The Apprentice

[swill453]

Just caught up with last week's.

Are our up and coming business people really as thick as this? (rhetorical question)

Nobody in the team seemed to twig the stupidity of offering 40% discount if the client bought 5 units, whereas if they wanted 180 units they would get, er, 40% discount.

And unless it was edited out, they didn't even explain what the product actually was.

It's getting to be (more of) a joke.

Scott.

[kiloran]

Just caught up with last week's.

Are our up and coming business people really as thick as this? (rhetorical question)

Nobody in the team seemed to twig the stupidity of offering 40% discount if the client bought 5 units, whereas if they wanted 180 units they would get, er, 40% discount.

And unless it was edited out, they didn't even explain what the product actually was.

It's getting to be (more of) a joke.

Scott.

I think you are treating the show far too seriously. It's an entertainment programme, edited to maximise the entertainment.
Nowt to do with business acumen.

--kiloran

[andycowl]

It's the same, successful if rather boring formula. Get some, err, colourful characters in. Judicious editing. Make Sir Alan like a candidate for President - sorry Prime Minister. Rinse and repeat.

However, I'm as guilty as you and will be tuning in tonight

[simoan]

It's the same, successful if rather boring formula. Get some, err, colourful characters in. Judicious editing. Make Sir Alan like a candidate for President - sorry Prime Minister. Rinse and repeat.

Yes, I've always found it funny that a program about entrepeneurship and innovation is so rigidly formulaic, completely lacking in new ideas, and boring. Perhaps one of the tasks should be to come up with an interesting new weekly task for use on "The Apprentice" which they have to pitch to the production company for the next series?

All the best, Si

[StepOne]

The problem with the Apprentice was the original prize - a job with a £100k salary - it's no surprise that none of the winners of those early series made any kind of success of it. It's much better now - 250k to set up a business just seems a more appropriate prize when the tasks in the show focus on running a successful team. And it seems like most of the new businesses which have been set up by the winners are still going. At least, they regularly trot them out on 'You've been fired' to update us on how successful they are being, which is not something that ever happened with the old-style winners.

Anyway I still watch it and enjoy it,

Cheers,
StepOne

[redsturgeon]

I still watch it with my daughter, although it is very cringeworthy at times and this year's crop seem particularly dim.

John

[Clitheroekid]

250k to set up a business just seems a more appropriate prize when the tasks in the show focus on running a successful team. And it seems like most of the new businesses which have been set up by the winners are still going.

And so they should be with a £250k cash injection! Most small businesses could run quite happily for years, making consistent losses, if they started with that in the bank.

It is good fun though, just because the candidates are so dumb. I'm sure they can't really be as thick as they come over, and I would hope that at least some of them are just playing it for laughs.

The most stupid aspect of this week's episode, where they had to acquire 9 items overnight, was that they were all running round together like a flock of headless chickens. Surely they would have had far more chance of fulfilling their quota if they'd each gone off on an individual mission. Or isn't that allowed?

[zico]

I think there are lots of restrictions on the candidates, some of which they aren't told about until it's too late, to maximise the confusion and consequent entertainment for viewers. I thought last week's episode was just a bit rubbish really, as it seemed to hinge on people knowing that photocopying shops are open 24/7 in London. Personally, I'd have just taken my team to the nearest big 24/7 Asda, then clocked off early.

The Lord can do multiple firings, but hasn't yet. Still too many obvious no-hopers amongst the candidates. Hoping for better this week.