The Apprentice has become a caricature of itself

[DockOTheBay]

Anyone else really annoyed at how ridiculous The Apprentice has become?

If you look back at clips from previous seasons, they had people who were actually competent, of various ages and backgrounds, who wore normal clothing. They worked together as a team and actually aimed to produce something decent - rather the trying to sabotage each other at every opportunity.

Also recently the method of the programme makes no sense. Split the groups and expect them to come up with a coherent marketing, with no communication between them? Do customer research AFTER the products are finalised? Its just stupid, of course the stuff they come up with is crap.

@PuppyMonkey

I watched the last 2 episodes and it was basically the same task and the same things happened. I’m sure it never used to be like that.

I actually fell asleep when it came to the boardroom bit, I’m not invested in any of them.

I was thinking the same. Design and brand, pitch and sell. Hopefully they will shake it up a bit - but I think they might be limited due to the time it was filmed.

They can't do the trade shows and things like that as they haven't been on for the last 2 years.
The "travel to Morocco and buy random items" thing would be difficult with travel restrictions.
I read that Alan Sugar stated there wouldn't be any masks or social distancing in sight, so that takes out any "selling to the public" tasks, as well as the ones where they do things like bus tours.

Used to enjoy it years ago. I don’t think it was ever really particularly serious, but I can’t even suspend disbelief now.

• The contestants are d as I obviously set up to fail (too much to accomplish in not enough time, the combative nature of the process which prompts blaming and scapegoating instead of collaboration) and are then dressed down by LS. I love Karen pulling faces in the boardroom - wonder how she would get on with the tasks? Much prefer shows where people get a chance to show what they can do like Masterchef, Throwdown or Glow Up these days.

• Because of the above, any ads or products the teams come up with are typically shit. So the one that is slightly less shit ends up being celebrated as a wild success.

• All the game-playing has been done before so it’s so formulaic and predictable. Tell people you disagree with the decision so you have a get-out of it fails, but also ensure you’re seen to be doing something. In the same vein, accuse opponents of not contributing whether that’s true or not.

• The final comes down to which business idea LS prefers, not how the finalists performed, making a mockery of the last task.

• At that last stage we as viewers are expected to make the switch from seeing the contestants as amusing saps to recognising them as worthy winner and runner-up for a sizeable investment.

It was better when the tasks were simpler and there was a job on offer at the end. Take it back to flogging sandwiches on the streets of London so you can clearly see who is a team player, who can adapt, who can plan, etc. One video task. One that involves a trip abroad. And so on.

Get straight onto the interviews and cut the shite bits.

Who would we all say was the all time best Apprentice candidate? The Badger is my favourite. Wonder what she's up to these days. Didn't like the girl who won in Ruth's year....didn't she squander her opportunity and end up quitting?

@OnTheBoardwalk

I enjoyed Australian Celebrity Apprentice more than I thought I would

Was a really good watch. It’s on iPlayer if anyone wants to watch it

Same here. It was a really good series and felt a bit like the good old days of The Apprentice before the indenti-kit contestants took over.

Would definitely recommend it.

Badger was great but Stuart Baggs, God rest his soul, is the most memorable for me.

@SickAndTiredAgain

I agree. They design the packaging, and then get a call from the other half of the team to tell them what flavours they’ve gone with? What a waste of time. I mean, obviously I know it’s reality tv, but it’s just a pointless exercise to design packaging for a product not yet designed and then be criticised for how the packaging doesn’t mention a key feature of the product. Which they could have no way of guessing when bloody designing it.

I think this is deliberate - to set them up for failure and give excellent bitching fodder between sub teams.

@GreenLunchBox

Who would we all say was the all time best Apprentice candidate? The Badger is my favourite. Wonder what she's up to these days. Didn't like the girl who won in Ruth's year....didn't she squander her opportunity and end up quitting?

Michelle. Yes, she quit.

But much much worse.....she is currently a presenter on GB News.

I actually said this whilst watching this week, they always used to be on the phone to the other half of their team, checking in whilst holding their phone in that very annoying horizontal position. It's like they're only allowed one phone call now, after the decisions have been made?

It has got more and more ridiculous with each passing year.
At the start they had contestants who wanted a business career, now it feels more like they want to be on TV.
The situations are contrived and in the tasks, they are set up to fail.
It's still good tv, but it's impossible to take it as any more than just an entertainment show.

I love The Apprentice and still watch.

But, I do agree about the Market Research.
One of the great things in the earlier seasons was watching then come up with an idea for a product, completely ignore market research and still build the dreadful product.

The one that sticks out is the year Katie Hopkins was in.
But it was the boys team.
The task was to come up with a product for dog under £25.
The boys had tons of ideas , but the PM overruled and came up with this strap that went across your body and you could attach all the stuff you need to walk your dog.
The focus group hated it. I think someone mentioned that it had a "terrorist" look to it.
But the PM was adamant and went ahead.

This is also the task where there was a comical exchange:
PM Rory: "I AM YOUR PROJECT MANAGER
Troy: You're nothing to me

I love it and have really missed it.
My love for it has never wained although I do wonder how much longevity is in it left? How many more years will Sir Alan want to do it?

Oh no, I miss quoted
PM Rory: "I AM YOUR BOSS
Troy: "You're nothing to me"

Is there anywhere we can watch the old series??

It’s just pure entertainment now with ideally some interesting business ideas at the end.

Yes it’s trash but for some reason I love it. More than how it was originally possibly.

I think they need to start cracking down on all the sexism. A bit of a change around could be fun. It would be good if there were some actually ‘nice’ people being given opportunities, but then it would be a completely different show.

Does anyone remember Elizabeth from years back? I really loved her.

Then that guy who for slaughtered by Claude. It was so, so bad!

We started watching it last night and I had to turn it over.

The women look like Barbie dolls. It's just bizarre!

What a contrast between 2005 and 2022..........

I said this to DH yesterday. If this is BBC flagship stuff then I'm not surprised people aren't keen on paying the licence fee.

I think it went downhill when it changed from being a job to being an investment. Obviously it is all rigged but making it an investment just meant it was always decided at the beginning based on business plans.

I'd like to see a different boss each season and one where they actually win a chance to work with them for a year, maybe then follow the candidates once they've won.

I'm surprised that it's still going.
They seem to pick people based on personality so these days it has more in common with Big Brother than Dragons' Den.

It’s a TV spectacle now, ridiculous tasks and timescales. So tired having boys and girls teams at the start.

I think it is interesting that both Shama and the pharmacist guy who left basically just want to expand the business that they already have, more branches or wider reach rather than a new businesses.

I wonder what they pay the industry experts that have to sit through pitches and taste disgusting non alcoholic beer? In the first few series I genuinely saw a link between the quality of the products or pitch and the sample orders. I can’t believe any of them would have ordered anything from the last programme.

You really wouldn't employ any of them. It drives me mad.

@AutumnAlmanack

I still love the programme, but was struck in the first episode by how all the girls were wearing exactly the same outfits but in different colours! Tight shift dresses with high heels and wiggling backsides. How boring. What a shame the lovely Shama had to leave.

They looked like Cluedo charachters: plum, peacock, orange, green. Ridiculous.

@PuppyMonkey

Badger was great but Stuart Baggs, God rest his soul, is the most memorable for me.

Raef (series 4) was my favourite. 'Words are my tool!'

It started in2004/5, (the good old days, when it was on at 9.00pm and Desp Housewives used to follow at 10.00pm so it's had its day)..

It's v repetitive now. Ditto Call the midwife sorry to say.