The Apprentice 2015

[Madejski]

They all claim to run sucessful businesses so why do they need Sugar? In short, they don't and most part company from him soon enough. Get me on the telly is the basic ambition of these people.

That's the main problem I have with it, especially now as it's a business investment.

If you have a good idea, and a good head on you, then it won't be hard to find investment (and probably not need to hand over 50% of your company for it too). These are nowhere near the best business people or best ideas around, as those with the best ideas are already out making their millions. And don't' face the risk of embarrassing themselves and hurting their career on TV.

 

[JJ1532]

Lets also remember that the producers and people who select these candidates don't select them because they all the best business people or because they have a sound business plan. They hire them because they are ridiculous people. They make insane claims or are just total bellends. They select people who they think will make good television, people who will cock up the most basic of things like making a pitch or selling products.

This shouldn't come as a surprise. For me, it's good telly. They clearly aren't great business people, they just make this programme very watchable.

 

[JJ1532]

I did like last nights episode though. Natalie was hilarious. Pushed hard to do the pitch then totally messed it up.

Her tactics in the boardroom almost cost her though. Clearly she can't pitch, but to hide that, she instead pretended that she just didn't believe in the product and she almost got fired because of it. Silly girl.

 

[Red]

This programme is just an excuse for people to call other people idiots. Every year, "look at this bunch of idiots."

The sense of power it gives Sugar and his minions is as revolting as the sycophantic humiliation the contestants have to go through.

It's as genuine as any other reality show I guess, the producers pick contestants based on their vanity and lack of dignity while Sugar and his tough-guy assistants are told to be bullies.

Excactly why I like it. Seeing a load of egotistical, jumped up twats arguing with each other and losing all sense of perspective in the fight o be Sugar's business partner.

 

[Red]

Lets also remember that the producers and people who select these candidates don't select them because they all the best business people or because they have a sound business plan. They hire them because they are ridiculous people. They make insane claims or are just total bellends. They select people who they think will make good television, people who will cock up the most basic of things like making a pitch or selling products.

This shouldn't come as a surprise. For me, it's good telly. They clearly aren't great business people, they just make this programme very watchable.

And people who aren't sure whether onions are onions.

 

[Christian Slater]

Didn't they work for him in the past? Has that changed?

 

[Red]

He gives them £250k to set up their own business (the business plan they submit) and takes a 50 / 50 split on the profits, or maybe it's 50/50 ownership now. Pretty sure that's how it is.

 

[Christian Slater]

Ha, why don't they go to the bank? They'd get less ripped off.

 

[Baz]

Only caught one of the episodes so far however what a sodding shambles that was. £9 for a smegging salad? Even in London that would be stupidly expensive! Plus the dude that got kicked off first, he can't sell face to face err why apply for the thing in the first place then haha.

 

[Alty]

Quite enjoyed the first two episodes. Admittedly the concept is completely flawed because you can be the stand-out performer every single week but still get binned off as soon as Sugar sees your business plan. It sort of begs the question of what the point is of the first few weeks.

Re everyone being a jumped up twat who's shit at business - obviously some fall into that category but to be fair the candidates are all wound right up and egged on in the silly little interviews, while the actual tasks involve collaborating with people who you simultaneously want to outshine. It's a fucking bonkers process that's bound to make people look bad. When you see these people on You're Fired they're usually okay.

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

Yeah, the "new" format is still a bit of a bugbear of mine. If you're going to introduce the business plan element make it an essential component of the show, don't just tack it on at the end as an afterthought. The whole process is, as you suggest, rendered rather pointless if he can just discard someone because he doesn't like a business plan that the audience aren't even privy to (assuming he's aware of the various plans from the off).

I know it's a RATHER SILLY contest anyway, but the format needn't be so fundamentally flawed. It worked a lot better before they altered it (although tbf none of the people he actually employed seemed to stay around for more than two minutes).

 

[blade1889]

I dont mind the business plan aspect. It doesn't trump everything till the final, hence the guy with a clipart business plan got to the semis last time and that girl that was amazing but had an awful business idea still got through to the final. Imo he's still getting rid of the weakest candidate each week based on their performance so far. Its only in the semi-final that the business ideas come in to play big-style.

Better idea than his previous one where they seemed to get the fame then decide its not for them and stops your Katie Hopkins' just going into it on a whim, these people actually do want the prize on offer not just the fame.

 

[Bobbin']

I don't mind the format.

You may have a very good business plan but if you don't showcase any fundamental business skills then you're still going to find it very difficult to make it work. I think some of these candidates expect Sugar to run the business for them, but isn't his offer just £250k for 50% of the business while he just acts as an advisor? He needs to know they are capable first.

How that Yank survived last night, I'll never know. She was useless, rude and claimed to be fluent in French but I don't recall her once speaking in French?

That Jenny was absolutely terrible though and then claimed in the taxi that Lord Sugar would be knocking on her door one day

 

[spireite]

Why would you go into a restaurant to source raw stuff. Go to where THEY buy it from! I think she got a bit of a hard time for not asking for the manager though, when the chef has already said they haven't got enough to sell. If they haven't got any, then speaking to the gaffer isn't going to change any minds - unless you spunk a few hundred quid on some mussels and make it worth their while

 

[QPR_Matt]

Why would you go into a restaurant to source raw stuff. Go to where THEY buy it from! I think she got a bit of a hard time for not asking for the manager though, when the chef has already said they haven't got enough to sell. If they haven't got any, then speaking to the gaffer isn't going to change any minds - unless you spunk a few hundred quid on some mussels and make it worth their while

I watched the Apprentice, you're fired after and she said that by the time they had got around to buying mussels, it was about 3pm and the fishmongers are all closed so the next best thing was to go to a restaurant.

Shame she is out, she was nice to look at.

 

[The East Terrace]

Still think the girls PM should have gone, they were in total chaos from the off. Natalie seems to botch anything she tries so difficult to her doing much more in this.

 

[JJ1532]

Vana is just a total bitch. She won't last long, she'll be brought back into the boardroom plenty of times if her team continues to lose tasks. I too am amazed she didn't go. She made a pigs ear of the strategy by stating that each item had to be bought in a certain country, she told Elle to buy the boat(which I'm surprised Elle didn't hand around her neck) and she admitted she got things wrong. So Jenny didn't do much, so what? With 8 candidates on the team, not everyone can do something significant. I would have made her PM on the next task, sink or swim time.

I noticed that Sugar was far looser on his definitions in this task. He asked for an inflatable dinghy, but was happy to let the boys buy a toy one. Yet in the last series, he fined Filipe for buying a fake skeleton, even though he met the specifications. He does apply the rules as and when he feels like it.

 

[Madejski]

I think the difference between the dinghy and the skeleton from last series was that at least the actual skeleton was already there built, available for show, where as the paper one was still in it's box. Both dinghy's met the specifications and were in the same condition.

As much as I hated Alan Sugar for discrediting that paper skeleton completely, if I asked for someone to bring me something by 6pm and they just bring something that I can build into what I want then it's not meeting the deal. If I order a cake from a cake maker I don't want them to come back to me with eggs, flour, milk, jam etc etc.. I want the finished product.

 

[Magic]

Annoyed me that they were having a go at Elle for buying the boat. She clearly didn't want to but simply went off what the PM told her to do. I think that was harsh.

 

[RavenBish]

I think the difference between the dinghy and the skeleton from last series was that at least the actual skeleton was already there built, available for show, where as the paper one was still in it's box. Both dinghy's met the specifications and were in the same condition.

As much as I hated Alan Sugar for discrediting that paper skeleton completely, if I asked for someone to bring me something by 6pm and they just bring something that I can build into what I want then it's not meeting the deal. If I order a cake from a cake maker I don't want them to come back to me with eggs, flour, milk, jam etc etc.. I want the finished product.

what if someone asked you for a jigsaw?

 

[silkyman]

The thing is though, they don't really show any REAL business skill apart from occasional 'wideboy quicktalk selling' which might mark you out as a half decent used car salesman. It's a different job to negotiate when there's not six of you bouncing around talking into your phone 'that' way and with TV cameras trained on the opposite side. Try that stuff in real life and you get told to fuck off.

When they have the product challenges, they get an afternoon to develop a new product and try and sell it to John Lewis. In real life that shit takes months. So the 'winner' is the least shit idea with the least shit pitch.

It's an entertainment show which, as all of these shows always do, ensures that a group of the biggest bunch of pricks and wankers possible get to take part. It's basically 'Big Brother' in sharp suits so people who think that they are above the likes of Big Brother can laugh at the freaks.

I watch it, and shout at the telly like everyone else, but let's not even start to pretend it's anything about genuine 'business'.

And never forget. It's what inflicted Katie Hopkins on the world.

 

[Nath]

Annoyed me that they were having a go at Elle for buying the boat. She clearly didn't want to but simply went off what the PM told her to do. I think that was harsh.

This.

Clearly she didn't want to do it. It was the PM's call, so not sure why she was getting criticised. Not as if she didn't give her input on it.

 

[Madejski]

what if someone asked you for a jigsaw?

I'd try my damnedest to get Tobin Bell to come to the UK.

 

[The East Terrace]

The thing is though, they don't really show any REAL business skill apart from occasional 'wideboy quicktalk selling' which might mark you out as a half decent used car salesman. It's a different job to negotiate when there's not six of you bouncing around talking into your phone 'that' way and with TV cameras trained on the opposite side. Try that stuff in real life and you get told to fuck off.

When they have the product challenges, they get an afternoon to develop a new product and try and sell it to John Lewis. In real life that shit takes months. So the 'winner' is the least shit idea with the least shit pitch.

It's an entertainment show which, as all of these shows always do, ensures that a group of the biggest bunch of pricks and wankers possible get to take part. It's basically 'Big Brother' in sharp suits so people who think that they are above the likes of Big Brother can laugh at the freaks.

I watch it, and shout at the telly like everyone else, but let's not even start to pretend it's anything about genuine 'business'.

And never forget. It's what inflicted Katie Hopkins on the world.

The bartering in shops cracks me up, take the camera away and see what discount they get.

"How much is it"
"29.99"
"I'll give you twenty"
"It's 29.99 mate, do you want it"
"OK 22"
"Its still 29.99, what don't you get"
"OK final offer, 27"
"My final offer, give me 29.99 and take it with you, or leave without it, either way kindly FUCK OFF out of my shop"

 

[blade1889]

It's probably my favourite episode but I do wonder how relevant it is to business. For a one-off haggle they come up with some reight BS from the 'bumbling Brit' to saying your family and dog have died...when in business you have to build connections and would be repeat customers so that obviously wouldn't wash

 

[Murphy]

The French cheese guy was great - bumping the cheese price up for both teams when they asked for a discount Brilliant stuff.

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

Thought it was quite a DULL episode. Vana's DREADFUL and really should have been EXPUNGED

 

[Veggie Legs]

Who are people's favourites then? I like Charleine and Ruth, they both seem relatively normal and least likely among the women to be super bitchy. I thought Joseph was decent this week and I quite like Gary, although he's mostly been in the background so far. I've definitely had enough of Selina and Vana.

Edit: Somehow forgot to mention Elle. She's the worst.

 

[Leewilson]

Who are people's favourites then? I like Charleine and Ruth, they both seem relatively normal and least likely among the women to be super bitchy. I thought Joseph was decent this week and I quite like Gary, although he's mostly been in the background so far. I've definitely had enough of Selina and Vana.

Edit: Somehow forgot to mention Elle. She's the worst.

I get the feeling Brett's going to be pretty good. David seems pretty level headed as well. For the girls, I'm not that impressed with any really aside from Ruth who seems to have a maturer head but whether she's innovative enough remains to be seen.

I don't like Charleine. She seems proper mouthy to me, I can see her completely fucking up and getting fired when in charge one week. Joseph and Mergim are the worst on the boys side.

 

[blade1889]

Joseph is annoying

Ruth on the girls team and Sam on the guys team are my favourites but can see Sam getting fired soon as he isn't vocal and seems too nice. Ruth I think will make it to the quarters.

Dunno who will win yet, been able to pick the winner (or at least a finalist) in the first couple of episodes before but not this time.