Screen Rant » the apprentice

Celebrity Apprentice: Better Than Expected (Did I Really Just Type That?)

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 03:45:03 +0000

I swore that I was not going to tune in to watch what I was certain would be the car wreck titled Celebrity Apprentice on NBC. I wasn’t going to watch it or even mention it here on Screen Rant.

But my wife wanted to watch at least the first episode, and I’ll be damned if I wasn’t going to watch it if she was… and guess what?

It was far better than I expected.

Now I’m not saying it was great television, just that it looks like this twist may actually have made it worth watching again if you were a fan of earlier seasons of the show. What exactly made it worth watching? Not what, exactly, but who:

Gene Simmons.

The dude just rocks (pun heavily intended). For those of you totally out of the loop, Gene Simmons ...

Click to continue reading Celebrity Apprentice: Better Than Expected (Did I Really Just Type That?)

The Apprentice Is Back, And Extends It’s Shark Jump

Vic Holtreman — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 21:15:10 +0000

I’ve been a fan of Donald Trump and NBC’s The Apprentice since the first season, but back in January I wrote that the show had jumped the shark by adding elements of Survivor, with the losing team having to live and sleep outside while the winning team lived in luxury. There were also other twists thrown in for the sake of trying to bolster the sagging ratings.

For the most part, it didn’t work, and now with the show is veering further off into “shark” territory, I predict that the next season will be the show’s last.

What’s the new twist?

Celebrity contestants.

Joy.

Let’s see, if they stick to the previous format (and there’s no guarantee they will), they’ll have to find “celebrities” who can check out of their lives for approximately 12 weeks. So, do you think we’ll be seeing any current ...

Click to continue reading The Apprentice Is Back, And Extends It’s Shark Jump

The Apprentice L.A. (Season 6) Jumps The Shark

Vic Holtreman — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 01:03:01 +0000

I’ve always been a big fan of The Apprentice and in preparing to write this was suprised to find that we’re already on the sixth season! Unfortunately I think that The Apprentice L.A. has jumped the shark this season.

I don’t follow ratings very much, but from what I’ve heard last season’s show slipped from previous years, so I suppose the producers thought it was time to throw some changes in the mix. In my opinion they’ve made the show at best silly and at worst just plain dumb.

Oh, the whole drama of trying to become the ultimate Type A personality is still there, but they’ve thrown some really odd stuff into the mix that really dilutes the core concept of the show, and unless they go back to basics next season (if there IS a next season) the ratings are only going to get worse.

Of course the biggest ...

Click to continue reading The Apprentice L.A. (Season 6) Jumps The Shark

The Apprentice Season 5 Finale: Anticlimactic

Vic Holtreman — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 02:56:38 +0000

Not much to say about the final battle between Lee and Sean in the finale for the 2006 season of The Apprentice… they were both awesome competitors and both qualified for the job (does Lee make anyone else over the age of 30 feel indadequate?).

Anyway, I would have been happy with either one of them winning.

I think Lee really tanked on his last task… the choice of people to work for him was perplexing and he let his friendship with Lenny blind him to Lenny’s inadequacies. In the meantime, Sean did indeed pick a “dream team”, his selection making him worthy to win the title.

Oh well, it’s not like Lee is gonna starve, right?

On a side note, I thought that Randal once again came off like a bonehead, with Trump introducing the guy and giving him props (no doubt due mainly to the fallout from last season’s finale), and Randall ...

Click to continue reading The Apprentice Season 5 Finale: Anticlimactic

Apprentice 4 Finale: Randal Delivers a Shocker!

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 04:03:28 +0000

If ever there was a neck and neck finish on The Apprentice, it was this season (Season 4) between Randal, the uber-educated, calm and kind business owner and Rebecca, the cool as a cucumber, broken ankle trooper and business journalist.

When it came down to the final moments, I honestly didn’t know who Trump was going to select, and I almost thought it was going to be Rebecca, when he suddenly made his decision and selected Randal. I’d been pulling for Randal and have thought that he would win for weeks now, so I was pleased with the decision. I was impressed with the fact that someone could actually go through the process with their integrity intact and with no one holding a grudge against them and still win. This, as opposed to the animosity always ...

Click to continue reading Apprentice 4 Finale: Randal Delivers a Shocker!

The Apprentice Season 4: More Class, Less Profanity

Vic Holtreman — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 15:52:18 +0000

Ah, the Fall TV season is on it’s way… being more of a TV than movie watcher I’ll have more to write about once again.

Season 4 of The Apprentice will soon be upon us, and in view of last seasons lower ratings, Donald Trump has decided to step up and act like a CEO in regards to production. Apparently last season Trump had made some suggestions as to who should be considered as candidates and ALL of his suggestions where disregarded. He ended up with a bunch of candidates that he wouldn’t want working for him.

Although the idea of college vs. non-degreed seemed like a good idea (and one I suggested a couple of years ago), in reality (no pun) it didn’t work out quite so well. In season 3 it seemed like part of the degree requirement at college ...

Click to continue reading The Apprentice Season 4: More Class, Less Profanity

Reality Shows: Is the End Near?

Vic Holtreman — Tue, 29 Mar 2005 17:05:00 +0000

Can we be nearing the end of the Reality TV show era? Some recent newcomers have come and (thankfully) gone quickly, and even Mark Burnett’s golden touch can’t seem to give The Contender big numbers. In an attempt to lure back viewers who are burnt out on mean-spirited, backstabbing behavior, CBS has a bunch of “kinder, gentler” reality shows slated for next season no doubt spurred on by the success of ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover.

Using myself as a barometer of the average viewer (hey, it’s my website, I can do whatever I want), I would say the public has reached saturation as far as reality TV is concerned. I’m not a voracious viewer of reality TV… I don’t watch Fear Factor, America’s Next Top Model, or Big Brother. I have tuned in to one season of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, but that was enough for me. Being a fitness ...

Click to continue reading Reality Shows: Is the End Near?

Omarosa is at it again

Brian Rentschler — Thu, 17 Feb 2005 20:59:57 +0000

It should come as a surprise to no one that Omarosa from Season 1 of The Apprentice is not going away anytime soon. She still gets news coverage by doing and/or saying controversial things. Her latest comment was made during an NBC teleconference for another reality show. She made the comment that the way The Apprentice was produced and edited caused black male contestants to appear lazy and timid, while black female contestants were perceived as being on the opposite extreme.

First of all, considering the fact that her behavior formed much of the basis for the stereotype she is criticizing, the irony is palpable. Besides, I don’t think she’s right about black male contestants coming across as lazy and timid. Kwame from Season 1 and Kevin from Season 2 ...

Click to continue reading Omarosa is at it again

Apprentice 3: Finally an interesting match up

Vic Holtreman — Thu, 27 Jan 2005 05:01:40 +0000

Finally got around to watching last week’s premiere of season 3 of The Apprentice (Hey, my DVR got twitchy, thank goodness for the rebroadcast on CNBC!).

I’m really glad that they’ve gotten rid of that STUPID men vs. women premise and instead have gone to what they should have done since the first season: College grads vs. self made non-grads. Being in the latter category, I am, of course rooting for the “street smarts” gang to win. Having said that, I have absolutely no doubt that a non-college grad will not win the title of “The Apprentice”.

I believe that no matter how well the street smart side does Donald will defer to the college grad side for a VP position in one of his companies. He can’t help himself. Of course that may not be entirely a bad call, since if you want a corporate lackey you should select someone trained ...

Click to continue reading Apprentice 3: Finally an interesting match up

Back to the doghouse for reality TV?

Brian Rentschler — Thu, 13 Jan 2005 20:09:55 +0000

If TV ratings are any indication, the reality TV genre seems to be losing some steam. Just about two years ago right now, Joe Millionaire was one of the top shows on TV, but these days it seems like any reality show that doesn’t have Mark Burnett’s name on it is headed straight for the history books. Latest case in point: The Will, which has already been canceled by CBS after just one show.

The concept of The Will sounded sleazy on paper. Friends and family of an elderly rancher had to compete with each other for the deed to his ranch. That meant two things. First, the show technically should have been called The Deed, and second, we had yet another opportunity to watch a family destroy itself in the name of reality TV. The overwhelming majority of Americans wisely decided to pass. ...

Click to continue reading Back to the doghouse for reality TV?

Apprentice 2: Kelly wins it

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 17 Dec 2004 04:43:11 +0000

First, I have to say that the finale of Apprentice 2 had to be the most dragged out episode of a reality show I’ve ever seen. It made the extra 30 minutes tacked on to the end of every episode of The Biggest Loser look like a commercial break. Thank God I have a DVR and watched the thing time delayed so I could skip over much of the junk, like Trump asking regular members of the audience (as opposed to professional acquaintences) for their opinion on who should win.

Ok, so I didn’t pick the actual winner way back before the season started, but I did select Kelly as one of the top two finalists way back in August. Once my other selection for top two got booted on the very first episode ...

Click to continue reading Apprentice 2: Kelly wins it

The Apprentice: Bradford was robbed!

Brian Rentschler — Fri, 17 Sep 2004 15:01:54 +0000

I couldn’t believe what I saw last night on The Apprentice. Bradford was on the losing team, but he received immunity from The Donald ™. (Is this show looking more like Survivor or what?) He was so confident in his performance that he gave up his immunity and made himself vulnerable to being called into the boardroom. Ivana chose to bring him into the boardroom, at which point Trump fired him. I was shocked. I knew Trump was a better entertainer than a businessman, but to fire the best guy on the team?! That was insanity. Let me get this straight — mediocrity is okay, as long as you play it safe? What a great message to send. Ivana and Stacie J. were so entrenched in “catfight” mode that they might as well have begged Trump to fire them, but ...

Click to continue reading The Apprentice: Bradford was robbed!

Apprentice 2: More racial controversy?

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 10 Sep 2004 03:35:46 +0000

First off, one of my predictions (albeit based on just what I read online) was WAY off as one of my top two picks was the first to get the axe (Rob). Overall, I’m sticking to my predictions though.

The topic of this particular rant is that the show seems to be headed for another racsim controversy.

It seems to me that the producers were so happy with the buzz generated during last season’s accusations by Omarosa of racism, that they’ve put in another ringer. This season they’ve included yet another apparently wacky black woman: Stacie J.

I say “apparently” because who knows how far off from reality her TV personality really is when subjected to the magic of the editing room. That being said, I do believe that Omarosa had a massive chip on her ...

Click to continue reading Apprentice 2: More racial controversy?

The Apprentice cast: Season 2

Vic Holtreman — Sun, 29 Aug 2004 16:23:12 +0000

Anyone ready for round 2 of The Apprentice?

Here are the new contestants according to E! Online:

The women:
Pamela, 32, an investment firm partner from San Francisco
Jennifer C., a 31-year-old horse-loving real-estate agent from New York
Stacie J., 35, a Harlem Subway franchise owner and former model
Lawyers Jennifer M. (a 29-year-old from San Francisco) and Stacy R. (a 26-year-old from New York)
Business owners Sandy, 28, who hails from Rockville, Maryland, Elizabeth, 31, from Marina Del Ray, California
Virginia Beach-based marketing exec Maria, 31
Ivana, a Subway franchise owner

The men:
Raj, 28, a bow-tie wearing real-estate developer with homes in Philly and Vail, Colorado, who claims not to watch TV
Bradford, a 32-year-old lawyer from Fort Lauderdale
Chris, a 30-year-old stockbroker hailing from Long Island
Andy, 23, a newly minted Harvard grad from Boca Raton, Florida
John, ...

Click to continue reading The Apprentice cast: Season 2

Are those 15 minutes up yet?

Brian Rentschler — Wed, 11 Aug 2004 05:36:12 +0000

It’s funny how the entertainment world works. First, William Hung is singled out on American Idol as one of the worst singers of the past season. Then everybody starts tripping over themselves about his sincerity, his determination and his laid-back, “can-do” attitude. Next thing you know, he’s appearing on just about every talk show you can imagine. I can almost swear I saw footage of him on The Arsenio Hall Show, and that show was cancelled 12 years ago. To say the guy is ubiquitous would be an understatement. Well, lately his TV exposure has dropped to only two or three appearances every day, so it seems his 15 minutes are drawing to a close. Except…

It’s not over yet. People are still reeling about the fact that William was signed to a record deal, despite the fact that many of the people ...

Click to continue reading Are those 15 minutes up yet?

American Idol: George bites the dust

Brian Rentschler — Thu, 06 May 2004 14:27:19 +0000

As soon as I heard that the theme on Tuesday’s American Idol was going to be big band, I feared that George was going to choke on that musical style and end up going home. The good news is that he actually did much better than I thought he would. The bad news is that he received the fewest votes Wednesday, helping me to maintain my reputation as the worst oddsmaker on the planet. Vic has been calling them right, while I have been… well, let’s just say it’s a good thing I still have a day job.

Ironically, if John Stevens had lasted another week (heaven forbid), he might have actually shown some genuine musical talent with his big band performances. But compared to LaToya…? No contest.

I was disappointed to see George go, not just because he failed to step up and show us what he could do, but also ...

Click to continue reading American Idol: George bites the dust

The reality of reality TV

Brian Rentschler — Sun, 25 Apr 2004 21:06:15 +0000

It’s not exactly a secret that The Apprentice winner Bill Rancic was almost the third Bachelor (Andrew Firestone ended up being chosen), but I think the public’s perception of reality TV (sorry, unscripted drama) deserves a rant.

Everybody keeps talking about what a coincidence it is that Firestone’s former fianc?e, whom he chose from The Bachelor, is now dating Bill. Yeah… coincidence. Anyone who believes that a single contestant on The Apprentice went on that show for the love of the job, as opposed to seeking their own 15 minutes of fame, raise your hand.

The original season of The Bachelor featured Alex Michel, who was some kind of management consultant, as I recall. He was looking strictly for love, right? Nope, he was looking for 15 minutes too, because he tried out for Survivor Marquesas. The worst part is that he was rejected for appearing “too effeminate.” ...

Click to continue reading The reality of reality TV

More Omarosa backlash

Brian Rentschler — Sun, 25 Apr 2004 21:04:16 +0000

Former Apprentice wannabe Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth is just not feeling the love from the American public. These days, even the media thinks it’s trendy to snub Omarosa, but it’s a two-way street.

Not long after she ended up on the cutting room floor of Clairol’s latest commercial amid howls of protest that she was even considered for the job, she made a last-minute departure from Jimmy Kimmel Live because she thought she was going to be hooked up to a polygraph machine. I’m sure it can’t be much fun to be stood up by one of your guests on a live show.

Kimmel’s response was good enough to be a “Quote of the Day” in my book:

“Apparently her 15 minutes ended the second before I introduced her. I felt like Jessica Simpson standing alone at the airport.”

Source: E! Online

Click to continue reading More Omarosa backlash

The Apprentice: Reality sets in

Brian Rentschler — Tue, 20 Apr 2004 15:07:00 +0000

Now that Bill has been chosen as The Apprentice and he has chosen to oversee the construction of a building in Chicago, one question has been going through my mind. When exactly does this project start?

Apparently, not anytime soon.

What The Donald ? didn’t bother to tell his TV audience during the finale was that his Chicago construction project has yet to secure financing. The spinmeister swears up and down the project will happen, and that he has money people lining up outside his door waiting to get started.

In addition to the little detail about the project not getting off the ground, it is extremely unlikely that Bill, who has no real estate experience, will be given any significant responsibility. He had better hope his purported $250,000 annual salary is written down in a contract somewhere. Otherwise, that trademark smile of his may be diminishing over the next few months.

I’m starting ...

Click to continue reading The Apprentice: Reality sets in

The Apprentice Finale: Wow!

Brian Rentschler — Fri, 16 Apr 2004 13:38:00 +0000

I have to say I really enjoyed the season finale of The Apprentice. Thank goodness I have a DVR because my wife and I were “pausing” the episode every 5 minutes to add some comment.

I can see that “The Donald” and I have the same thought processes when it comes to reading people. So why is he a billionare and I’m running this website?

Selecting Bill was a very good call…

He has a combination of street smarts, education, and business experience that’s hard to beat. I was rooting for Troy early on, but Troy, I know Bill, and you’re no Bill. (Sorry, don’t know where THAT came from)

My comments yesterday reflected part of Kwame’s downfall: His selection and handling of Omarosa. Those two items definitely made him a questionable leader. I hate to say it, but it felt great to see Omarosa get her just ...

Click to continue reading The Apprentice Finale: Wow!