means quite a few people watching when they already know who's been eliminated. Compare with the Sunday night results shows for Strictly and X Factor which time shift relatively low numbers because what's the point of watching if you already know the result?

Now I have an image of Anne Robinson in a sandwich. I'm reaching for the mind-bleach....

The Anne Robinson series is typical light BBC factual. It should pull in over 4m casual viewers who aren't interested in ITV's soaps.

Given that one of the reasons sited for Victoria doing so well against Poldark is because Victoria had a head start, it seems strange that ITV have chosen to let The Mising have a week's head start on HIM. Although - I've seen the trailer for HIM and, whilst it deserved plaudits for being something a bit different, it's probably the sort of drama that wouldn't rate very well wherever or however it was scheduled.

Although it's success does seem to hinge on how well a person likes Anne's style of journalism because it does seem a bit random in its subject matter.

I think its just too different for a drama audience who usually watch ITV. Something like this on BBC1 would probably struggle to get over 4m, so on ITV its likely to be even harder to get a good audience.

I normally watch the Apprentice a day or two after its first screening. But it can be over a week late and I can watch two in successive days. I try not to leave it too long because of the danger of spoilers but generally I don't know who was fired.

Even with XF it's normally quite possible to go a few days without finding out who was ejected. Even if you know who was fired on the Apprentice it is still worth watching just like it's worth watching the Saturday XF even if you know the Sunday result.

I predict 5.98m (27.4%)

Why not watch it live? Just because catch up TV is available doesn't mean it should always be used instead of watching live. I find it strange how people now plan to watch on catch up when they are not really doing anything to avoid them from watching live.

Who on earth signed Nick Knowles to a golden handcuffs deal ?

Perhaps the BBC were keeping him in a corner so that other channels couldn't inflict him on us.

The Apprentice was alright. You could've swapped it with any other year's launches and nobody would know. You can predict the buffoons before they even come on.

It'll do OK numbers I'm sure, and will timeshift well, but, like TXF and BGT, it's no longer 'must-watch TV' because it's so predictable. And Sugar needs some new lines.

That said, though, I'll watch again next week.

Nick Knowles after getting the BBC1 controller pissed? I can't abide the bloke. Hope I never see him again on BBCtv.

Sugar has a crappy attitude. I'd hate to work for him. Comes across as a snobby work place bully.

Oh dear.

Did you predict the candidates this year? I think not. Also Lord Sigar had loads of witty new lines, he always does.

Also disagree re. BGT, 12.5 million disagree with you in fact. Each episode timeshifting 2.5 million shows that it's unmissable.

I knew you'd disagree. Yet another show we're not allowed to criticise eh? Jeez Louise!

Yes, of course I predicted the contestants. Anybody who's watched the show for as long as I have can predict them. There are some, or all, of the following: bloke with stupid hair, arrogant bloke, bloke who professes to be the greatest business mind since Richard Branson but mate you're only 23, hot girl, girl with 'the boobs', token Scottish girl/bloke, bloke who claims to have done everything but has absolutely no social skills, daft woman, annoying bloke who will do the country's accent when they do the task where they go to France for the day, and posh bloke/girl. Oh, and maybe another one with 'the boobs' for good measure.

And there you have it...your Apprentice lineup!

The Apprentice: 5.55m (26.3%)

The Fall: 1.85m (8.8%)

Has to be considered very disappointing. It'll need to timeshift big from there.

Hunted: 0.95m (4.5%) excluding +1