The Apprentice is a BAFTA award-winning British reality television series in which a group of aspiring young businessmen and women compete for the chance to win a £100,000-a-year job as "apprentice" to the British business magnate Sir Alan Sugar. Winners have gone on to work at Amstrad, an electronics manufacturing company founded by Sugar (but since sold to BSkyB), or two of Sugar's other companies, Viglen or Amsprop. The Apprentice, billed as a "job interview from hell", is modelled on the American series of the same name, which stars entrepreneur Donald Trump.

The first and second series aired in 2005 and 2006 respectively and the third series ran on BBC One in early 2007, the success of which led the BBC to commission two more series. The fourth series began in March 2008. The programme has spawned three spin-offs, The Apprentice: You're Fired!, Comic Relief Does The Apprentice and Sport Relief Does The Apprentice. Occasional 60-minute special episodes, often concentrating on particular candidates and their stories, also air. Apprentice-related merchandising includes a magazine, podcast, and official books. The programme has led other production companies to produce shows that follow a similar format, including Tycoon and Beat the Boss. It has also been compared to another BBC programme, Dragons' Den.

Unlike most reality television programmes, the whole of The Apprentice is pre-recorded; typically the series is shot during the autumn for transmission the following year. Open auditions and interviews are held across the country before a series begins, attracting thousands of applicants. The first and second series featured 14 candidates, increased to 16 in later series.

The successful candidates are split into two teams, initially by gender. The teams are then given a series of business-themed tasks designed to test their skills in salesmanship, negotiation, requisitioning, leadership, teamwork and organisation, with each episode covering a single task. At the start of each episode, the teams each choose a project manager to act as the team leader for the duration of the task, though in later episodes the project managers are sometimes nominated by Sugar himself. The teams are followed in the execution of their tasks by Sir Alan Sugar's advisers, Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford. After completion of a task, the teams report back to the "boardroom", a studio mockup of a real company boardroom. Here Sugar, with the help of his advisers, reveals the results and discusses the teams' performance, exposing flaws in the candidates' strategies and personalities. Sugar, who is introduced in the programme as "Britain's most belligerent boss", frequently delivers scathing criticisms couched in colourful language ("that was a total bloody disaster" ... "you haven't got a bloody clue" ... "I'll fire the whole bloody lot of you if I have to").

The losing team is then subjected to a further detailed examination by Sugar, after which the team's project manager is required to choose two team members to accompany him or her into a final round of interrogation. These are nominally the two poorest performing members of the team, but in practice the project manager may act treacherously and make choices based on personality. The discussions often become acrimonious as each candidate tries to divert blame towards the others. Finally, Sugar dismisses one of the three with the catchphrase, "You're fired!", and that candidate is eliminated from the competition. On rare occasions, two candidates have been fired in a single episode.

As candidate numbers are whittled down, the composition of the teams is periodically rearranged. When only four candidates remain (or five in later series), they undergo individual interviews, resulting in the selection of two finalists. These two proceed to the Grand Finale and perform one last task with teams chosen from the previously fired contestants, after which one is told, "You're hired!", and wins the highly-paid executive job working with Sugar.

In fact, two versions of the final boardroom sequence are filmed Ñ showing each of the finalists winning. Between filming and transmission Ñ a period of about six months Ñ both finalists work for Sir Alan in temporary jobs. Sir Alan does not reveal his decision about who is he is going to hire until shortly before transmission, and this determines which ending is shown. The BBC has issued contradictory statements about the decision procedure. The first version of events is that Sir Alan makes his decision on the day that the final boardroom sequence is filmed, based on the contestants' performance in the final task, and keeps it secret until just before transmission. The second version is that Sir Alan decides after the six-month trial period. Former contestant Saira Khan also stated that "His final decision is not based on the programme that people see. His final decision is based on these two people [who] have been working with him for the six months."

The candidates live together in a large rented house for the duration of the competition. Owing to the twelve-week broadcast schedule, the audience is given the impression that the candidates stay for 12 weeks in the house and that there are breaks between tasks. The series is actually filmed in about two months, and the filming schedule means that the tasks are generally performed one after the other.

Rumours of a UK version of The Apprentice were confirmed in early 2004 by FremantleMedia. Both BBC Two and Channel 4 bid for the showÕs rights - the BBC was eventually successful. On 18 May 2004, Alan Sugar was confirmed as the star of the new series. He said he was "delighted" to take part in the programme.. Reportedly, the BBC's first choice was Philip Green, who was busy in early 2004 organising the takeover of Marks and Spencer.

The viewer ratings of first series of the programme climbed to almost 4 million viewers for the final episode on 4 May 2005, in which London Underground employee Tim Campbell won. The following day, the BBC confirmed that a second series would air in early 2006 and, despite initial doubts, Sugar's involvement was confirmed soon afterwards.

A spin-off programme was introduced on BBC Three, called The Apprentice: You're Fired! and hosted by Adrian Chiles, and the second series finished with a record 5.7 million viewers tuning in to see Michelle Dewberry defeat Ruth Badger in the final.

In between the airing of the second and third series, it was announced that a celebrity version of the programme was to be recorded in aid of Comic Relief. The programme was entitled Comic Relief Does The Apprentice and was recorded on 15 December 2006. The celebrities participating included actor Rupert Everett. Everett left the programme after the first day and was replaced by Tim Campbell, winner of the first series. Eventually, Piers Morgan, a former editor of The Daily Mirror was the only person to be fired. The programme aired on 15 March and 16 March 2007.

When a third series was announced, it was revealed that it would air on BBC One, which is aimed at a more "mainstream audience," and that The Apprentice: YouÕre Fired! would re-locate from BBC Three to BBC Two. The third series started with 4.5 million viewers, with the audience increasing throughout the run to peak with 6.8 million people watching the final. The series was won by Simon Ambrose, who was chosen over Kristina Grimes.

Series four began airing on BBC One on 26 March 2008, debuting with 6.4 million viewers. The series was won by Lee McQueen, with a new record of 8.9 million viewers for the final programme, and a peak of 9.7 million viewers during the final 15 minutes of the series.

Along with "the boss," Sir Alan Sugar, two advisors follow the contestants during their weekly activities: Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford. These three constitute "The Board" - the panel that evaluates the teams' performance.

The tasks are mostly filmed in and around the London area, though the contestants have on occasion been sent as far afield as France, the Mediterranean and Morocco. In Series One, the team house was located in Chiswick. A location in Hampstead Heath was used in Series Two and another in Notting Hill for the third series. In Series Four, the candidates' accommodation was a converted glass factory in Battersea.

The Apprentice regularly features clips of aerial footage over the skyscrapers of the Square Mile and Canary Wharf financial districts, such as the 180-metre Gherkin, HSBC Tower, One Canada Square, and the Citigroup Centre. Amstrad Ñ Sugar's former company that was prominently referenced in early series Ñ does not have offices in either locale, and the company's real location, in Brentwood, Essex was rarely mentioned.

The "boardroom" (and the reception area outside) is in fact a custom-built set in a West London television studio, and the boardroom receptionist ("Jenny", or in Series Three and Four, "Frances") is an actress, not Sugar's real secretary.

The candidates' "walk of shame" exit sequences are actually filmed at the beginning of the series, at the same time as the scene in which they are shown entering the Amstrad building at the start of the first episode. This explains why the clothes worn by fired candidates in their exit sequences sometimes differ from those worn in the boardroom scene ostensibly filmed only moments earlier. In more noticeable cases, hairstyles have also been different. The post-firing taxi ride merely takes the candidate around the block to allow their taxi interview to be filmed. They are then taken to a local hotel to stay the night and finally leave after packing their belongings from the house. This was evident in episode 6 of the third series, when Paul Callaghan was seen leaving the office wearing a suit with a red tie and brown shoes. However, when Paul got into the taxi he was wearing a black tie, black shoes and an additional overcoat. The cameras then switched to Paul inside the taxi, and he was once again wearing his red tie.

The first series of the UK version of The Apprentice began on 16 February 2005 and lasted for twelve episodes. The winner was Timothy Campbell, who had previously worked as a Senior Planner within the Marketing and Planning Department of London Underground. After his victory he went on to become Project Director of Amstrad's new Health and Beauty division, but has subsequently left the company to pursue other interests.

The second series began on 22 February 2006. The winner was Michelle Dewberry, who briefly took up a post under Sugar but left in September 2006 after a series of personal problems.

The third series ran from 28 March 2007 to 13 June 2007, and was the first series to be shown on BBC One. The winner was Simon Ambrose, who went on to work at Sugar's property company Amsprop. Unlike previous series, there were 16 candidates (rather than 14). This series attracted 10,000 applicants and promised "tougher tasks and better people" - Sugar had expressed concerns that the show was becoming Big Brother.

In May 2007 a fourth and fifth series were commissioned by the BBC, and prospective candidates were invited to apply for the fourth series through the official website. Auditions and interviews were held during the first two weeks of July 2007 in London, Manchester and Birmingham (interviews were also to have been held in Bristol but these were subsequently held in London.

Series Four began on BBC One on March 26, 2008 and ran for twelve weekly episodes. A record 20,000 applications were received. The winner of the 2008 series was Lee McQueen, having beaten Claire Young, Helene Speight and Alex Wotherspoon in the final.

According to the Apprentice website, applications for the fifth series in 2009 are now closed, and auditions are expected to take place during the month of July.

The programme has been given positive reviews by several newspapers. In the popular press, The Sun newspaper has called it "The thinking man's reality show", and The Mirror described it as "jaw-dropping viewing". Broadsheet newspapers have given the programme a similarly positive reception, with The Daily Telegraph calling it "The most addictive show in years", and The Guardian saying that it provided "A salutary lesson in aggressive buying and selling, hiring and firing". The The Sunday Times said that it was "not just a game show: it's a business school." The Evening Standard was also favourable, describing the programme as "terribly compelling".

The programme has been criticised in the British media for suggesting that success in the business world requires possession of unsavoury qualities. Terence Blacker of The Independent newspaper, for example, said that he believed that the programme falsely linked success with being "nasty, disloyal, greedy and selfish". Talk show host Sir Michael Parkinson has also expressed misgivings about the programme, describing it as being "full of vulgar, loud people who, for all the wrong reasons, are dobbing each other in".

The premise of the show itself has been called into question by some members of the business world. Steve Carter, the head of recruitment firm Nigel Lynn, described the "brutality" of the recruitment process as being unrealistic. In response to these criticisms, a spokesperson for The Apprentice has been quoted as saying "The show isn't designed as a tool for recruiters... but it does highlight and thoroughly test key business skills such as leadership, teamwork, dedication and strategic thinking - integral skills most recruiters are looking for".

Former contestant and runner-up Saira Khan has criticised the programme because the final two candidates both work with Sir Alan Sugar for a few months before he decides whom he will hire. Khan stated that "[Sir Alan Sugar's] final decision is not based on the programme that people see, his final decision is based on these two people who have been working with him for the six months." Khan also said that the show is more concerned with giving viewers a rags-to-riches ending than employing the most able candidate, and that the show promotes bullying in the workplace.

A number of people have criticised the show's editing and production methods. Contestants Syed Ahmed and Tre Azam accused the show of dumbing down their appearances for entertainment. Gerri Blackwood said that her boardroom scene was filmed again to make it look better.

The Apprentice has received high rating figures in its run. The first series, broadcast in 2005, achieved an average of 2.5 million viewers, with a peak of 3.8 million people watching throughout the series. It had an 11% share of the audience and some episodes managed to beat more popular programmes, such as Desperate Housewives, and some films, such as Ali G Indahouse, which were airing on rival channels at the time. Series Two achieved 4.4 million viewers on average, with a peak audience of 5.95 and a 27% audience share. Episodes of this series achieved higher ratings than the 2005 UEFA Cup Final and the film Pearl Harbor. Series Three, airing on the "more mainstream" BBC One, attracted 6.8 million viewers at its peak, with a 27% audience share. This series managed to achieve higher viewers than City Lights, Grand Designs and Big Brother. Prior to the airing of the third series, Comic Relief Does The Apprentice attracted 6.72 million viewers, becoming the fifth most-watched programme on BBC One the week it aired. The fourth series opened to 6.4 million viewers, and the series peaked at 9.7 million during the last episode.

The Apprentice won the BAFTA for "Best Feature" during the 2006 awards, beating Top Gear, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and Dragons' Den. It was also nominated for a BAFTA for "Best Feature" at the 2007 awards, but was beaten by The Choir.

Other awards that the programme has won include:

* 2007 Royal Television Society (RTS) Award - Features & Factual Entertainment
* 2007 Broadcast Award - Best Entertainment Programme
* 2006 BAFTA - Pioneer Award (voted for by the public)
* 2006 National Television Awards - Most Popular Reality Programme
* 2006 Rose d'Or - Reality Show
* 2006 Televisual Bulldog Awards - Best Factual Reality Show
* 2006 TV Quick/TV Choice Awards - Best Reality
* 2006 The Guild of TV Cameramen Awards - Camera Team Excellence in Photography
* 2006 Banff - Unscripted Entertainment Programme
* 2006 Wincott Business Awards - Best TV Show of the Year
* 2005 National Television Awards - Most Popular Reality Show
* 2005 RTS Craft & Design Award - Tape & Film Editing
* 2005 RTS Craft & Design Award - Tape & Film Editing, Entertainment & Situation Comedy
* 2005 Grierson Awards - Most Entertaining Documentary

Thee show has been imitated in the ITV programme Harry Hill's TV Burp. It was also mocked in the BBC impressionist programme Dead Ringers, in which Sir Alan Sugar turns fired contestants into frogs and the candidates are portrayed as failed applicants of Strictly Come Dancing and Big Brother who are seeking their 15 minutes of fame. Several parodies have been uploaded onto the popular video publishing website, YouTube, notably Michael Sophocles' overexaggerated celebration in Sir Alan's boardroom from Series 4. Rory Bremner did an impression of Sir Alan on the show Bremner Bird and Fortune, he was in the board room with the main London Mayoral candidates, Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone and Brian Paddick, after all of the candidates failed to get a single vote according to his results, he hired himself for the job claiming "He would make a profit on City Hall"

In early 2007, the show was mocked in the television programme Kombat Opera Presents The Applicants. The series has been lampooned on the Boleg Bros website, where it is shot in Lego. Paul Merton and Ian Hislop also parodied the show during a promotional advert for the 2007 and 2008 series' of Have I Got News for You.

In June 2007, shortly after the conclusion of Series Three of The Apprentice, rival UK channel ITV began airing Tycoon, described in The Times as "a shameless rip-off of The Apprentice". Mark Thompson, The BBC's director general, accused ITV of "copycatting" and said that Tycoon was "very like The Apprentice, and there's possibly a bit of Dragons' Den in there". The series followed Dragons' Den star Peter Jones' search for a new business tycoon. It proved relatively unsuccessful and was removed from a prime time slot on Tuesdays after achieving fewer than 2 million viewers, over 2.5 million below the channel's average. The final episode attracted just 1.3 million viewers. The programme's winner, Iain Morgan, won a prize of over £200,000.

In an edition of Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe, Brooker attacked The Apprentice by doing his own version of a similar programme, with Brooker taking on the role of a Sugar-like character, but dressed in a crown and gown. Instead of saying, "You're fired", he said, "You're fucked", at the contestants.

wikipedia.org