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{{infobox television |
{{Short description|American television game show}}
{{more citations needed|date = November 2023}}
| show_name = The Apprentice
{{Use American English|date=February 2019}}
| image = <!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:TheApprentice.jpg|275px]] -->
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2018}}
| caption = ''The Apprentice'' title card
| format = [[reality television|Reality]]
{{Infobox television
| image = The Apprentice original logo.png
| runtime = 60 minutes(Season 1-7)120 minutes(Season 8)
| genre = [[Reality competition]]
| creator = [[Mark Burnett]]
| creator = [[Mark Burnett]]
| starring = [[Donald Trump]]<br>(Season 1&ndash;present)<br>
| starring = {{ubl|[[Donald Trump]] |[[George H. Ross]] | [[Carolyn Kepcher]] | [[Bill Rancic]] | [[Ivanka Trump]] | [[Donald Trump Jr.]] | [[Eric Trump]] | [[Sean Yazbeck]]}}
| opentheme = "[[For the Love of Money]]" by [[The O'Jays]] (broadcast version only)<ref name="ojay">[http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/12/17/145157.php Smith, Scott C. "DVD Review: The Apprentice - Season One"; blogcritics.org; December 17, 2005]</ref>
| theme_music_composer = {{ubl|[[Kenneth Gamble]] | [[Leon Huff]] | [[Anthony Jackson (musician)|Anthony Jackson]]}}
| country = [[United States]]
| opentheme = "[[For the Love of Money]]" by [[The O'Jays]]
| network = [[NBC]]
| country = United States
| first_aired = January 8, 2004
| language = English
| last_aired = present
| num_seasons = 8
| num_seasons = 15
| num_episodes = 115 <!--(including spin-off)-->
| num_episodes = 192
| producer = {{Plainlist|
}}
* [[Mark Burnett]]
* [[Donald Trump]]
* [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] (2017)
}}
| location = [[Trump Tower]], [[New York City]] (2004–2015)
| runtime = 60&nbsp;minutes (seasons 1–7, 10)<br />120&nbsp;minutes (seasons 8–9, 11–15)
| company = {{Plainlist|
* {{ubl|[[Trump Productions]]
* (2004–2015)
* (seasons 1–14)
* [[Mark Burnett|Mark Burnett Productions]]
* (2004–2011)
* (seasons 1–11)
* [[United Artists|One Three Media]]
* (2012–2013)
* (seasons 12–13)
* [[United Artists Television|United Artists Media Group]]
* (2015)
* (season 14)
* [[MGM Television]]
* (2017)
* (season 15)}}
}}
| network = [[NBC]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|2004|01|08}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2017|02|13}}
| related = {{ubl|''[[The Celebrity Apprentice]]''|''[[The Apprentice: Martha Stewart]]''|''[[The Ultimate Merger]]''|[[The Apprentice (British TV series)|''The Apprentice'' (British TV series)]]}}
}}
'''''The Apprentice''''' is an American [[reality television]] program that judged the business skills of a group of contestants. It ran in various formats across fifteen seasons on [[NBC]] from 2004 to 2017. ''The Apprentice'' was created by British television producer [[Mark Burnett]],<ref name="ny2019">{{cite magazine |last1=Keefe |first1=Patrick |title=How Mark Burnett Resurrected Donald Trump as an Icon of American Success |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/07/how-mark-burnett-resurrected-donald-trump-as-an-icon-of-american-success |access-date=30 December 2018 |magazine=The New Yorker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230091247/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/07/how-mark-burnett-resurrected-donald-trump-as-an-icon-of-american-success |archive-date=December 30, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> and co-produced with future president [[Donald Trump]], who was the show's host for the first fourteen seasons.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Helderman |first1=Rosalind S. |last2=Izadi |first2=Elahe |date=2023-04-12 |title=The reality show president: Trump to retain producing credit on 'Celebrity Apprentice' |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-reality-show-president-trump-to-retain-producing-credit-on-celebrity-apprentice/2016/12/08/0e7eada2-bd9b-11e6-ac85-094a21c44abc_story.html |access-date=2023-12-07 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>


Billed as "The Ultimate Job Interview", seven of the show's seasons featured aspiring, but otherwise unknown, businesspeople who would vie for the show's prize, a one-year $250,000 starting contract to promote one of Donald Trump's properties. The show features 14 to 18 such business people who compete over the course of the season, with usually one contestant eliminated per episode. Contestants are split into two "corporations" (teams), with one member from each volunteering as a project manager on each new task. The corporations complete business-related tasks such as selling products, raising money for charity, or creating an advertising campaign, with one corporation selected as the winner based on objective measures and subjective opinions of the host and the host's advisors who monitor the teams' performance on tasks. The losing corporation attends a boardroom meeting with the show's host and their advisors to break down why they lost and determine who contributed the least to the team. Episodes ended with the host eliminating one contestant from the competition, with the words "You're fired!"
'''''The Apprentice''''' is an [[Television in the United States|American]] [[reality television|reality television show]] hosted by [[Donald Trump]], created by [[Mark Burnett]] and broadcast on [[NBC]]. Billed as "The Ultimate Job Interview", the show stars sixteen to eighteen businesspeople competing in an elimination-style competition for a one-year, $250,000 starting contract of running one of [[business magnate]] Trump's companies.


There have also been eight seasons of ''[[The Celebrity Apprentice]]'' since 2008. In this format, several celebrities would participate to win money for their chosen charities, with the final prize being a large donation to the celebrity's charity and the title of "Apprentice". A [[reboot (fiction)|reboot]] of this format, ''[[The New Celebrity Apprentice]]'', aired in January 2017. The American series originated a [[List of television show franchises|franchise of international television shows]] collectively known as ''[[The Apprentice]]'', which has had over 20 local versions.
On May 14, 2007, the series was left off NBC's schedule but NBC Entertainment president [[Kevin Reilly]] said he was still in discussions with [[Mark Burnett]] and Trump.<ref>[http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6441978.html Guthrie, Marisa; "UPFRONT: NBC Unveils Fall Picks"; broadcastingcable.com; May 14, 2007]</ref> However, on May 19, 2007, Trump announced that he was "moving on from ''The Apprentice'' to a major new TV venture", effectively ending the series in the United States.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070519/tv_nm/trump_dc_1 Yahoo! News]</ref>{{Dead link|date=January 2008}} But on May 22, 2007, NBC announced ''The Apprentice'' might return next season even though Trump had said he quit.<ref>[http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/the_apprentice_7/2007_May_22_nbc_statement Denhart, Andy; "NBC says The Apprentice could return despite Trump’s quitting" realityblurred.com; May 22, 2007]</ref>


Trump was fired by NBC<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nbc-officially-fires-trump-from-celebrity-apprentice | title=NBC officially fires Trump from 'Celebrity Apprentice' | website=[[Fox News]] | date=August 13, 2015 }}</ref> when the studio disagreed with remarks he made about Mexican immigrants during his announcement that he was [[Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign|running]] for [[president of the United States]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-announces-2016-presidential-campaign-make-country/story?id=31799741 | title=Donald Trump Announces 2016 Presidential Campaign: 'We Are Going Make our Country Great Again' | website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] }}</ref> on June 16, 2015. It was announced in September 2015 that actor and former [[Governor of California|California governor]] [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] would become the new host of ''[[The Celebrity Apprentice]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Arnold Schwarzenegger to replace Donald Trump as Celebrity Apprentice host |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/09/14/arnold-schwarzenegger-replace-donald-Trump-celebrity-apprentice-host |first=James |last=Hibberd |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=September 14, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108203517/http://ew.com/article/2015/09/14/arnold-schwarzenegger-replace-donald-trump-celebrity-apprentice-host/ |archive-date=January 8, 2017 }}</ref><ref name="ew-2017prem">{{cite magazine |last1=Lawrence |first1=Derek |title=Arnold Schwarzenegger's Celebrity Apprentice gets premiere date |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/06/08/arnold-schwarzenegger-celebrity-apprentice-premiere-date |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=June 8, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609070719/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/06/08/arnold-schwarzenegger-celebrity-apprentice-premiere-date |archive-date=June 9, 2016 }}</ref> starting January 2017. Lifestyle mogul [[Martha Stewart]] hosted a one-season spin-off titled ''[[The Apprentice: Martha Stewart]]'' in 2005.
On May 29, 2007, Trump said that NBC wanted a seventh season and he would be returning as the host.<ref>[http://www.tvseriesfinale.com/2007/05/the_apprentice_nbc_tells_trump_not_fired.php "The Apprentice: Trump Says NBC Wants Him Back"; tvseriesfinale.com; May 31, 2007]</ref>On July 6, 2007, it was announced that The Apprentice has been officially renewed for a seventh season with a possibility of an eighth season.<ref>[http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/report-nbc-announce-renewal-of-donald-trump-the-apprentice-5462.php Rocchio, Christopher; Rogers, Steve; "Report: NBC to announce renewal of Donald Trump's ''The Apprentice''; realityworld.com; July 6, 2007]</ref> On July 16, 2007, NBC confirmed that the show was renewed for a seventh season to run mid-season. In an effort to revitalize interest in the series, the seventh season featured celebrities playing the game to raise money for charities.<ref>[http://www.nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20070716000000-nbccommitstoanew.html "NBC Commits to a new celebrity version of ''The Apprentice'' featuring Donald Trump as celebrity contestants vie to be the best business brain under Trump's Tutelage; nbcumv.com; July 16, 2007]</ref> On January 28, 2008, NBC confirmed that the show was renewed for an eighth season to start in January 2009 and featured high profile celebrities playing the game to raise money for charity.<ref>[http://nbcumv.com/entertainment/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20080129000000-nbcsays34you.html NBC SAYS "YOU'RE HIRED" FOR SECOND SEASON PICK UP OF 'THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE' AND ANNOUNCES LIVE TWO-HOUR FINALE OF SEASON ONE ON MARCH 27TH AT 9:00 PM-11:00 PM ET<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On April 29, 2009 NBC officially announced The Celebrity Apprentice is renewed for a third season (ninth season overall) to air in the spring of 2010.<ref> [http://nbcumv.com/entertainment/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20090429000000-nbcpicksuphitser.html<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


==Premise==
== Format ==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2021}}
Each season begins with a group of contestants with backgrounds in various enterprises, typically including real estate, restaurant management, political consulting, sales, and marketing. Although the selection process appears rigorous, it has come to light that several of the contestants are pre-selected through personal contacts with the producers and show executives. During the show, these contestants live in a communal penthouse, allowing their relationships to build. In Season 6, however, the teams were separated, with the winning team living in the LA mansion and the losing team taking up residence in tents located in the mansion's backyard. They are placed into teams, and each week are assigned a task and required to select a project manager for the task. The winning team receives a reward, while the losing team faces a boardroom showdown in order to determine which team member should be fired (eliminated from the show).
''The Apprentice'' is a reality competition show featuring season-long competitions. Each season begins with a new group of contestants vying to earn a place in one of the organizations run by the host. The contestants (who are referred to as "candidates") have come from business backgrounds in various enterprises, the backgrounds including real estate, accounting, restaurant management, management consulting, sales and marketing.


During the show, the contestants live in a communal dwelling, a "penthouse suite", in New York City (save for Season 6 which took place in Los Angeles). The candidates are divided into two teams, treated as "corporations" within the show. These corporations select a name they are subsequently referred to through the rest of the show. Each week, the teams are assigned a task and required to select one of their members to lead the team as "project manager", who is to take responsibility for organizing the team and making executive decisions. Tasks are generally business oriented and tend to highlight one of several business skills. Tasks most commonly revolve around sales (selling the most items or earning the most money) and marketing (producing a specific marketing material or campaign that is judged by a company's executives). During the tasks, the teams are usually visited by one of the host's "advisors" for that week. Tasks typically last for one or two days. After the completion of the task, the teams meet with the host and the two advisers in "the [[boardroom]]".
Elimination proceeds in two stages. In the first stage, all of the losing team's members are confronted. The project manager is asked to select up to three (one, two, or three) of the team members who are believed to be most responsible for the loss. In the second stage, the rest of the team is dismissed, and the project manager and the selected members face a final confrontation in which at least one of the two-to-four is fired.


Boardroom meetings on ''The Apprentice'' typically unfold in three stages. In the first stage, all remaining candidates from both teams gather in the boardroom, where the host and advisors brief them on the task. The team members discuss how the task went, identifying strong or weak performers, and may be asked to comment on the opposing team's materials or products. At the conclusion of this stage, the host or advisors reveal the task results and announce the winning team, who are rewarded with a luxurious experience and excused from the boardroom. In later seasons, the winning team is allowed to observe the next boardroom stage via a television in their suite.
Trump reserves the right at times to do the following: not allowing the project manager to choose who goes to the boardroom for a final hearing, fire/eliminate any candidate without a final boardroom session if there's enough information to warrant so, and fire multiple people if two or more people are found liable for the weak performance. Trump also reserved the right to fire all candidates inside the boardroom if all candidates performed badly. In season 6, the project manager of the winning team got the opportunity, and was mandated, to sit with Donald in the board room and help make the decision of who from the losing team gets fired. The winning project manager was expected to ask questions and give opinions in the board room during this process.


The second stage focuses on the losing team, who return to the boardroom to face scrutiny over their performance. The team is questioned about the reasons for their loss and which members were responsible. The project manager is then asked to select a certain number of teammates (usually two, but occasionally one or three) to accompany them to the final stage, while the remaining teammates are sent back to the suite. The project manager and selected teammates step out briefly as the host consults with the advisors.
When the final candidates are left, an interview process begins, involving executives from various companies who interview each of the finalists and report their assessments of them to the host. After that, a firing takes place. In the event four are left, a double firing occurs. Seasons 4-6 were the exception to this rule as Seasons 4-5 foresaw Trump jettisoning the remaining members of a losing team (eliminating the need for interviews), and Trump utilized three pairs of two and a final four for Season 6.


In the final stage, the host and advisors continue interrogating the remaining candidates, often probing the project manager's decision about whom to bring back. Ultimately, at least one person—either the project manager or a teammate—is "fired" or "terminated" at the host's discretion, leaving the show. The host may also exercise the option to fire multiple candidates or dismiss someone on the spot before the final stage. The eliminated contestant is shown leaving the boardroom with their luggage and entering a taxi, reflecting on their elimination during the episode's closing credits.
Save Season 6, the final two are then assigned different tasks, along with support teams composed of previously fired candidates. After the tasks are done, a final boardroom occurs, with testimonials from the team members and a last chance for the final two candidates to prove themselves to the target CEO. Finally, Trump hires one of the two candidates to become the apprentice for the season (save Season 6, in which Trump fired two people from the final six to decide the final four, and hires one of the four candidates to be the apprentice).
The opening theme music used on the show is "[[For the Love of Money]]" by [[The O'Jays]].<ref name="ojay"/>


When only three or four candidates (depending on the season) are left, they are interviewed rather than being assigned a task. Executives from various companies interview the finalists and report their assessments to the host. Based on the interviews, a "boardroom meeting" and firing take place, leaving two candidates.
==History==
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Nbc apprentice2 key art.jpeg|250px|thumb|The winning contestant of the first American series of ''The Apprentice'' becomes the head of one of [[Donald Trump]]'s companies.]] -->
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:Rowntree.JPG|thumb|250px|right|Trump's Assistant, Andie, from season 6 in LA]] -->
The first season aired during the winter and the spring of 2004. ''The Apprentice'' is produced and created by [[Mark Burnett]] and is hosted by real estate magnate, [[Donald Trump]], who also serves as co-producer of the show. The premise of the show, which bills itself as the "ultimate job interview" in the "ultimate jungle," is to conduct a job talent search for a person to head one of Trump's companies. The position starts with an introductory 1-year contract with a starting yearly salary at six figures ($250,000 USD to be exact, roughly about $4807.70 USD per week assuming a 52-week work-year). The show led Trump to become known for his fateful [[catch phrase]], "You're fired!"
The contestants live communally in a suite at [[Trump Tower (New York)|Trump Tower]] in [[Manhattan]] and the boardroom showdown is with Trump and two of his associates (originally [[Carolyn Kepcher]], Former Chief Operating Officer and General Manager for the Trump National Golf Club, and [[George H. Ross]], Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel, The Trump Organization). Season 6 saw the show move to Los Angeles.


The final two candidates are then each assigned a different final task. Each is given a support team of previously fired candidates. Final tasks generally require the finalists to organize (to various degrees) an event such as a party or a fundraiser which has multiple planning elements. In a final boardroom meeting following the final task, the host "hires" one of the two candidates to become the host's "apprentice", winning the show's prize of a one-year $250,000 starting contract to manage a business project offered by the host.
In late August, 2006, Donald Trump released Carolyn Kepcher from her duties at the Trump organization saying only that he "wishes her the best." No official reason has been given for her being fired from the company, but Kepcher was quoted as saying "After 11 years with the Trump Organization, Donald and I had different visions for my future role in the company." Her future role on the Apprentice TV show has not been confirmed, although Kepcher has appeared on tape for the 6th season one or two times. Ivanka Trump appeared in a similar role on the show as Kepcher's, but was not an official replacement.[http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1513009,00.html]


== History and production ==
Known for his tendency to surround himself with beautiful women, Trump's on-screen (and real-life) assistants have each grown in personal fame. Two assistants appeared jointly for the first five seasons: Rhona Graff and Robin Himmler. In the sixth season, Trump elected to have his newest executive assistant, Andi Rowntree, star in the LA-based show.
{{more citations needed section|date = November 2023}}
After experiencing [[Business career of Donald Trump|a series of financial setbacks in the early 1990s]], New York real-estate developer [[Donald Trump]] changed his business strategy from borrowing to build and purchase assets, to licensing his name to others.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Poniewozik|first=James|date=2020-09-28|title=Donald Trump Was the Real Winner of 'The Apprentice'|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/28/arts/television/trump-taxes-apprentice.html|access-date=2020-10-02|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=February 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214230627/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/28/arts/television/trump-taxes-apprentice.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Producer [[Mark Burnett]] approached Trump about a new television show. Although Trump was skeptical, stating that [[reality television]] "was for the bottom-feeders of society", Burnett proposed that Trump appear as himself, a successful businessman with a luxurious lifestyle.<ref name="kranish20170119">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-fierce-will-to-win-pushed-donald-trump-to-the-top/2017/01/17/6b36c2ce-c628-11e6-8bee-54e800ef2a63_story.html |title=A fierce will to win pushed Donald Trump to the top |last=Kranish |first=Michael |date=January 19, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post |author-link=Michael Kranish |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620193109/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-fierce-will-to-win-pushed-donald-trump-to-the-top/2017/01/17/6b36c2ce-c628-11e6-8bee-54e800ef2a63_story.html |archive-date=June 20, 2017 }}</ref>


The show was co-produced by Burnett and Trump, its first season airing in early 2004. The premise of the show, which bills itself as the "ultimate job interview" in the "ultimate jungle", is to conduct a job talent search for a person to head one of Trump's companies. The position starts with an introductory one-year contract with a starting yearly salary of $250,000.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
A [[spin-off]], ''[[The Apprentice: Martha Stewart]]'' followed the same concept, with [[Martha Stewart]] as the host and eventual employer. It debuted in September 21, 2005, following Stewart's release from prison and home detention. The last episode aired December 21, 2005, but due to dismal ratings, it was not renewed for a second season.


The popularity of the show led to Trump becoming known for his fateful [[catchphrase]], "You're fired!" and for the emergence of "[[wikt:Trumponomics|Trumponomics]]", a "portmanteau of Donald Trump and economics initially spelled 'Trump-Onomics' (2004), [which] started out as a bland managerial concept on cable TV, meant to convey the notion that 'impressing the boss' was the only way to 'climb the corporate ladder'."<ref>M. Nicolas J. Firzli : [http://www.analysefinanciere.org/2017/01/26/understanding-trumponomics 'Understanding Trumponomics', Revue Analyse Financière, 26 January 2017 – Supplement to Issue N°62] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211160222/http://analysefinanciere.org/2017/01/26/understanding-trumponomics/ |date=February 11, 2017 }}</ref>
==U.S. television ratings==

The opening theme music used on the show is "[[For the Love of Money]]", a 1973 [[R&B]] song by [[The O'Jays]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Apprentice: Season One DVD Review |url=http://www.blimptv.net/the-apprentice-season-one-dvd-review/ |publisher=BlimpTV |access-date=January 2, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103100420/http://www.blimptv.net/the-apprentice-season-one-dvd-review/ |archive-date=January 3, 2017 }}</ref>

For most seasons, the candidates ostensibly live in a communal suite at [[Trump Tower (New York)|Trump Tower]] in [[Manhattan]]. This was originally billed as a penthouse suite, and after boardrooms, candidates were told to "go up" to the suite. However, in reality, the suite and the boardroom (and its elevator lobby) are all purpose-built sets within Trump Tower,<ref name=":0" /> all on the same floor. Later seasons of ''[[The Celebrity Apprentice]]'' no longer conceal this.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

''The Apprentice'' was so successful that, according to Trump, he earned $214&nbsp;million from 14 seasons of the show, plus more from related product licensing as his name as a brand became more valuable.{{r|kranish20170119}} As the popularity of the series grew, more and more of the tasks began to be tied to specific companies. For example, sales tasks would require a team to take over a brand-name storefront or restaurant and operate it; and marketing tasks would require teams to prepare marketing material (e.g. a jingle or flyer) or campaign for an established company. In later series, the launches of specific products would be tied to the airing of episodes of the series. Several companies have appeared multiple times on the show.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

Trump's original advisors were [[Carolyn Kepcher]], former chief operating officer and general manager for Trump National Golf Club, and [[George H. Ross]], Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel, the Trump Organization. In August 2006, Trump released Kepcher from her duties at the Trump organization, saying only that he "wishes her the best." Kepcher also left ''The Apprentice'' at that time. Upon her departure, Trump's daughter, [[Ivanka Trump]] became a regular advisor, though she was not officially billed as a replacement for Kepcher.<ref>[http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1513009,00.html People Connection] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061202072350/http://people.aol.com/people/article/0%2C26334%2C1513009%2C00.html |date=December 2, 2006 }} AOL</ref> As the series progressed, the advisors were occasionally substituted on a weekly basis with other advisors including two of Trump's other children, [[Donald Trump Jr.]] and [[Eric Trump]], as well as past winners of the show and other business executives (typically from the company whose product or service was featured in the episode).{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

During Trump's tenure, the series frequently featured and promoted his properties, products and brand. Trump's wife [[Melania Trump]] was also featured on the series several times including in several tasks that have featured her fashion and cosmetic products. Ivanka Trump's fashion products have also been featured in tasks.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

Trump's on-screen (and real-life) assistants have each grown in personal fame. Two assistants appeared jointly for the first five seasons: Rhona Graff and Robin Himmler. In season six, Trump elected to have his newest executive assistant, Andi Rowntree, star in the LA-based show. For the ''Celebrity Apprentice'', Annette Dziamba appeared for the seventh season, and Amanda Miller since the eighth season.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

Season six, unlike the rest of the series, took place in Los Angeles. The teams resided in a mansion, with the winning team of each challenge occupying the house, and the losing team camping out in tents in the backyard.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

On May 14, 2007, the series was left off NBC's schedule, but NBC Entertainment president [[Kevin Reilly (executive)|Kevin Reilly]] said he was still in discussions with [[Mark Burnett]] and Trump.<ref>[http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6441978.html Guthrie, Marisa; "UPFRONT: NBC Unveils Fall Picks"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226184701/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6441978.html |date=December 26, 2007 }} broadcastingcable.com; May 14, 2007</ref> On May 19, 2007, Trump announced that he was "moving on from ''The Apprentice'' to a major new TV venture".<ref>[http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/the-apprentice-star-donald-Trump-nbc-you-cant-fire-me-i-quit-5200.php 'The Apprentice' star Donald Trump to NBC: You can't fire me, I quit] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306072141/http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/the-apprentice-star-donald-Trump-nbc-you-cant-fire-me-i-quit-5200.php |date=March 6, 2016 }} Reality TV World</ref> On May 22, NBC announced ''The Apprentice'' might return next season even though Trump had said he had quit.<ref>[http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/the_celebrity_apprentice/2007_May_22_nbc_statement Dehnart, Andy; "NBC says The Apprentice could return despite Trump's quitting"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310064810/http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/the_celebrity_apprentice/2007_May_22_nbc_statement |date=March 10, 2012 }} realityblurred.com; May 22, 2007</ref> However, NBC and Trump resolved their differences, and the first season of ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' began production shortly thereafter.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

Trump's portrayal as a successful businessman on show helped him build a strong, favorable image with many viewers, which contributed to his success in the [[2016 Republican Party presidential primaries|2016 Republican primary]] by boosting his credibility as a leader.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dolan |first=Eric W. |date=2024-09-16 |title=New research sheds light on the influence of "The Apprentice" on Donald Trump's political rise |url=https://www.psypost.org/new-research-sheds-light-on-the-influence-of-the-apprentice-on-donald-trumps-political-rise/ |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=PsyPost - Psychology News |language=en-US}}</ref>

On January 17, 2017, Summer Zervos filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump, arising from his statement that she had lied about her allegations of Trump's sexual misconduct toward her.<ref>(January 17, 2017). [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38658622 Trump sued for defamation by former Apprentice Summer Zervos] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170117235254/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38658622 |date=January 17, 2017 }}, BBC News. Retrieved January 17, 2017.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/17/apprentice-summer-zervos-donald-trump-lawsuit |title=Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos sues Donald Trump for defamation |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=January 18, 2017 |access-date=January 19, 2017 |first=Rory |last=Carroll |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118225028/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/17/apprentice-summer-zervos-donald-trump-lawsuit |archive-date=January 18, 2017 }}</ref>{{update after|2023|11|30}} Zervos had been a contestant on the [[The Apprentice (American season 5)|fifth season]] of ''The Apprentice'', which filmed in 2005 and aired in 2006.<ref name="WP The latest" /> Zervos contacted Trump in 2007, about a job after the show's completion, and he invited her to meet him at [[the Beverly Hills Hotel]]. Zervos said that Trump exhibited aggressive and non-consensual sexual advances during their meeting, kissing her open-mouthed, groping her breasts,<ref name="WP The latest">{{cite news |title=The Latest: Clinton says election has been 'painful' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-latest-melania-trump-threatens-to-sue-people-magazine/2016/10/13/2392a6fa-91a7-11e6-bc00-1a9756d4111b_story.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |agency=Associated Press |date=October 14, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019011155/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-latest-melania-trump-threatens-to-sue-people-magazine/2016/10/13/2392a6fa-91a7-11e6-bc00-1a9756d4111b_story.html |archive-date=October 19, 2016 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> and thrusting his genitals on her.<ref name="RSTO16">{{cite magazine |last1=Stuart |first1=Tessa |title='Apprentice' Star Summer Zervos Says Trump Thrust His Genitals on Her |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/apprentice-star-summer-zervos-says-trump-thrust-his-genitals-on-her-w445061 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=October 14, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913170706/https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/apprentice-star-summer-zervos-says-trump-thrust-his-genitals-on-her-w445061 |archive-date=September 13, 2017 }}</ref> In November 2021, Zervos dropped her lawsuit against Trump.

After his non-disclosure agreement expired in 2024, Bill Pruitt, one of the four producers of the first two seasons of ''The Apprentice'', revealed that Trump's appearances were heavily edited in post-production. On location, Pruitt noted, "he could barely put a sentence together about how a task would work" and often struggled to remember contestants' names. Post-production editing enhanced his dialogue, feeding him lines to make him appear "articulate and concise." Additionally, Trump's actual offices were too cramped and the furniture too shabby for a show meant to "demonstrate impeccable business instincts and unparalleled wealth." As a result, the production team rented vacant Trump Tower retail space from Trump and constructed the illusion of a luxurious reception area and boardroom.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pruitt |first=Bill |url=https://slate.com/culture/2024/05/donald-trump-news-2024-trial-verdict-apprentice.html |title=The Donald Trump I Saw on ''The Apprentice'' |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |date=May 30, 2024 |access-date=June 9, 2024}}</ref>

In March 2023, it was reported that [[Rupert Murdoch]] had considered acquiring the rights to the show from [[NBC]] following the former president's 2020 defeat to [[Joe Biden]] but the deal did not proceed for fear that Trump would "kill" the reality series by turning it into a full-time campaign vehicle for himself.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rupert-murdoch-apprentice-fox_n_640b02dbe4b0653e296b044d |title=Rupert Murdoch Considered Buying 'The Apprentice' For FOX After Trump's 2020 Loss |last=Moran |first=Lee |date=March 10, 2023 |work=[[HuffPost]] |access-date=March 10, 2023}}</ref>

=== Series overview ===
Key:
:{{Color box|#ADD8E6|border=silver}} Host
:{{Color box|#EEE8AA|border=silver}} Board member
:{{Color box|#dda0dd|border=silver}} Guest board member
:{{Color box|#0eef0e|border=silver}} Contestant

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 80%;"
|-
! Cast !! [[The Apprentice (American season 1)|1]] !! [[The Apprentice (American season 2)|2]] !! [[The Apprentice (American season 3)|3]] !! [[The Apprentice (American season 4)|4]] !! [[The Apprentice (American season 5)|5]] !! [[The Apprentice (American season 6)|6]] !! [[The Apprentice (American season 7)|7]] !! [[The Apprentice (American season 8)|8]] !! [[The Apprentice (American season 9)|9]] !! [[The Apprentice (American season 10)|10]] !! [[The Apprentice (American season 11)|11]] !! [[The Apprentice (American season 12)|12]] !! [[The Apprentice (American season 13)|13]] !! [[The Apprentice (American season 14)|14]] !! [[The New Celebrity Apprentice|15]]
|-
| [[Donald Trump]] || colspan=14 style="text-align:center; background:#ADD8E6;" | ||
|-
| [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
| style="text-align:center; background:#add8e6;"|
|-
| [[George H. Ross]] || colspan="5" style="text-align:center; background:#EEE8AA;" |
| colspan="9" style="text-align:center; background:plum;"| ||
|-
| [[Carolyn Kepcher]] || colspan="5" style="text-align:center; background:#EEE8AA;" | || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
| [[Bill Rancic]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#0eef0e;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:plum;"| ||
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; background:#EEE8AA;" |
| style="text-align:center; background:plum;"| ||
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; background:plum;"| || || || || || ||
|-
| [[Ivanka Trump]] || || || ||
| style="text-align:center; background:plum;"|
| colspan="9" style="text-align:center; background:#EEE8AA;" | ||
|-
| [[Donald Trump Jr.|Donald "Don" Trump Jr.]] || || || ||
| style="text-align:center; background:plum;"|
| colspan="9" style="text-align:center; background:#EEE8AA;" | ||
|-
| [[Sean Yazbeck]] || || || ||
| style="text-align:center; background:#0eef0e;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:plum;"| || || || || || || || || ||
|-
| [[Eric Trump]] || || || || || || || ||
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; background:#EEE8AA;" | ||
|-
| [[Joan Rivers]] || || || || || || ||
| style="text-align:center; background:#0eef0e;"|
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; background:plum;"| || ||
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; background:plum;"| ||
|-
| [[Tyra Banks]] || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
| style="text-align:center; background:plum;"|
|-
| [[Patrick M. Knapp Schwarzenegger]] || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
| style="text-align:center; background:#eee8aa;"|
|}

== Spin-offs ==
''The Apprentice'' also spawned a reality television [[dating game show]]. On June 17, 2010, ''[[The Ultimate Merger|Donald J. Trump Presents The Ultimate Merger]]'' premiered on [[TV One (US TV network)|TV One]]. The series stars [[Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth]], a former political consultant who in 2004 appeared on the [[The Apprentice (American season 1)|first season]] of ''The Apprentice'' and in 2008 on the first celebrity edition of the show and also in season 13.<ref>{{cite magazine|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708100604/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_15_105/ai_n6006380/|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_15_105/ai_n6006380/|title=Omarosa: 'The Apprentice' TV show's most popular contestant has the nation talking and watching|magazine=[[Jet (magazine)|JET]]|date=April 12, 2004|archive-date=July 8, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Each of the twelve contestants vying for the affections of Manigault-Stallworth were selected by Trump himself.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bostonherald.com/entertainment/television/general/view/20100617who_wants_to_date_a_diva_omarosa_Trump_team_for_reality_tv_show_ultimate_merger/srvc=edge&position=also |title=Who wants to date a diva? |author=Woodman, Tenley |date=June 17, 2010 |work=[[Boston Herald]] |access-date=July 13, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100626050755/http://news.bostonherald.com/entertainment/television/general/view/20100617who_wants_to_date_a_diva_omarosa_trump_team_for_reality_tv_show_ultimate_merger/srvc%3Dedge%26position%3Dalso |archive-date=June 26, 2010 }}</ref>

Following Trump's election as president in 2016, Burnett kept in touch with Trump about additional television shows, and at one point, Burnett proposed the idea of ''The Apprentice: White House'', which would have been filmed following Trump's departure from office and would have been focused on political activities. However, no firm plans were established for this.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-and-apprentice-creator-mark-burnett-are-discussing-their-next-tv-show | title = Trump and 'Apprentice' Creator Mark Burnett Are Discussing Their Next TV Show | first = Lachlan | last = Cartright | date = November 7, 2019 | access-date = November 7, 2019 | work = [[The Daily Beast]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191107111747/https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-and-apprentice-creator-mark-burnett-are-discussing-their-next-tv-show | archive-date = November 7, 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref>

=== Martha Stewart ===
{{See also|The Apprentice: Martha Stewart}}
{{unreferenced section|date = November 2023}}
On February 2, 2005, NBC announced that they would broadcast the first spin-off from ''The Apprentice'', called ''The Apprentice: Martha Stewart''. The show, which ran from September 21 to December 21, 2005, was hosted by [[Martha Stewart]], who was the first woman in the world to become a self-made billionaire. It kept the format of the original series but changed a few elements to fit Stewart's personality. Trump was one of the executive producers of the show and castings were held in 27 cities across the United States.

At the time, the original ''Apprentice'' was airing new seasons in each of the fall and winter, each with declining overall ratings. ''The Apprentice: Martha Stewart'' aired on Wednesdays during the same fall season as the fourth season of the original ''Apprentice'' (which aired Thursdays). ''The Apprentice: Martha Stewart'' struggled while the original series' fourth season again earned poorer ratings than the previous season. Trump claimed that there was "confusion" between the two shows. There has also been talk that Trump did not want Stewart to host the spin-off show. NBC announced that it would not bring back the show for a second season, although the network stressed that the show was initially planned to air only for one season. The show averaged between six and seven million viewers. Before Stewart's show ended, Trump and Stewart had a fight over Stewart accusing Trump that he did not want her to have a successful show, that he might have wanted it jinxed. Trump denied this charge, and both TV stars have not worked together again, and there are no plans for the future.

== Statistics by season ==
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of ''The Apprentice'' on [[NBC]].
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of ''The Apprentice'' on [[NBC]].


''Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of [[Nielsen Ratings|May sweeps]].''
''Note: Each U.S. network television season started in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May [[sweeps]].''


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background-color:#E0E0E0"
|- style="background:#e0e0e0;"
! | Season
! Season
! | Winner
! Winner
! | Winner's Project
! Winner's project
! | Timeslot
! Timeslot
! | Season Premiere
! Season premiere
! | Season Finale
! Season finale
! | TV Season
! TV season
! | Ranking
! Ranking
! | Viewers<BR>(in millions)
! Viewers<br />(in millions)
! | Finale Viewers<BR>(in millions)
! Finale viewers<br />(in millions)
|- style="background-color:#E0E0E0"
|- style="background:#f9f9f9;"
| '''[[The Apprentice (American season 1)|1]]'''
|- style="background-color:#F9F9F9"
| '''[[The Apprentice (U.S. season 1)|1st]]'''
| [[Bill Rancic]]
| [[Bill Rancic]]
| [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)|Trump Tower Chicago]]
| [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)|Trump Tower Chicago]]
|rowspan="4"| Thursday 9:00PM
| rowspan="4" | Thursday 9:00&nbsp;pm
| January 8, 2004
| January 8, 2004
| April 15, 2004
| April 15, 2004
| [[2003–04 United States network television schedule|2003–04]]
| 2003–04
! style="text-align:center" | '''#7'''
! style="text-align:center" | 7
! style="text-align:center" | '''20.70 <ref>[http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=060204_11 Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2003-04 television season]</ref>'''
! style="text-align:center" | 20.7<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=060204_11 |title=Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2003–04 television season |access-date=November 30, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930171419/http://www.abcmedianet.com/Web/progcal/dispDNR.aspx?id=060204_11 |archive-date=September 30, 2007 }}</ref>
! style="text-align:center" | '''28.05 <ref>[http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=042004_05 Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of April 12-18, 2004]</ref>'''
! style="text-align:center" | 28.1<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.html?id=042004_05 |title=Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of April 12–18, 2004 |access-date=November 30, 2016}}{{dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref>
|- style="background-color:#F9F9F9"
|- style="background:#f9f9f9;"
| '''[[The Apprentice (U.S. season 2)|2nd]]'''
| '''[[The Apprentice (American season 2)|2]]'''
| [[Kelly Perdew]]
| [[Kelly Perdew]]
| [[Trump Place]]
| [[Trump Place]]
| September 9, 2004
| September 9, 2004
| December 16, 2004
| December 16, 2004
|rowspan=2| 2004–05
| rowspan=2 | [[2004–05 United States network television schedule|2004–05]]
! style="text-align:center" | '''#11'''
! style="text-align:center" | 11
! style="text-align:center" | '''16.14 <ref name="2004-05">[http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=060105_05 Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2004-05 television season]</ref>'''
! style="text-align:center" | 16.1<ref name="2004-05">{{cite web |url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.html?id=060105_05 |title=Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2004–05 television season |access-date=November 30, 2016}}{{dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=Sam Sailor |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
! style="text-align:center" | '''16.93 <ref>[http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=122104_05 Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of December 13-19, 2004]</ref>'''
! style="text-align:center" | 16.9<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.html?id=122104_05 |title=Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of December 13–19, 2004 |access-date=November 30, 2016}}{{dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=Sam Sailor |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|- style="background-color:#F9F9F9"
|- style="background:#f9f9f9;"
| '''[[The Apprentice (U.S. season 3)|3rd]]'''
| '''[[The Apprentice (American season 3)|3]]'''
| [[Kendra Todd]]
| [[Kendra Todd]]
| Palm Beach Mansion
| Palm Beach Mansion
| January 20, 2005
| January 20, 2005
| May 19, 2005
| May 19, 2005
! style="text-align:center" | '''#15'''
! style="text-align:center" | 15
! style="text-align:center" | '''13.96 <ref name="2004-05"/>'''
! style="text-align:center" | 14.0<ref name="2004-05" />
! style="text-align:center" | '''14.02 <ref>[http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=052405_04 Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of May 16-22, 2005]</ref>'''
! style="text-align:center" | 14.0<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.html?id=052405_04 |title=Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of May 16–22, 2005 |access-date=November 30, 2016}}{{dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=Sam Sailor |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|- style="background-color:#F9F9F9"
|- style="background:#f9f9f9;"
| '''[[The Apprentice (U.S. season 4)|4th]]'''
| '''[[The Apprentice (American season 4)|4]]'''
| [[Randal Pinkett]]
| [[Randal Pinkett]]
| Trump Entertainment
| Trump Entertainment
| September 22, 2005
| September 22, 2005
| December 15, 2005
| December 15, 2005
|rowspan=2| 2005–06
| rowspan=2 | [[2005–06 United States network television schedule|2005–06]]
! style="text-align:center" | '''#38'''
! style="text-align:center" | 38
! style="text-align:center" | '''11.01 <ref name="2005-06">[http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=053106_05 Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2005-06 television season]</ref>'''
! style="text-align:center" | 11.0<ref name="2005-06">{{cite web |url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.html?id=053106_05 |title=Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2005–06 television season |access-date=November 30, 2016}}{{dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=Sam Sailor |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
! style="text-align:center" | '''12.81<ref>[http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=122005_04 Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of December 12-18, 2005]</ref>'''
! style="text-align:center" | 12.8<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.html?id=122005_04 |title=Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of December 12–18, 2005 |access-date=November 30, 2016}}{{dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=Sam Sailor |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|- style="background-color:#F9F9F9"
|- style="background:#f9f9f9;"
| '''[[The Apprentice (U.S. season 5)|5th]]'''
| '''[[The Apprentice (American season 5)|5]]'''
| [[Sean Yazbeck]]
| [[Sean Yazbeck]]
| [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (SoHo)|Trump Soho]]
| [[Trump SoHo]]
| Monday 9:00PM
| Monday 9:00&nbsp;pm
| February 27, 2006
| February 27, 2006
| June 5, 2006
| June 5, 2006
! style="text-align:center" | '''#51'''
! style="text-align:center" | 51
! style="text-align:center" | '''9.73 <ref name="2005-06"/>'''
! style="text-align:center" | 9.7<ref name="2005-06" />
! style="text-align:center" | '''11.25 <ref>[http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=061306_06 Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of June 5-11, 2006]</ref>'''
! style="text-align:center" | 11.3<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.html?id=061306_06 |title=Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of June 5–11, 2006 |access-date=November 30, 2016}}{{dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=Sam Sailor |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|- style="background-color:#F9F9F9"
|- style="background:#f9f9f9;"
| '''[[The Apprentice (U.S. season 6)|6th]]'''
| '''[[The Apprentice (American season 6)|6]]'''
| [[Stefanie Schaeffer|Stefani Schaeffer]]
| [[Stefanie Schaeffer]]
| [[Cap Cana]]
| [[Cap Cana]]
| Sunday 10:00PM
| Sunday 10:00&nbsp;pm
| January 7, 2007
| January 7, 2007
| April 22, 2007
| April 22, 2007
| [[2006–07 United States network television schedule|2006–07]]
| 2006–07
! style="text-align:center" | '''#75'''
! style="text-align:center" | 75
! style="text-align:center" | '''7.5<ref>[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/features/e3ifbfdd1bcb53266ad8d9a71cad261604f?pn=2 2006-07 primetime wrap<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>'''
! style="text-align:center" | 7.5<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/features/e3ifbfdd1bcb53266ad8d9a71cad261604f?pn=2 |title=Entertainment/Hollywood News |work=The Hollywood Reporter }}{{dead link|date=February 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
! style="text-align:center" | 10.6
! style="text-align:center" | '''7.94'''<ref>[http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/38110574 Sunday 4/22/07 - Topic Powered by eve community<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|- style="background-color:#F9F9F9"
|- style="background:#f9f9f9;"
| '''[[The Apprentice (U.S. season 7)|7th]]'''
| '''[[The Apprentice (American season 10)|10]]'''
| Brandy Kuentzel
| [[Piers Morgan]]
| VIP Golf Tournament
| N/A
| Thursday 9:00PM
| Thursday 10:00&nbsp;pm
| January 3, 2008
| September 16, 2010
| March 27, 2008
| December 9, 2010
|| [[2010–11 United States network television schedule|2010–11]]
| 2007–08
! style="text-align:center" |#48
! style="text-align:center" |113
! style="text-align:center" |4.7<ref name="deadline10-11">{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2011/05/full-2010-11-season-series-rankers-135917/ |title=Full 2010-11 Season Series Rankings |first=Nellie |last=Andreeva |date=May 27, 2011 |work=Deadline Hollywood |publisher=Mail.com Media Corporation |at=2010-11 Season: Series Ranking in Total Viewers (in thousands) |access-date=May 27, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008190741/http://www.deadline.com/2011/05/full-2010-11-season-series-rankers/ |archive-date=October 8, 2012 }}</ref>
! style="text-align:center" | '''11<ref>[http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/the_apprentice_7/2008_Jan_04_debut_ratings reality blurred + 11 million watch Celebrity Apprentice, which was the top-rated 18-49 show of the night<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>'''
! style="text-align:center" | 12.1
! style="text-align:center" |4.5
|- style="background-color:#F9F9F9"
| '''[[The Apprentice (U.S. season 8)|8th]]'''
| [[Joan Rivers]]
| N/A
| Sunday 9:00PM
| March 1, 2009
| May 10, 2009
| 2008–09
! style="text-align:center" |
! style="text-align:center" |
! style="text-align:center" |
|}
|}
::''(Note: Given the show has a sequel TV series known as ''Celebrity Apprentice'', the above chart is continued on the article of the show's follow-up TV series, found under [[The Celebrity Apprentice#Statistics by season|"statistics by season" for ''Celebrity Apprentice'']]. Note as well that [[The Apprentice (American season 10)|season 10]] is included in the above chart given the show reverted to ''The Apprentice'' for that season.)''


''The Apprentice'' was the breakout rookie hit of the 2003-2004 U.S. television season and helped [[NBC]] at a time when the network's two long-running successful comedies, ''[[Friends]]'' and ''[[Frasier]]'', were ending their series' runs. ''The Apprentice'' filled the void on Thursday nights as NBC held on to the tagline [[Must-See TV|Must See TV]], even though [[CBS]] was quickly becoming the most-watched network on Thursday night. An example of its cultural influence at the time was a spike in popularity of [[Tasti D-Lite]] frozen dessert as a result of its appearance in Season 2, Episode 18.
''The Apprentice'' was the breakout rookie hit of the 2003–04 American television season and helped [[NBC]] at a time when the network's two long-running successful comedies, ''[[Friends]]'' and ''[[Frasier]]'', were ending their series' runs.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} ''The Apprentice'' filled the void on Thursday nights as NBC held on to the tagline [[Must-See TV|Must See TV]], even though [[CBS]] was quickly becoming the most-watched network on Thursday night.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}


Although the series is still one of the most-watched programs on NBC in the advertiser-friendly 18–49 age demographic, the franchise's total audience gradually dissolved, starting in late 2004, when <!-- featured an increased infusion of bickering among the contestants and -->it aired its second season that culminated in, what most ''Apprentice'' fans deem, an "overextended"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/the_apprentice_2/2004_Dec_20_finale_ratings|source=Reality Blurred|date=December 20, 2004|title=reality blurred + 16.9 million watch Apprentice 2 finale, fewer than last season’s clip show.}}</ref> 3-hour season finale on December 16, 2004.
Although the series was one of the most-watched programs on NBC in the advertiser-friendly 18–49 age demographic, the franchise's total audience gradually dissolved, starting in late 2004, when it aired its second season culminating in what some ''Apprentice'' fans deemed an "overextended" 3-hour season finale on December 16, 2004.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/the_apprentice_2/2004_Dec_20_finale_ratings |work=Reality Blurred |date=December 20, 2004 |title=16.9&nbsp;million watch Apprentice 2 finale, fewer than last season's clip show. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070314102747/http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/the_apprentice_2/2004_Dec_20_finale_ratings |archive-date=March 14, 2007 }}</ref>


The audience numbers (11.25 million viewers)<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002688051|source=Mediaweek|date=June 14, 2006|title=Mediaweek.com: The Programming Insider}}</ref> for the June 5, 2006 fifth season finale were not factored in the fifth season average because it aired after the official television season ended.
The audience numbers (11.25&nbsp;million viewers)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002688051 |work=Mediaweek |date=June 14, 2006 |title=Mediaweek.com: The Programming Insider |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927011545/http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002688051 |archive-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref> for the June 5, 2006 fifth-season finale were not factored in the fifth season average because it aired after the official television season ended.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

The audience numbers for the show have still remained on the decline since its first season. Originally, NBC aired the [[The Apprentice 6|sixth season]] of ''The Apprentice'', competing against both immensely-popular series, ''[[Desperate Housewives]]'' and ''[[Cold Case]]'', just a few weeks before competing against ''[[Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series)|Brothers & Sisters]]'' and ''Cold Case''.


The audience numbers for the show steadily declined following the first season.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} Originally, NBC aired the [[The Apprentice 6|sixth season]] of ''The Apprentice'', competing against both immensely popular series, ''[[Desperate Housewives]]'' and ''[[Cold Case]]'', just a few weeks before competing against ''[[Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series)|Brothers & Sisters]]'' and ''Cold Case''.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
<!-- The finales for the first five seasons have attracted progressively smaller audiences{{ref|ratings}}:
<!-- The finales for the first five seasons have attracted progressively smaller audiences{{ref|ratings}}:
*Season 1: 28.05 million
* Season 1: 28.05&nbsp;million
*Season 2: 16.94 million
* Season 2: 16.94&nbsp;million
*Season 3: 14.02 million
* Season 3: 14.02&nbsp;million
*Season 4: 12.81 million
* Season 4: 12.81&nbsp;million
*Season 5: 11.25 million -->
* Season 5: 11.25&nbsp;million -->


== Teams by season ==
==Criticism==
{| class="wikitable"
The most common criticism of the U.S. version of ''The Apprentice'' is that the challenges often amount to nothing more than commercials and [[product placement]]s. This became more evident starting from the second season. The companies that have supplied challenges to the show include [[Planet Hollywood]], [[Lamborghini]], [[Domino's Pizza]], [[Staples, Inc.|Staples]], [[Burger King]], [[Yahoo!]], [[Nestle]], [[VISA (credit card)|Visa]], [[Sony]], [[Home Depot]], [[Walmart]], [[Microsoft]], [[Quiznos]], [[Lexus]], and many others. These companies pay NBC to showcase their brands on the show, and usually the challenges revolve around the teams marketing existing or new products for the sponsors<ref>Rebecca Lieb (2005). [http://www.clickz.com/experts/brand/buzz/article.php/3556126 "Apprentice" Advertisers Share Their Numbers] Retrieved February 24 2006</ref>. The show also, of course, provides massive publicity for Donald Trump and the Trump Organization, and the carefully-edited portrayal of Trump is flattering. The second half of the show is usually set entirely in the boardroom, which typically degenerates into finger-pointing and name calling amongst the contestants.
|-
! Season
! Team name
! Overall record as a team
|-
| rowspan=2|1|| Versacorp|| 5–7
|-
| Protégé|| 7–5
|-
| rowspan=2|2|| Mosaic|| 8–5
|-
| Apex|| 5–8
|-
| rowspan=2|3|| Magna|| 10–4
|-
| Net Worth|| 3–11
|-
| rowspan=2|4|| Capital Edge|| 4–7
|-
| Excel|| 7–4
|-
| rowspan=2|5|| Gold Rush|| 5–8
|-
| Synergy|| 8–5
|-
| rowspan=2|6|| Arrow|| rowspan=2|5–5
|-
| Kinetic
|-
| rowspan=2|10|| Fortitude|| 4–7
|-
| Octane|| 7–4
|}


== Controversies ==
There is also controversy regarding the jobs given to the hired Apprentices. Instead of becoming the CEO of one of Trump's companies, the winners of the show are hired as PR spokesmen for Trump and his brand. For example, [[Kelly Perdew]], winner of the second season and [[Bill Rancic]], the first season's winner, were given the title of 'owner's representative', and were also named executive vice presidents. On Perdew's first day, his boss introduced him to Florida developers working on a Trump-branded condo, the [[Trump Tower (Tampa)|Trump Tower]], in [[Tampa, Florida]]. "Mr. Trump said, 'OK, Kelly, you're going to go help promote sales of the building'," Perdew recalls.[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7856555/site/newsweek/]
Whereas winners have been named "executive vice presidents", and given the title of "owner's representative", in actuality, they were employed as publicity spokespeople for the Trump Organization. Second season winner [[Kelly Perdew]], on his first day working for Trump, was introduced by his boss to Florida developers working on a Trump-branded condo, the [[Trump Tower (Tampa)|Trump Tower]], in [[Tampa, Florida]], where he was told that he would help promote sales of the building by appearing at promotional events.<ref>Setoodeh, Ramin. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7856555/site/newsweek/ "What's Second Prize?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203105717/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7856555/site/newsweek/ |date=February 3, 2007 }} [[MSNBC]]; Reprinted from the May 23, 2007 ''[[Newsweek]]''</ref>


After Trump began to publicly question whether President [[Barack Obama]] was [[Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories|born in the United States]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/may/29/mitt-romney-donald-trump-live |title=Donald Trump's 'birther' marks take centre stage |work=[[The Guardian]] |last=Adams |first=Richard |date=May 29, 2012 |access-date=March 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303052754/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/may/29/mitt-romney-donald-trump-live |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The Apprentice'' was criticized for its involvement with Trump. Some people publicly called for NBC to fire Trump from his role on ''The Apprentice.'' Industry media speculated about the extent to which Trump's media comments may have contributed to the show's ratings decline,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/is-donald-Trumps-media-blitz-wrecking-the-apprentice-ratings.php |title=Is Donald Trump's Media Blitz Wrecking The Apprentice's Ratings? |work=[[Talking Points Memo]] |last=Sarlin |first=Benjy |date=April 25, 2011 |access-date=February 22, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612001050/http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/is-donald-trumps-media-blitz-wrecking-the-apprentice-ratings.php |archive-date=June 12, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/donald-Trumps-celebrity-apprentice-why-184320 |title=Donald Trump's 'Celebrity Apprentice': Why Only One Advertiser Has Fired Him (Analysis) |work=The Hollywood Reporter |last=Miller |first=Daniel |date=May 3, 2011 |access-date=February 22, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130417060027/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/donald-trumps-celebrity-apprentice-why-184320 |archive-date=April 17, 2013 }}</ref> given how other Trump-associated businesses have suffered since Trump's political campaign began.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/05/04/a-potential-Trump-run-could-hurt-business-brand-some-say.html?sid=101 |title=A potential Trump run could hurt business brand, some say |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |last=Hanks |first=Douglas |date=May 4, 2011 |access-date=February 22, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110507233855/http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/05/04/a-potential-trump-run-could-hurt-business-brand-some-say.html?sid=101 |archive-date=May 7, 2011 }}</ref> One (anonymous) ''Celebrity Apprentice'' contestant even announced an intention to boycott the May 15 taping of the season seven finale, unless forced by contract to appear.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2011/05/03/one-celebrity-apprentice-contestant-would-apparently-boycott-finale/ |title=One 'Celebrity Apprentice' contestant would boycott finale |work=HollywoodNews.com |last=Sullivan |first=Molly |date=May 3, 2011 |access-date=February 22, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530000031/http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2011/05/03/one-celebrity-apprentice-contestant-would-apparently-boycott-finale/ |archive-date=May 30, 2012 }}</ref>
Another controversy revolves around age discrimination. In January 2007, a class action lawsuit was filed against Trump on behalf of those who did not make the cut for the show due to what they contend was their age.


Following repeated criticisms from Trump, [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] declined to do another season of ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' after only one season—although Trump stated that he was fired.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2017/03/03/arnold-quits-apprentice-before-he-can-fired/98700892/ |title=Arnold Schwarzenegger leaves 'Apprentice,' Trump says he was fired |website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=April 11, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412023719/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2017/03/03/arnold-quits-apprentice-before-he-can-fired/98700892/ |archive-date=April 12, 2018 }}</ref>
[[Sir Alan Sugar]], the star of the [[The Apprentice (UK)|British version]] of '''The Apprentice''' has criticised it because "they’ve made the fatal error of trying to change things just for the sake of it and it backfired"<ref>[http://entertainment.uk.msn.com/tv/realitytv/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4533081 Sir Alan Sugar Speaks]</ref>


In 2006, a lawsuit brought by Mark Bethea against the show's producers alleging theft of the original concept<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060518005061/en/Mark-Bethea-Idea-Theft-Case-Mark-Burnett |title=News |access-date=April 14, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415124755/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060518005061/en/Mark-Bethea-Idea-Theft-Case-Mark-Burnett |archive-date=April 15, 2018 }}</ref> was settled on undisclosed terms.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-may-24-et-quick24.1-story.html |title=Archives |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=May 24, 2006 |access-date=April 14, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024154616/http://articles.latimes.com/2006/may/24/entertainment/et-quick24.1 |archive-date=October 24, 2015 }}</ref> Among the lawyers representing Bethea was [[Michael Avenatti]].
==Video game==
[[Legacy Interactive]] created a [[video game]] version of ''The Apprentice'' for the [[Personal computer|PC]]. It features Donald Trump and his advisors, as well as past candidates, and is currently available on [[Yahoo! Games]].
The player selects either a male or a female character to play and must control the character through a number of tasks including puzzles. The character must create a billboard; sell ice cream, Italian food, or hamburgers; help create toys, chocolates and lamps; and sell items in different neighborhoods.


On April 9, 2020, U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield ordered the [[Trump Organization]] and [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] to release behind-the-scenes videos of ''The Apprentice''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/04/10/Judge-orders-MGM-to-give-Celebrity-Apprentice-footage-in-civil-case/8631586525152/ | title=Judge orders MGM to give 'Celebrity Apprentice' footage in civil case | access-date=October 3, 2020 | archive-date=February 14, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214230554/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/04/10/Judge-orders-MGM-to-give-Celebrity-Apprentice-footage-in-civil-case/8631586525152/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/federal-court-says-mgm-must-release-secret-trump-apprentice-tapes/ar-BB12rGQg | title=Federal Court Says MGM Must Release Secret Trump 'Apprentice' Tapes | website=[[MSN]] | access-date=October 3, 2020 | archive-date=February 14, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214230549/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/federal-court-says-mgm-must-release-secret-trump-apprentice-tapes/ar-BB12rGQg | url-status=live }}</ref>
==Martha Stewart==
On February 2, 2005, NBC announced that they would broadcast the first spin-off from ''The Apprentice'', called ''[[The Apprentice: Martha Stewart]]''. The show, which premiered on September 21, 2005 was hosted by [[Martha Stewart]], who was the first woman in the world to become a self-made billionaire. It kept the format of the original series but changed a few elements to fit Stewart's personality. Trump was one of the executive producers of the show and castings were held in 27 cities across the United States.


== Video games ==
The fourth season of ''The Apprentice'' earned less than spectacular ratings, while ''The Apprentice: Martha Stewart'' struggled. Trump claimed that there was "confusion" between the two shows. There has also been talk that Trump did not want Stewart to host the spin-off show. NBC announced that it would not bring back the show for a second season, although the network stressed that the show was initially planned to air only for one season. The show averaged between six and seven million viewers.
At the [[Electronic Entertainment Expo]] on May 17, 2005, [[Legacy Interactive]] announced that it had purchased the rights to develop a video game based on ''The Apprentice''. The game was to be released in fall 2005 on the [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]], [[PlayStation Portable]], and PC.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/05/17/e3-2005-legacy-interactive-announces-the-apprentice |title=E3 2005: Legacy Interactive Announces The Apprentice |last=Scantleberry |first=Chris |date=May 17, 2005 |work=[[IGN]] |access-date=September 11, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921150901/http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/05/17/e3-2005-legacy-interactive-announces-the-apprentice |archive-date=September 21, 2016 }}</ref> ''The Apprentice'' was released for PC on February 28, 2006. The player chooses a character and is then paired up with one of four former ''Apprentice'' contestants, including Omarosa. The player must perform well in a series of business tasks, played across 18 [[minigame]]s, to avoid a boardroom confrontation with Donald Trump and his advisors, George Ross and Carolyn Kepcher.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=47726 |title=The Apprentice – Overview |last=Marriott |first=Scott Alan |work=[[AllGame]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114171409/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=47726 |archive-date=November 14, 2014 |access-date=September 11, 2016}}</ref><ref name=GameSpot />


Alex Navarro of [[GameSpot]] rated the game 3 out of 10 and called it a "collection of games that you can play better versions of for free or significantly cheaper elsewhere on the Internet. Not only are these games overly simplistic, they're just not that much fun." Navarro wrote, "Most offensive of all, however, is how cheaply The Apprentice handles its license. This game presents itself horribly. It looks like it was programmed hastily with Macromedia, with all the characters appearing as weirdly drawn cartoon versions of themselves." Navarro also criticized the game's audio clips of Donald Trump, and its short length, noting that the entire game could be completed in 20 minutes.<ref name=GameSpot>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-apprentice-review/1900-6145982/ |title=The Apprentice Review |last=Navarro |first=Alex |date=March 15, 2006 |work=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=September 11, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412145747/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-apprentice-review/1900-6145982/ |archive-date=April 12, 2018 }}</ref>
==Similar programs==
*''[[The Benefactor]]'', with [[Mark Cuban]] of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] [[Dallas Mavericks]]
*''[[The Rebel Billionaire]]'', with [[Richard Branson]] of the [[Virgin Group]]
*''[[The Law Firm]]'' with [[Roy Black (attorney)|Roy Black]]
*''[[Fire Me... Please]]/The Sack Race'', where contestants try to get fired from their job
*''[[My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss]]'', a [[parody]] and [[hoax]]
*''[[Win In China]]''


On February 6, 2007, Legacy announced a new game, ''The Apprentice: Los Angeles'', to be released online and in retail stores during the show's sixth season.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}} ''The Apprentice: Los Angeles'' was released on May 1, 2007. The player must serve customers throughout the game's 40 levels, set in four locations. Depending on the player's success throughout the game, the player receives praise and criticism from Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=52969 |title=The Apprentice: Los Angeles – Overview |last=Marriott |first=Scott Alan |work=AllGame |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114171404/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=52969 |archive-date=November 14, 2014 |access-date=September 11, 2016}}</ref>
==References==
<!-- 404: * {{note|ratings}} [http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-tvratingstext21dec21,0,3727532.htmlstory Viewers are following the scripts], a December 2005 article from the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' -->
{{reflist|2}}


Jim Squries of [[Gamezebo]] gave the game three and a half stars out of five, and praised the "bright" and "colorful" graphics, as well as the "smooth" controls and diverse gameplay. Squries wrote, "Ultimately, the only disappointment to be found in The Apprentice is the slightly shoddy handling of parts of the license. Trump's audio clips are brief and sound like they were recorded in a tin shack, while the team-based aspects of the show could've been played up more to create additional appeal for fans of the show."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamezebo.com/reviews/the-apprentice-los-angeles-review/ |title=The Apprentice: Los Angeles Review |last=Squries |first=Jim |date=May 1, 2007 |work=[[Gamezebo]] |access-date=September 11, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412145921/https://www.gamezebo.com/2007/05/01/apprentice-los-angeles-review/ |archive-date=April 12, 2018 }}</ref>
==External links== <!-- Wikipedia is not a web directory: see [[Wikipedia:External links]] -->
*[http://www.nbc.com/the-celebrity-apprentice/ NBC.com]
*{{imdb title|id=0364782|title=The Apprentice}}
*{{Tv.com show|id=20528|title=The Apprentice}}


== Similar programs ==
{{Trump}}
<!-- No point listing any of the other "The Apprentice" shows from around the world here – they're already listed in the "Apprentice" navbox. -->
{{The Apprentice}}
* ''[[The Benefactor (TV series)|The Benefactor]]'', with [[Mark Cuban]]
* ''[[Hell's Kitchen (American TV series)|Hell's Kitchen]]'' with [[Gordon Ramsay]]
* ''[[Billion Dollar Buyer]]'' with [[Tilman J. Fertitta|Tilman Fertitta]]
* ''[[The Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best]]'', with [[Richard Branson]] of the [[Virgin Group]]
* ''[[The Law Firm]]'' with [[Roy Black (attorney)|Roy Black]]
* ''[[Fire Me...Please]]/The Sack Race'', where contestants try to get fired from their job
* ''[[My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss]]'', a [[parody]] and [[hoax]]
* ''[[Win in China]]''
* ''[[The Apprentice|Diili]]'', with [[Hjallis Harkimo]]
* ''[[The CfC-Stanbic Bank Magnate]]'', also known as ''The Magnate'', Kenyan business reality show
* ''Big Boss'' (Germany)
* ''Traumjob'' (Switzerland)


== See also ==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Apprentice}}
* [[Television in the United States]]
[[Category:2004 television series debuts]]
* ''[[The Celebrity Apprentice]]''
[[Category:NBC network shows]]
* [[The Apprentice (British TV series)|''The Apprentice'' (British TV series)]]
[[Category:American reality television series]]
* [[The Apprentice (Irish TV series)|''The Apprentice'' (Irish TV series)]]
* [[Media career of Donald Trump]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
<!-- 404: * {{note|ratings}} [http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-tvratingstext21dec21,0,3727532.htmlstory Viewers are following the scripts], a December 2005 article from the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' -->
{{reflist}}

== External links == <!-- Wikipedia is not a web directory: see [[Wikipedia:External links]] -->
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090131223619/http://www.nbc.com/the-celebrity-apprentice/ Archived official website]
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{YouTube|BFJtPT2Bc2s|"1486 – Trump Makes Handshake Deals, Producer Mark Burnett, 1486"}} (Burnett tells the story of the series' genesis)
*"[https://slate.com/culture/2024/05/donald-trump-news-2024-trial-verdict-apprentice.html Donald Trump news: For years, I couldn't say what he did on The Apprentice. Now I can.]" in ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]''
{{The Apprentice (American TV series)|state=expanded}}
{{The Apprentice}}
{{Donald Trump}}
{{Trump media}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Apprentice (American TV series), The}}
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[[Category:2017 American television series endings]]
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[[Category:2000s American reality television series]]
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[[Category:2010s American reality television series]]
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[[Category:NBC reality television shows]]
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Latest revision as of 17:38, 27 December 2024

The Apprentice
GenreReality competition
Created byMark Burnett
Starring
Theme music composer
Opening theme"For the Love of Money" by The O'Jays
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons15
No. of episodes192
Production
Producers
Production locationsTrump Tower, New York City (2004–2015)
Running time60 minutes (seasons 1–7, 10)
120 minutes (seasons 8–9, 11–15)
Production company
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJanuary 8, 2004 (2004-01-08) –
February 13, 2017 (2017-02-13)
Related

The Apprentice is an American reality television program that judged the business skills of a group of contestants. It ran in various formats across fifteen seasons on NBC from 2004 to 2017. The Apprentice was created by British television producer Mark Burnett,[1] and co-produced with future president Donald Trump, who was the show's host for the first fourteen seasons.[2]

Billed as "The Ultimate Job Interview", seven of the show's seasons featured aspiring, but otherwise unknown, businesspeople who would vie for the show's prize, a one-year $250,000 starting contract to promote one of Donald Trump's properties. The show features 14 to 18 such business people who compete over the course of the season, with usually one contestant eliminated per episode. Contestants are split into two "corporations" (teams), with one member from each volunteering as a project manager on each new task. The corporations complete business-related tasks such as selling products, raising money for charity, or creating an advertising campaign, with one corporation selected as the winner based on objective measures and subjective opinions of the host and the host's advisors who monitor the teams' performance on tasks. The losing corporation attends a boardroom meeting with the show's host and their advisors to break down why they lost and determine who contributed the least to the team. Episodes ended with the host eliminating one contestant from the competition, with the words "You're fired!"

There have also been eight seasons of The Celebrity Apprentice since 2008. In this format, several celebrities would participate to win money for their chosen charities, with the final prize being a large donation to the celebrity's charity and the title of "Apprentice". A reboot of this format, The New Celebrity Apprentice, aired in January 2017. The American series originated a franchise of international television shows collectively known as The Apprentice, which has had over 20 local versions.

Trump was fired by NBC[3] when the studio disagreed with remarks he made about Mexican immigrants during his announcement that he was running for president of the United States[4] on June 16, 2015. It was announced in September 2015 that actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would become the new host of The Celebrity Apprentice,[5][6] starting January 2017. Lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart hosted a one-season spin-off titled The Apprentice: Martha Stewart in 2005.

Format

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The Apprentice is a reality competition show featuring season-long competitions. Each season begins with a new group of contestants vying to earn a place in one of the organizations run by the host. The contestants (who are referred to as "candidates") have come from business backgrounds in various enterprises, the backgrounds including real estate, accounting, restaurant management, management consulting, sales and marketing.

During the show, the contestants live in a communal dwelling, a "penthouse suite", in New York City (save for Season 6 which took place in Los Angeles). The candidates are divided into two teams, treated as "corporations" within the show. These corporations select a name they are subsequently referred to through the rest of the show. Each week, the teams are assigned a task and required to select one of their members to lead the team as "project manager", who is to take responsibility for organizing the team and making executive decisions. Tasks are generally business oriented and tend to highlight one of several business skills. Tasks most commonly revolve around sales (selling the most items or earning the most money) and marketing (producing a specific marketing material or campaign that is judged by a company's executives). During the tasks, the teams are usually visited by one of the host's "advisors" for that week. Tasks typically last for one or two days. After the completion of the task, the teams meet with the host and the two advisers in "the boardroom".

Boardroom meetings on The Apprentice typically unfold in three stages. In the first stage, all remaining candidates from both teams gather in the boardroom, where the host and advisors brief them on the task. The team members discuss how the task went, identifying strong or weak performers, and may be asked to comment on the opposing team's materials or products. At the conclusion of this stage, the host or advisors reveal the task results and announce the winning team, who are rewarded with a luxurious experience and excused from the boardroom. In later seasons, the winning team is allowed to observe the next boardroom stage via a television in their suite.

The second stage focuses on the losing team, who return to the boardroom to face scrutiny over their performance. The team is questioned about the reasons for their loss and which members were responsible. The project manager is then asked to select a certain number of teammates (usually two, but occasionally one or three) to accompany them to the final stage, while the remaining teammates are sent back to the suite. The project manager and selected teammates step out briefly as the host consults with the advisors.

In the final stage, the host and advisors continue interrogating the remaining candidates, often probing the project manager's decision about whom to bring back. Ultimately, at least one person—either the project manager or a teammate—is "fired" or "terminated" at the host's discretion, leaving the show. The host may also exercise the option to fire multiple candidates or dismiss someone on the spot before the final stage. The eliminated contestant is shown leaving the boardroom with their luggage and entering a taxi, reflecting on their elimination during the episode's closing credits.

When only three or four candidates (depending on the season) are left, they are interviewed rather than being assigned a task. Executives from various companies interview the finalists and report their assessments to the host. Based on the interviews, a "boardroom meeting" and firing take place, leaving two candidates.

The final two candidates are then each assigned a different final task. Each is given a support team of previously fired candidates. Final tasks generally require the finalists to organize (to various degrees) an event such as a party or a fundraiser which has multiple planning elements. In a final boardroom meeting following the final task, the host "hires" one of the two candidates to become the host's "apprentice", winning the show's prize of a one-year $250,000 starting contract to manage a business project offered by the host.

History and production

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After experiencing a series of financial setbacks in the early 1990s, New York real-estate developer Donald Trump changed his business strategy from borrowing to build and purchase assets, to licensing his name to others.[7] Producer Mark Burnett approached Trump about a new television show. Although Trump was skeptical, stating that reality television "was for the bottom-feeders of society", Burnett proposed that Trump appear as himself, a successful businessman with a luxurious lifestyle.[8]

The show was co-produced by Burnett and Trump, its first season airing in early 2004. The premise of the show, which bills itself as the "ultimate job interview" in the "ultimate jungle", is to conduct a job talent search for a person to head one of Trump's companies. The position starts with an introductory one-year contract with a starting yearly salary of $250,000.[citation needed]

The popularity of the show led to Trump becoming known for his fateful catchphrase, "You're fired!" and for the emergence of "Trumponomics", a "portmanteau of Donald Trump and economics initially spelled 'Trump-Onomics' (2004), [which] started out as a bland managerial concept on cable TV, meant to convey the notion that 'impressing the boss' was the only way to 'climb the corporate ladder'."[9]

The opening theme music used on the show is "For the Love of Money", a 1973 R&B song by The O'Jays.[10]

For most seasons, the candidates ostensibly live in a communal suite at Trump Tower in Manhattan. This was originally billed as a penthouse suite, and after boardrooms, candidates were told to "go up" to the suite. However, in reality, the suite and the boardroom (and its elevator lobby) are all purpose-built sets within Trump Tower,[7] all on the same floor. Later seasons of The Celebrity Apprentice no longer conceal this.[citation needed]

The Apprentice was so successful that, according to Trump, he earned $214 million from 14 seasons of the show, plus more from related product licensing as his name as a brand became more valuable.[8] As the popularity of the series grew, more and more of the tasks began to be tied to specific companies. For example, sales tasks would require a team to take over a brand-name storefront or restaurant and operate it; and marketing tasks would require teams to prepare marketing material (e.g. a jingle or flyer) or campaign for an established company. In later series, the launches of specific products would be tied to the airing of episodes of the series. Several companies have appeared multiple times on the show.[citation needed]

Trump's original advisors were Carolyn Kepcher, former chief operating officer and general manager for Trump National Golf Club, and George H. Ross, Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel, the Trump Organization. In August 2006, Trump released Kepcher from her duties at the Trump organization, saying only that he "wishes her the best." Kepcher also left The Apprentice at that time. Upon her departure, Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump became a regular advisor, though she was not officially billed as a replacement for Kepcher.[11] As the series progressed, the advisors were occasionally substituted on a weekly basis with other advisors including two of Trump's other children, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as past winners of the show and other business executives (typically from the company whose product or service was featured in the episode).[citation needed]

During Trump's tenure, the series frequently featured and promoted his properties, products and brand. Trump's wife Melania Trump was also featured on the series several times including in several tasks that have featured her fashion and cosmetic products. Ivanka Trump's fashion products have also been featured in tasks.[citation needed]

Trump's on-screen (and real-life) assistants have each grown in personal fame. Two assistants appeared jointly for the first five seasons: Rhona Graff and Robin Himmler. In season six, Trump elected to have his newest executive assistant, Andi Rowntree, star in the LA-based show. For the Celebrity Apprentice, Annette Dziamba appeared for the seventh season, and Amanda Miller since the eighth season.[citation needed]

Season six, unlike the rest of the series, took place in Los Angeles. The teams resided in a mansion, with the winning team of each challenge occupying the house, and the losing team camping out in tents in the backyard.[citation needed]

On May 14, 2007, the series was left off NBC's schedule, but NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly said he was still in discussions with Mark Burnett and Trump.[12] On May 19, 2007, Trump announced that he was "moving on from The Apprentice to a major new TV venture".[13] On May 22, NBC announced The Apprentice might return next season even though Trump had said he had quit.[14] However, NBC and Trump resolved their differences, and the first season of The Celebrity Apprentice began production shortly thereafter.[citation needed]

Trump's portrayal as a successful businessman on show helped him build a strong, favorable image with many viewers, which contributed to his success in the 2016 Republican primary by boosting his credibility as a leader.[15]

On January 17, 2017, Summer Zervos filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump, arising from his statement that she had lied about her allegations of Trump's sexual misconduct toward her.[16][17][needs update] Zervos had been a contestant on the fifth season of The Apprentice, which filmed in 2005 and aired in 2006.[18] Zervos contacted Trump in 2007, about a job after the show's completion, and he invited her to meet him at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Zervos said that Trump exhibited aggressive and non-consensual sexual advances during their meeting, kissing her open-mouthed, groping her breasts,[18] and thrusting his genitals on her.[19] In November 2021, Zervos dropped her lawsuit against Trump.

After his non-disclosure agreement expired in 2024, Bill Pruitt, one of the four producers of the first two seasons of The Apprentice, revealed that Trump's appearances were heavily edited in post-production. On location, Pruitt noted, "he could barely put a sentence together about how a task would work" and often struggled to remember contestants' names. Post-production editing enhanced his dialogue, feeding him lines to make him appear "articulate and concise." Additionally, Trump's actual offices were too cramped and the furniture too shabby for a show meant to "demonstrate impeccable business instincts and unparalleled wealth." As a result, the production team rented vacant Trump Tower retail space from Trump and constructed the illusion of a luxurious reception area and boardroom.[20]

In March 2023, it was reported that Rupert Murdoch had considered acquiring the rights to the show from NBC following the former president's 2020 defeat to Joe Biden but the deal did not proceed for fear that Trump would "kill" the reality series by turning it into a full-time campaign vehicle for himself.[21]

Series overview

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Key:

  Host
  Board member
  Guest board member
  Contestant
Cast 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Donald Trump
Arnold Schwarzenegger
George H. Ross
Carolyn Kepcher
Bill Rancic
Ivanka Trump
Donald "Don" Trump Jr.
Sean Yazbeck
Eric Trump
Joan Rivers
Tyra Banks
Patrick M. Knapp Schwarzenegger

Spin-offs

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The Apprentice also spawned a reality television dating game show. On June 17, 2010, Donald J. Trump Presents The Ultimate Merger premiered on TV One. The series stars Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, a former political consultant who in 2004 appeared on the first season of The Apprentice and in 2008 on the first celebrity edition of the show and also in season 13.[22] Each of the twelve contestants vying for the affections of Manigault-Stallworth were selected by Trump himself.[23]

Following Trump's election as president in 2016, Burnett kept in touch with Trump about additional television shows, and at one point, Burnett proposed the idea of The Apprentice: White House, which would have been filmed following Trump's departure from office and would have been focused on political activities. However, no firm plans were established for this.[24]

Martha Stewart

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On February 2, 2005, NBC announced that they would broadcast the first spin-off from The Apprentice, called The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. The show, which ran from September 21 to December 21, 2005, was hosted by Martha Stewart, who was the first woman in the world to become a self-made billionaire. It kept the format of the original series but changed a few elements to fit Stewart's personality. Trump was one of the executive producers of the show and castings were held in 27 cities across the United States.

At the time, the original Apprentice was airing new seasons in each of the fall and winter, each with declining overall ratings. The Apprentice: Martha Stewart aired on Wednesdays during the same fall season as the fourth season of the original Apprentice (which aired Thursdays). The Apprentice: Martha Stewart struggled while the original series' fourth season again earned poorer ratings than the previous season. Trump claimed that there was "confusion" between the two shows. There has also been talk that Trump did not want Stewart to host the spin-off show. NBC announced that it would not bring back the show for a second season, although the network stressed that the show was initially planned to air only for one season. The show averaged between six and seven million viewers. Before Stewart's show ended, Trump and Stewart had a fight over Stewart accusing Trump that he did not want her to have a successful show, that he might have wanted it jinxed. Trump denied this charge, and both TV stars have not worked together again, and there are no plans for the future.

Statistics by season

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Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of The Apprentice on NBC.

Note: Each U.S. network television season started in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.

Season Winner Winner's project Timeslot Season premiere Season finale TV season Ranking Viewers
(in millions)
Finale viewers
(in millions)
1 Bill Rancic Trump Tower Chicago Thursday 9:00 pm January 8, 2004 April 15, 2004 2003–04 7 20.7[25] 28.1[26]
2 Kelly Perdew Trump Place September 9, 2004 December 16, 2004 2004–05 11 16.1[27] 16.9[28]
3 Kendra Todd Palm Beach Mansion January 20, 2005 May 19, 2005 15 14.0[27] 14.0[29]
4 Randal Pinkett Trump Entertainment September 22, 2005 December 15, 2005 2005–06 38 11.0[30] 12.8[31]
5 Sean Yazbeck Trump SoHo Monday 9:00 pm February 27, 2006 June 5, 2006 51 9.7[30] 11.3[32]
6 Stefanie Schaeffer Cap Cana Sunday 10:00 pm January 7, 2007 April 22, 2007 2006–07 75 7.5[33] 10.6
10 Brandy Kuentzel VIP Golf Tournament Thursday 10:00 pm September 16, 2010 December 9, 2010 2010–11 113 4.7[34] 4.5
(Note: Given the show has a sequel TV series known as Celebrity Apprentice, the above chart is continued on the article of the show's follow-up TV series, found under "statistics by season" for Celebrity Apprentice. Note as well that season 10 is included in the above chart given the show reverted to The Apprentice for that season.)

The Apprentice was the breakout rookie hit of the 2003–04 American television season and helped NBC at a time when the network's two long-running successful comedies, Friends and Frasier, were ending their series' runs.[citation needed] The Apprentice filled the void on Thursday nights as NBC held on to the tagline Must See TV, even though CBS was quickly becoming the most-watched network on Thursday night.[citation needed]

Although the series was one of the most-watched programs on NBC in the advertiser-friendly 18–49 age demographic, the franchise's total audience gradually dissolved, starting in late 2004, when it aired its second season culminating in what some Apprentice fans deemed an "overextended" 3-hour season finale on December 16, 2004.[35]

The audience numbers (11.25 million viewers)[36] for the June 5, 2006 fifth-season finale were not factored in the fifth season average because it aired after the official television season ended.[citation needed]

The audience numbers for the show steadily declined following the first season.[citation needed] Originally, NBC aired the sixth season of The Apprentice, competing against both immensely popular series, Desperate Housewives and Cold Case, just a few weeks before competing against Brothers & Sisters and Cold Case.[citation needed]

Teams by season

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Season Team name Overall record as a team
1 Versacorp 5–7
Protégé 7–5
2 Mosaic 8–5
Apex 5–8
3 Magna 10–4
Net Worth 3–11
4 Capital Edge 4–7
Excel 7–4
5 Gold Rush 5–8
Synergy 8–5
6 Arrow 5–5
Kinetic
10 Fortitude 4–7
Octane 7–4

Controversies

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Whereas winners have been named "executive vice presidents", and given the title of "owner's representative", in actuality, they were employed as publicity spokespeople for the Trump Organization. Second season winner Kelly Perdew, on his first day working for Trump, was introduced by his boss to Florida developers working on a Trump-branded condo, the Trump Tower, in Tampa, Florida, where he was told that he would help promote sales of the building by appearing at promotional events.[37]

After Trump began to publicly question whether President Barack Obama was born in the United States,[38] The Apprentice was criticized for its involvement with Trump. Some people publicly called for NBC to fire Trump from his role on The Apprentice. Industry media speculated about the extent to which Trump's media comments may have contributed to the show's ratings decline,[39][40] given how other Trump-associated businesses have suffered since Trump's political campaign began.[41] One (anonymous) Celebrity Apprentice contestant even announced an intention to boycott the May 15 taping of the season seven finale, unless forced by contract to appear.[42]

Following repeated criticisms from Trump, Arnold Schwarzenegger declined to do another season of The Celebrity Apprentice after only one season—although Trump stated that he was fired.[43]

In 2006, a lawsuit brought by Mark Bethea against the show's producers alleging theft of the original concept[44] was settled on undisclosed terms.[45] Among the lawyers representing Bethea was Michael Avenatti.

On April 9, 2020, U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield ordered the Trump Organization and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to release behind-the-scenes videos of The Apprentice.[46][47]

Video games

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At the Electronic Entertainment Expo on May 17, 2005, Legacy Interactive announced that it had purchased the rights to develop a video game based on The Apprentice. The game was to be released in fall 2005 on the Xbox, PlayStation Portable, and PC.[48] The Apprentice was released for PC on February 28, 2006. The player chooses a character and is then paired up with one of four former Apprentice contestants, including Omarosa. The player must perform well in a series of business tasks, played across 18 minigames, to avoid a boardroom confrontation with Donald Trump and his advisors, George Ross and Carolyn Kepcher.[49][50]

Alex Navarro of GameSpot rated the game 3 out of 10 and called it a "collection of games that you can play better versions of for free or significantly cheaper elsewhere on the Internet. Not only are these games overly simplistic, they're just not that much fun." Navarro wrote, "Most offensive of all, however, is how cheaply The Apprentice handles its license. This game presents itself horribly. It looks like it was programmed hastily with Macromedia, with all the characters appearing as weirdly drawn cartoon versions of themselves." Navarro also criticized the game's audio clips of Donald Trump, and its short length, noting that the entire game could be completed in 20 minutes.[50]

On February 6, 2007, Legacy announced a new game, The Apprentice: Los Angeles, to be released online and in retail stores during the show's sixth season.[citation needed] The Apprentice: Los Angeles was released on May 1, 2007. The player must serve customers throughout the game's 40 levels, set in four locations. Depending on the player's success throughout the game, the player receives praise and criticism from Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump.[51]

Jim Squries of Gamezebo gave the game three and a half stars out of five, and praised the "bright" and "colorful" graphics, as well as the "smooth" controls and diverse gameplay. Squries wrote, "Ultimately, the only disappointment to be found in The Apprentice is the slightly shoddy handling of parts of the license. Trump's audio clips are brief and sound like they were recorded in a tin shack, while the team-based aspects of the show could've been played up more to create additional appeal for fans of the show."[52]

Similar programs

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See also

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Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Keefe, Patrick. "How Mark Burnett Resurrected Donald Trump as an Icon of American Success". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on December 30, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  2. ^ Helderman, Rosalind S.; Izadi, Elahe (April 12, 2023). "The reality show president: Trump to retain producing credit on 'Celebrity Apprentice'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  3. ^ "NBC officially fires Trump from 'Celebrity Apprentice'". Fox News. August 13, 2015.
  4. ^ "Donald Trump Announces 2016 Presidential Campaign: 'We Are Going Make our Country Great Again'". ABC News.
  5. ^ Hibberd, James (September 14, 2015). "Arnold Schwarzenegger to replace Donald Trump as Celebrity Apprentice host". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 8, 2017.
  6. ^ Lawrence, Derek. "Arnold Schwarzenegger's Celebrity Apprentice gets premiere date". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Poniewozik, James (September 28, 2020). "Donald Trump Was the Real Winner of 'The Apprentice'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Kranish, Michael (January 19, 2017). "A fierce will to win pushed Donald Trump to the top". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 20, 2017.
  9. ^ M. Nicolas J. Firzli : 'Understanding Trumponomics', Revue Analyse Financière, 26 January 2017 – Supplement to Issue N°62 Archived February 11, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "The Apprentice: Season One DVD Review". BlimpTV. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  11. ^ People Connection Archived December 2, 2006, at the Wayback Machine AOL
  12. ^ Guthrie, Marisa; "UPFRONT: NBC Unveils Fall Picks" Archived December 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine broadcastingcable.com; May 14, 2007
  13. ^ 'The Apprentice' star Donald Trump to NBC: You can't fire me, I quit Archived March 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Reality TV World
  14. ^ Dehnart, Andy; "NBC says The Apprentice could return despite Trump's quitting" Archived March 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine realityblurred.com; May 22, 2007
  15. ^ Dolan, Eric W. (September 16, 2024). "New research sheds light on the influence of "The Apprentice" on Donald Trump's political rise". PsyPost - Psychology News. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  16. ^ (January 17, 2017). Trump sued for defamation by former Apprentice Summer Zervos Archived January 17, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, BBC News. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
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  23. ^ Woodman, Tenley (June 17, 2010). "Who wants to date a diva?". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
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  25. ^ "Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2003–04 television season". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
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  27. ^ a b "Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2004–05 television season". Retrieved November 30, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  28. ^ "Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of December 13–19, 2004". Retrieved November 30, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  29. ^ "Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of May 16–22, 2005". Retrieved November 30, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  30. ^ a b "Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2005–06 television season". Retrieved November 30, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  31. ^ "Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of December 12–18, 2005". Retrieved November 30, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  32. ^ "Viewership numbers of primetime programs for the week of June 5–11, 2006". Retrieved November 30, 2016.[permanent dead link]
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  37. ^ Setoodeh, Ramin. "What's Second Prize?" Archived February 3, 2007, at the Wayback Machine MSNBC; Reprinted from the May 23, 2007 Newsweek
  38. ^ Adams, Richard (May 29, 2012). "Donald Trump's 'birther' marks take centre stage". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  39. ^ Sarlin, Benjy (April 25, 2011). "Is Donald Trump's Media Blitz Wrecking The Apprentice's Ratings?". Talking Points Memo. Archived from the original on June 12, 2013. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  40. ^ Miller, Daniel (May 3, 2011). "Donald Trump's 'Celebrity Apprentice': Why Only One Advertiser Has Fired Him (Analysis)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  41. ^ Hanks, Douglas (May 4, 2011). "A potential Trump run could hurt business brand, some say". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  42. ^ Sullivan, Molly (May 3, 2011). "One 'Celebrity Apprentice' contestant would boycott finale". HollywoodNews.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  43. ^ "Arnold Schwarzenegger leaves 'Apprentice,' Trump says he was fired". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  44. ^ "News" (Press release). Archived from the original on April 15, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  45. ^ "Archives". Los Angeles Times. May 24, 2006. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  46. ^ "Judge orders MGM to give 'Celebrity Apprentice' footage in civil case". Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  47. ^ "Federal Court Says MGM Must Release Secret Trump 'Apprentice' Tapes". MSN. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  48. ^ Scantleberry, Chris (May 17, 2005). "E3 2005: Legacy Interactive Announces The Apprentice". IGN. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
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  52. ^ Squries, Jim (May 1, 2007). "The Apprentice: Los Angeles Review". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
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