TV Show of the Week #4: The Apprentice (UK/USA/IRL)

Mr E

Some discussion points...

UK
Definitely meaner than Trump's version, and more fun because of it.

How did this season compare to previous seasons?
Do you think the standard of applicant has dropped?
Have Nick and Margaret had their day? Time for new advisers?
Why do the girls wear so much makeup?
Favourite task this season? Favourite board room?
Favourite Sugar putdown?
Suggestions to improve Season 5?

USA
Now a tired format in the States. Having said that, the latest Celebrity Apprentice was the most fun in years, because there was substantial reward for each task (money for charity) - better than a poxy helicopter ride, or afternoon tea with a random celebrity.

Ireland
Will Bill Cullen compare to Sir Alan?
Will you be watching in September?

The discussion of all things Apprentice .... over to you !

Sherifu

You can't trump, errrr, Trump.

It's survivor in suits. It works well.

Hrududu

How did this season compare to previous seasons?
I thought this season was weaker thanks to the selection of candidates. Also because of Sralan's choice of firings. Most of the time I got the impression he was keeping the one he thought would make better TV and not the one that would be most suited to the job.
Do you think the standard of applicant has dropped?
Absolutely, this years lot were a bunch of backstabbing snakes that were only interested in saving their own skin. Usually they are quite ruthless but not to this level.
Have Nick and Margaret had their day? Time for new advisers?
No, Nick and Margaret have been better than ever this year. Particularly Margaret. Her putdown of Michael was legend, when Nick brought up the fact that Michael was a bright boy and that he had studied in Edinburgh she quipped "Well Edinburgh isn't what it used to be."
Why do the girls wear so much makeup?
Because they are on TV.
Favourite task this season? Favourite board room?
My favourite task this year was the tissue task, just to watch Raef and Michael behaving like they were Fellini and not shooting some dodgy tissue commercial.
Favourite Sugar putdown?
That's from the series before last when he told Manny "You've gone from Anchor to Wanker"
Suggestions to improve Season 5?
Better contestants. Challenges that don't depend solely on sales ability. More Nick and Margaret.

ojewriej

Mr E wrote: »

Some discussion points...

How did this season compare to previous seasons?

I thought that sadly it wasn't that good. Partly because it showed more of the bitching and backstabbing and less of actual tasks, compared to the earlier seasons, and partly because at times Sir Alans decisions were so weird, that I felt that what we are shown really differs from what is actually going on there.

Do you think the standard of applicant has dropped?

I don't really think they were any worse than candidates from previous seasons, but I thought that the way the candidates were shown was changed. And I didn't like it. Too many sob stories. I don't care if you had a difficult childhood. I also didn't like the way they were slapping around in the tabloids.

Have Nick and Margaret had their day? Time for new advisers?

No, Nick and margaret were great.

Why do the girls wear so much makeup?

I haven't noticed that actually.

Favourite task this season? Favourite board room?

The cards, definitely. Kevin's "If you don't buy our cards, it means you don't care about the environment" line is a highlight of the whole season for me. Boardroom was great that week as well.

Favourite Sugar putdown?

Not a put down as such, but I liked what he said about Raef and the tissue comercial ad "He thought he is going to get an Oscar in this boardroom"

Suggestions to improve Season 5?

I don't know really, I suppose what I said in the first question.

Mr E wrote: »

Ireland
Will Bill Cullen compare to Sir Alan?
Will you be watching in September?

I don't really know much about Bill Cullen, but I thing that the show like The Apprentice needs a big budget, and this probably won't happen in Ireland. I don't think they will be able to organise tasks a s interesting as designing the office building, or buiying stuff in Morocco.

nevey

UK
Definitely meaner than Trump's version, and more fun because of it.
- I haven't seen the US one in years but when I did I thought that all the contestants were far too well-groomed and attractive. I also didn't like it that they never curse and there is no bawdy humour. Maybe that is just the way americans are in business, but it doesn't match my experience.

How did this season compare to previous seasons?
I think it has been pretty consistent over the 3 seasons .. or is it 4?

Do you think the standard of applicant has dropped?
Unfortunately, for good TV you need a load of deluded self-important twats taking part. I didn't think that Suralan ended up with 4 outstanding candidates in the final. I thought that they all had shown obvious flaws and that the runner-up from last year was better than any of them.

Have Nick and Margaret had their day? Time for new advisers?
No. In fact I'd like to hear more from them. They got stuck in to the candidates a bit more this year. Sometimes in the boardroom you got the impression that Suralan had no idea of what went on during the task and if the candidates didn't know of each other's errors (eg hallal/kosher chickens) then it didn't come up in the boardroom wrangling. N+M were good at introducing their observations and making the candidates answerable for some of their antics (like that 24 year old slithering out of taking responsibility in the army-guy's team).

Why do the girls wear so much makeup?
That is life. Definitely agree it is too much. For example, I don't think I would expect to be taken seriously in the boardroom if, like Lindi, I wore thick mascara and shiny silver eye-shadow. I am a girl and I don't normally wear make-up but if I was going to be on TV I would .... just a touch.

Favourite task this season? Favourite board room?
I think the unravelling of the kosher chicken and tennis racket bribing and simultaneously firing of two horrible contestants was a classic.

Favourite Sugar putdown?
I liked it when he asked an ebullient Raef did he know how to advertise a product and Raef replied that he did and then Suralan asked "you do do you?" a few times until Raef eventually realised that he didn't and his artsy ad was a loser ... not a put-down as such, but effective.

Suggestions to improve Season 5?
Make it come sooner. We have to waut what, 9/10 months??

USA
Now a tired format in the States. ....
Has this been on BBC?

Ireland
Will Bill Cullen compare to Sir Alan?
To paraphrase Suralan, he's a lightweight! And probably a bit too nicey nicey. Is it him for definite? I think that the only Irish person who could pull it off would be Michael O'Leary. Thing is, they won't have the budget, so it won't be as slick as the UK version, the tasks won't be as interesting. Also, how are they going to get contestants, shoot the shows and have it ready editted for September?

Will you be watching in September?
I daresay I'll give it a look.

Mr E

Just FYI, the makeup comment was said with tongue in cheek. Its just something I found amusing. I remember one of the girls last season looked like a geisha...