After watching last night's, IMO overly-contrived, episode I feel its been the most disappointing series so far, both in terms of entertainment value and the calibre of the candidates.

Hardly anyone did anything really special in any of the tasks and there were no really juicy boardroom battles either were they?

I can recall some of the results and humdinger arguments that Syed and and co. had in the last series while this lot didnt seem anything special at all.

Not very impressed!

How would you rate it?

I think this series has tried to be more entertainment than a serious search for new business talent. Its really just an upmarket game show..

I think the worst part is the irrelevance of the tasks and who wins. Siralan gets a view on somebody and no matter how well they do or have done on other tasks they are fired..

I think the Apprentice is close to "jumping the shark"

I haven't liked it anywhere near as much as the last series. It looks like they mainly went for big characters over good business people.
I know it's reality TV but the way it was edited the script didn't even make sense. People would be shown to cock up royally and still stay for no believable reason.
SAS would say one thing then do the opposite
I liked how they've focused more on Nick and Margeret though

This series has turned into a soap - very poor selection of candidates compared to previous years. I'd really like to see the ones they rejected if this lot were judged to be the best. Could benefit from replacing SAS .. the "glittering" prize of a backroom job with Amstrad peddling a wrinkle machine or recycling old computers? No Thanks. At least with the US version the prize of working in Trump's organisation is prestigious.

No way, this has been the most entertaining series so far!

Some great characters Tre, Jadine, Katie, Simon, Kristina. All brought something so good to the show this year, and that shows in the ratings

Its had the best characters imo.

Last year, the only really interesting ones were Ruth, Paul, Syed and Jo.

This year we had Katie, Tre, Kristina, Jadine, Simon, Adam.
And some of the others had their moments - Natalie, Andy.

The only boring ones really were Lohit, Naomi and Ifty, and Naomi had her moments to.

I've loved the past two series' but I much prefered last year's. I don't think it's any worse off though, it's just my personal preference. I will say that this is probably the worst final two ever, both Simon and Kristina in my estimation, are very weak candidates who should've been fired ages ago.

Over the series, Tre, Katie, Lohit and Naomi for me have been the standouts and it all went a bit pear shaped from last week when Naomi got fired, when it should have been Simon. Kristina should've been fired long ago as well. Compared to the likes of Ruth and Saira, these two are just weak choices for the final, I'd say.

I don't think series three is any worse than series two.... and I actually think the quality of the candidates was better this year. The biggest issue for me has been the editing. They clearly wish to portray certain characters in a particular way and at times it seemed a little out of synch or staged. The tasks have been quite interesting and varied. I like both finalists and hope they both do well.

I liked the first one because it was all so new, i liked the second one because of the characters. I've not enjoyed this one as much because all the tasks seem very same-y as last year and there's not much new happening. I also didnt like how the teams were so mixed right from the beginning. I like a good boys vs girl thing for a few weeks!

Series 3 is imo the weakest and least satisfying so far.

The editing is certainly a factor, but I don't think even that can disguise the fact that this is the most disappointing selection of candidates by far, epitomised by the two mediocre finalists (who frankly are there by default). Unlike previous finals, I'm not remotely interested as to which of these two wins. Both are underserving, but perhaps deserve to work for what is, compared to others in its field, a mediocre company, whose boss' judgement is bizarre and unsound.

An earlier poster said that if this series featured the "cream" of the crop, what must the rejected applicants been like? Well they would have included a fair number of more able and high calibre candidates, compared to this lot!

I've loved this series, been very bitchy but also some of the candidates have been really good this year. I think, out of the two finalists, this will be the year where the winner sticks at the job, I may be wrong but that's why I don't think it's been any worse than the other two series.

If they had done the interviews in the first episode we would had seen half of being given the boot from the off.

Suddenly the likes of Naomi Lay seem very hard done by...

I prefer this series to the 2nd, but no where near as good as the first imo

The first one was was by far my favourite and the candidates seemed to have more talent and integrity than anyone in this current series. When it came to selling Paul was fantastic, he could charm the birds out of the tree and was the reason I ended up watching the Apprentice. As, a few people in the office kept talking about how good this guy was and told me to watch the repeat! I have to admit Miriam was my favourite and was pleased when one of the sponsors was so impressed by her that they offered her a job. I couldn't argue with SAS's choice and reasons for making Tim his Apprentice, and although I didn't really take to Saira I could understand why he also offered a job to her.

Series two was ok but, I didn't really mind who won as I couldn't connect with any of the candidates. However, this series I haven't liked or really cared about any of them. I agree with the posters who blame a lot of it on the editing. But, in all honesty, the format of the series seems to have changed. Where as in the previous two series I understood that SAS wanted a Apprentice but in this series I just don't know what he wants as the emphasis seems to be more on "mouthy, ruthless, two-faced back-stabbers" who I personally wouldn't give the time of day.

The cult of celebrity hadnt been as established when the first one came about.

Neither we or any of the candidates really knew what was going to happen which is why it was such good fun to watch.

Same thing when it comes to film trilogies or TV series, the first episode/film is always the best!

What? Why?

This is my favourite series so far although Simon is probably the most useless finalist ever.

I prefered last years serris to this its been all to predictable this year ive said for 4 or 5 weeks at work the final 2 would be Simon and Kristina

the best

There are a number of forces at work here...

The Programme makers - they want big ratings, especially this year on BBC 1, so they need characters that will get the public involved/angry/sympathetic - Katie has been a gift to them and an astute choice as candidate from the ratings point of view...

Sir Alan - all that publicity week after week at prime time mentioning his £800m worth, his airline etc. He must be one the best known businessman now. He doesn't need an apprentice - indeed none of the candidates in the final five had been told what job is on offer.

The Candidates fighting to make their name..to get their 15 minutes of fame...they know the bigger the public profile the better. Katie is clever enough to know all her snide remarks make great TV but they may backfire on her in the long term.

I only came to series 1 late in the day but have loved the last two series and believe the show remains great entertainment, Katy and Tre were both entertaining but annoying and characters we will remember for a long time, Kristina and Simon are worthy finalists with the former consistent and the latter a lot more variable capable of excellence but might also be lilely to mess up, possibly too clever by half

It is also good to see the nice guy (TIm, Ansell, Lohit) do well.

The first series was great.

Then it became popular. As soon as it became popular it became yet another reality show which was manipulated for the sake of ratings and good TV.

As soon as an honest reality show becomes part of the reality TV make-up you are screwed. From then on the formats are tweaked and manipulated to ensure outcomes, editing is used to influence decisions and as was seen at the end of series 2 becomes an absolute farce.

Series 3 did nothing but endorse this.

SAS was recorded as saying he was so unhappy with the calibre of the series 2 candidates that he nearly withdrew from series 3, I saw no evidence of that. In my opinion the series 3 candidates were worse than the series 2 incumbents.

This is great PR for a "Stack 'em high, sell 'em cheap" ex barrow boy. He's not the business man he thinks he is.

NO WAY! I can't decide between the 3

I have to agree, it has been far weaker - most of the candidates didn't seem in it for the job, imho, and skills wise they were nowhere near as good as the previous two series.

Series one is still the best by far.....

I'm not even looking forward to the final that much.

I Just can't take it seriously, knowing that Simon is in the final.