The Apprentice 2011

[Jason_Fisher]

I have looked on this forum the morning after the first show and cannot see any comments

Did anyone watch it? What did people think? I think there seem some decent candidates on there this year and also that Edward was probably the worst ever! I like how this year it is for the opportunity to run/manage your own business with Alan Sugar rather than just work for him.

I thought the first task was good, turn £250 into a profit using fresh produce, but i dont think the figures showed a true reflection. One team made over £500, and i always hear people saying in the background when i watch it, ooooh that sounds like a good business to start. What they dont take into account on The Apprentice is that on tasks like that they never take into account the costs of using the kitchens they use tomake the food or the static stalls in very popular areas they use to sell the food. In that area of London, standing where they were, they would have made a massive loss.

 

[Podge]

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=207705

 

[Deleted member 61074]

Can't be bothered anymore! It's the same old stuff regurgitated every series. The contenstants are all the same, same build, same hair, same corporate suits, same attitudes I can't tell them apart from the previous series. Even LS has become a caricature of himself.

I watched it for less that 5 mins, then dug out my box set of The Wire!

 

[Jason_Fisher]

Thanks for the link, didn't realise that was about the apprentice. I feel the same about it, but for some reason i still couldn't resist watching it

 

[fozzmeister]

that accountant was a right dousche....

 

[wecandobiz]

I don't think any of us see this as a business advisory programme, do we? It's an entertainment show that just happens to feature "business" as the challenge. It's no more a business programme than Top Gear is a car programme.

As an aside, Gavin the optician from Liverpool is a member of our site and there was a fair spike last night as people Googled him when the show was on and landed on his profile!

 

[Findermonkey]

I love it and watch it every year without fail. I love thinking about how I'd do things if I was there but I would never go on as the contestants are mainly about self promotion. Saying that I felt Jim the lad from Northern Ireland, the Liverpool lad and the inventor were all capable but I look forward to them all proving me wrong next task!

I think a task where they work as indivduals at the start would really let you see who was the real deal and who really didn't have a clue.

Great show though

 

[Mortime Business Software]

I think the death knell for the accountant occurred after one of the other contestants suggested he could start his own accountancy practice. The accountant replied "I'd rather not".

He continued to stoke his own funeral pyre as he blundered headlong into the task without any plan apart from repeatedly shouting "c'mon guys, we godda roll with the punches"! This should have been embarrassing enough, but then he tried to elicit pity from old sugar cheeks by declaring that he was the shortest member of the team!

How effer did ve vin ze var?

Dave

 

[IWYS]

I love it and watch it every year without fail. I love thinking about how I'd do things if I was there but I would never go on as the contestants are mainly about self promotion. Saying that I felt Jim the lad from Northern Ireland, the Liverpool lad and the inventor were all capable but I look forward to them all proving me wrong next task!

I think a task where they work as indivduals at the start would really let you see who was the real deal and who really didn't have a clue.

Great show though

I too watched the 'show' last night. I highlight 'show' as i think this is all it is, with business being at the heart of it. It can be very entertaining but i don't think you can learn much from it from a business point of view.

I too would like to see them work as individuals on the first show and i thought this was going to happen this series. Lord Sugar started by saying "i'm not looking for another sales person, i'm looking for someone to partner me in business etc" and then he went on to mention that he will give them £250 and he wanted them to turn a profit...all this before mentioning the teams. I was hoping it would be a case of everyone getting the £250, and see who comes back with the most.

 

[longleaf1]

I cant understand why I watch it but I still do lol!

The bit that got me was how lord sugar was going on about how you can start a business from nothing from humble backgrounds, some more babble and then went on to say he would be investing 250k to start the company. Thought that was a bit of a contradiction to be honest.

 

[K-rado]

How effer did ve vin ze var?

Awe, Dave M8. Made my day that did. LOL

I wouldnt give any one of them a job making tea.
That said..... i wouldnt go on nat TV as I have a face for radio.
LS Tune into FM 35265. I could do with £250K. Would spend it on a face job, appear on the next series, win and make you another small fortune.
Come On!

 

[gemd89]

I thought the whole point was for alan sugar to prove anyone can make a business for little money - Correct me if im wrong but £250,000 is alot more than most have to start a business. I wish i had £250,000 - Im sure id have a very successful business then....

 

[JohnLocke1]

I thought the whole point was for alan sugar to prove anyone can make a business for little money - Correct me if im wrong but £250,000 is alot more than most have to start a business. I wish i had £250,000 - Im sure id have a very successful business then....

Ahh, but he's not giving them £250,000. It's £250,000 in cash and "value".

 

[Podge]

Ahh, but he's not giving them £250,000. It's £250,000 in cash and "value".

And with Lord Sugar on your side that cash need only be about a tenner to get your 250k value.

 

[IWYS]

Yes but what you don't realise is that throughout the series the contestants will be turning that initial investment of £250 in last nights episode into the £250,000 that he invests in the business to the winner

 

[martin001]

Absolutely love the show, and Sugar's one-liners crack me up every time...

Remembering from last series, when the team came up with a tv commercial for kitchen cleaner, it was an awful ad. .. dialogue went something like...

Baggs "The advert might be naff, but you have to admit it is memorable"...

Sugar "The Titanic won eight bloody oscars but it aint a good advert for crusie ships is it?!"


... something like that anyway, just love his one liners!

 

[JohnLocke1]

Yes but what you don't realise is that throughout the series the contestants will be turning that initial investment of £250 in last nights episode into the £250,000 that he invests in the business to the winner

Not going by last nights results they won't. Let's hope old sugar loaf has lots of "value" to give

 

[crphillips]

I watch it and love it. Although £500 profit is appalling for number of people involved! You'd make far more money getting a job at Tesco stacking shelves for the day

 

[Matt1959]

view it for what it is - its telly entertainment I also enjoy the programme. I always think apprentice threads make for a UKBF feelgood factor..

 

[I Love Spreadsheets]

Compared to the US version the UK version is very small scale and almost school level. Two weeks ago the teams on the US version hit a $1million turnover in one task.

If you want a laugh, follow the Twitter hashtags - It gave me so many laughs last night

 

[scribe]

Yes usual bulls*****s. Reminds me of one or two on here.
The apps they did were hopeless, and they are suposed to be the cream of the crop.

 

[maxine]

Personally I love it! It's fun and entertaining and even if it goes over the top you can sometimes see a bit of reality in it.

I find it great fun to read tweets whilst the show is on and was really laughing last night with Edward who wasn't interested in margins and I really enjoy reading all the blogs that come out the next day. Here's a few on The Apprentice relating to Ed

http://www.accountancyage.com/aa/pr...95/apprentice-damaged-accountancys-reputation

http://www.cheapaccounting.co.uk/bl...ountants-are-like-edward-from-the-apprentice/

http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/anya...ountant-massive-chip-shoulder-loses-it/498193

http://www.maxxy.co.uk/blog/2011/05/11/stop-trying-to-be-more-than-just-an-accountant/

Amazing how a show can provoke these responses and discussions

 

[Arsenal_Addict]

Some of the b.s. is absolutely fantastic, so many poor ideas backed up with ridiculous jargon.

Favorite quote so far: 'Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon'

 

[MikeJ]

As ever, I watch The Apprentice to be able to enjoy "You're Fired".

How else could you appreciate "Jim is a Jedi"?

 

[gordano]

I have not watached any of the new apprentice series yet, have recorded them and will find time to view this weekend. Hopefully the quality of apprentices will be better than last year. Must admit though I found the American version of apprentice much better, not sure though about Donald Trump's attemtps for future USA president, but then Alan Sugar did get a Lordship out of his efforts.

 

[AngliaSolutions]

I watch the Apprentice and far too often I find myself shouting at the TV or laughing out loud from the Twitter comments flying around. I am now beginning to wonder if these people are selected to for their personalities to make 'good TV' as opposed to exercising business acumen? If nothing else, it sparks some interesting conversations and I am one of those people who couldnt resist blogging about this series. I

 

[debbidoo]

Everyone in my house watches The Apprentice religiously - we love it!

I always end up shouting at the screen though, and having a general moan at all the women in the show who seem to think that to get on in business, you have to be a right horrible, nasty, backstabbing b*tch. It'd be nice if they had a couple of *nice* women on there for a change!

By the way, anyone else think that Melody's voice sounds exactly like Smell from This Is England? Proper annoying - can't bear her (Melody, not Smell, lol)

 

[Lorro2]

I feel it is very soon after the last series and it is full of the same egomaniac, self congratulatory butt hole types from previous series.

 

[IWYS]

Found out some very useful information today which may or may not suprise some of you......wait for it....they are not actually the cream of the crop of the UK.

The candidates are actually picked to certain criterias to give you a wide variety of candidates. I know someone who actually got to the final 20 candidates in the process and just missed out, but was offered a job within a company as she was so strong, yet she didn't get on the show because she would just be business focussed and give little entertainment value.

I think we have to just realise its a show for ratings and enjoyment of viewing just like the x-factor for some people. Wagner is not a good singer but he went far...entertainment value.

 

[MASSEY]

Found out some very useful information today which may or may not suprise some of you......wait for it....they are not actually the cream of the crop of the UK.

The candidates are actually picked to certain criterias to give you a wide variety of candidates. I know someone who actually got to the final 20 candidates in the process and just missed out, but was offered a job within a company as she was so strong, yet she didn't get on the show because she would just be business focussed and give little entertainment value.

I think we have to just realise its a show for ratings and enjoyment of viewing just like the x-factor for some people. Wagner is not a good singer but he went far...entertainment value.

They have probably done that since the first episode...

It's just cheap entertainment for me some of it's pretty funny.

 

[maxine]

Everyone in my house watches The Apprentice religiously - we love it!

I always end up shouting at the screen though, and having a general moan at all the women in the show who seem to think that to get on in business, you have to be a right horrible, nasty, backstabbing b*tch. It'd be nice if they had a couple of *nice* women on there for a change!

By the way, anyone else think that Melody's voice sounds exactly like Smell from This Is England? Proper annoying - can't bear her (Melody, not Smell, lol)

they would start out *nice* and then have to strangle the others

 

[OldWelshGuy]

Found out some very useful information today which may or may not suprise some of you......wait for it....they are not actually the cream of the crop of the UK.

The candidates are actually picked to certain criterias to give you a wide variety of candidates. I know someone who actually got to the final 20 candidates in the process and just missed out, but was offered a job within a company as she was so strong, yet she didn't get on the show because she would just be business focussed and give little entertainment value.

I think we have to just realise its a show for ratings and enjoyment of viewing just like the x-factor for some people. Wagner is not a good singer but he went far...entertainment value.

I asume then your 'source' also informed you that part of the criteria is their mental wellbeing i.e. their ability to handle the pressure and the media storm that comes with it.

The BBC has a duty of care, and I understand many are not selected, because they are 'at risk' of having their futures damaged by appearing.

 

[Matt1959]

I dont think this programme is as easy as it looks. Does make me smile when every year and so predictable, everyone pitches in and says how crap everyone is. The fact is, these guys are performing in front of a film crew etc so maybe 20 or so people watching their every move. Directors telling them to do this do that etc etc and amongst all this they have to think straight and perform well. This weeks programme was a good example - the loser was a guy with some optiican shops so he obviously has soemething about him but come the programme, he kind of froze like a rabbit in the headlights...so was this because he was a rubbish business person or was it because he was a rubbish TV performer??

 

[cmcp]

How to become Apprentice ?

be a babe for a start.