didi-5 Now in its fifth series, 'The Apprentice' has 14 candidates for a top job with Sir Alan Sugar's group of companies - carrying out a range of tasks (face painting, washing cars, cooking, making a TV commercial, launching a product, selling sandwiches, etc.) in order to be in the winning team at the end of the day.With catchphrases like 'this is a job interview from hell' and, carried over from the US version, 'You're fired', it can come across a bit more reality TV than business acumen. The eventual winners have ranged from nice Tim to liar Lee to dim Michelle to er, the other one. Strong characters tend to stay in until the last few weeks to give the viewer something to loathe.Sir Alan's aides, Nick and Margaret, are good value to watch, their expressions showing their disdain for the candidates as they flunk one task after another. And yes, these high flyers are dim - the scary thing is that the candidates have top salary jobs outside of 'The Apprentice'! As a reality show, it's watchable and fun - even though the last two series have had candidates who play up to the camera more than their predecessors. As a business programme, it's fairly useless - even the tasks have got less interesting as the series has progressed.

bs3dc 'The Apprentice' is labelled as the interview from hell, and it is certainly no walk in the park. A range of aspirants from wide-ranging backgrounds are formed into two teams and must attempt to make the most amount of money in a variety of tasks, with one member from each of the losing team getting fired after each task until only one person is left.The decision to have Sir Alan Sugar head the show was inspired as though he may not be the richest entrepreneur in Britain, his gruff, no-nonsense manner works very well on television and better I suspect than someone like Richard Branson. His sidekicks Margaret Mountford and Nick Hewer are also great value with their world-weary sarcasm and their ability to say more with a lifted eyebrow than anybody since Roger Moore in 'The Saint.' Sir Alan makes tough and controversial decisions about who gets fired each week and though as a viewer you may not agree with his choice, ultimately it is up to him as he will have to pay the winner's wage packet. With some tasks taking place over several days, we get to see what the editor wanted to some degree and not necessarily a 100% accurate reflection of events, but The Apprentice is supposed to be entertaining and not a documentary about business practises.There are frequent accusations of bullying being encouraged by the programme. While it is true that the candidates will often do their best to stab each other in the back whenever possible, there is some satisfaction in seeing the negative tactics leading to the failure of the task and the possibility of them being fired. There is even more to be had when people who claim in front of the camera to be able to able to crush anybody in their way turn into jellyfish when they get into the boardroom. The tension mounts considerably as the series goes on, as the obviously weaker candidates get filtered out and there is less room to hide behind other people when things go wrong (as they frequently do). Some of the bitchiness and aggressiveness must come from the pressure on the candidates which must be enormous, increased by the television cameras and in particular when for most of them being the winner would be a massive opportunity.I can't help but feel that the quality of the candidates has declined since the first season as now the producers probably have to wade through applications from people who failed the Big Brother audition. Also the fact that some of the losers have managed to carve out TV careers for themselves probably boosts the attraction for fame-hungry applicants. It is certainly worrying if the 14 finalists represent the greatest business potential in the UK, though in fairness in the business world a £100,000 salary is probably not enough incentive to attract the best who are on more than this money already.For once a winning format has managed to cross the Atlantic and actually last unlike so many others in the past decade and appears to be here to stay for a good while yet.

Jackson Booth-Millard I first heard of this programme when it was featured numerous times on Harry Hill's TV Burp, and since I have started from the Comic Relief special and Series 3, it is a very good programme, almost as good as a reality show. Every series 14 candidates are brought in, every one has quit their high paid job and left their family for the chance to get a job worth £100,000. The man they have to impress to get this job is the founder of Amstrad (Alan Michael Sugar Trading) since 1968, and worth over £800m, Lord Sir Alan Sugar. They are split into two teams, with aides Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford - replaced by Karren Brady, keeping an eye on them, and each week they are set a business task to make as much money as possible from the certain theme, e.g. selling coffee, dog products, sweets for zoos, art work, beauty treatments, chocolates, wines, fun fairs, etc. At the end of each task he gives the winning team, that made the most money or had the biggest numbers, a special treat, and the losing team faces a member being fired. All this continues till 12 weeks, when one candidate will win this job, the £100,000 and become 'The Apprentice' working alongside Sugar, or in the new version form a new company, with Sugar as partner. Narrated by Mark Halliley. It is funny to see ridiculous ideas brought forward, the silly decisions and actions of candidates, the bickering between them, and of course Sugar is the star with grouchy demeanour, a fantastic documentary series. Very good!

BrookeRules From the outset, this show has always been interesting. Tempers fraying, tense boardroom meetings and the on-going quarrels of Saira and Paul all mix together to make one hell of a good show.I, myself, am rooting for Saira to win, but that is irrelevant at the moment. For anyone who hasn't watched it as of yet, do so. Yeah, Alan Sugar is a rude and ignorant jerk - but it just makes it more compelling to watch! As to who I think will win...well Miriam and James are good contenders, Paul is hope goes next because I find him repulsive, but he has a good chance. Saira also has a good chance.Plus, Alan, I praise you for kicking Raj out - totally inadiquate.