Donald Trump Revives The Apprentice to Help the Economy

NBC and Donald Trump want to put America back to work – and after a long wait – the boardroom will be open again for candidates who have been affected by the decline in the job market, as the network will pick up a new version of the popular original alternative series “The Apprentice” with Trump returning to preside.

Trump will give the opportunity of their careers to 14 new candidates ranging in age – all of whom have been hit hard by the current economic downturn. These will include talented and bright prospects who have lost their jobs with no hope in sight, people who are currently holding down jobs they don’t like just to make ends meet and recent college graduates who currently have few if any prospects.

The announcement was made today by Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

“‘The Apprentice’ is a proven brand, and we believe its return is more relevant than ever since it will provide new hope for many Americans struggling in this difficult job market,” said Telegdy. “Donald is going to be even more involved as he offers fantastic opportunities for the American worker, while the search for a quality job will resonate with contemporary viewers.”

“I am very excited to return to the original premise of ‘The Apprentice,’” said Trump. “We’ve got to do something about the economy and this is a terrific way to provide jobs as well as business lessons along the way. NBC, Mark Burnett and I hope this economic downturn can begin a turnaround, and we’ll do our best with ‘The Apprentice’ to see that it starts happening. I’m proud to be putting people back to work, and to positively changing the psychology of America.”

“‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ continues to be great TV while doing genuine good for charities. I am glad we are also bringing back the original ‘Apprentice’ and hope we can use America’s most compelling televised business contest to continue to do good,” said Mark Burnett. “Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, millions of Americans have accepted jobs they don’t like and millions of Americans are about to leave school looking for a job. This year’s ‘Apprentice’ will feature a cast selected from these three areas. And even though only one will win the prize, all other contestants will get Donald Trump’s personal advice to help them find their dream jobs.”

“The Apprentice” is ready to resume its celebrated search to find the best minds in America at a time when employment opportunities are scarce. People of all ages are encouraged to apply, from the newest college graduates to the more experienced over-40’s who have been hard hit by this economy. Whether you are recently laid-off, long-term unemployed, a graduate with a daunting job search ahead of you or simply someone who took a job that is just allowing you to survive this downturn, we encourage you to apply.

Prospective executives who feel they have the skills and drive to become “The Apprentice” can apply by either attending one of the program’s nation-wide open calls (dates and locations to be announced) or by emailing castingnbcapprentice@gmail.com. Applicants are encouraged to explain why they should be the next “Apprentice” and include information regarding how the recession has impacted their lives. Also required is a recent photo as well as name, location and occupation history.

The original version of “The Apprentice” premiered in January 2004 and became an instant hit and a subject of water-cooler conversation. Later, “The Celebrity Apprentice” debuted with celebrity contestants and proved to be another hit. The newest version of “The Celebrity Apprentice” premiered Sunday with an average 3.2 rating, 8 share in adults 18-49 and 8.3 million viewers overall, improving NBC’s non-sports season average in the time period by 45 percent in 18-49 and 32 percent in total viewers. From 10-11 p.m. ET, “The Celebrity Apprentice” was #1 among the major networks in every key demographic and won the hour by a 50 percent margin in adults 18-49.

Celebrity Apprentice Cast Announced

NBC and Donald Trump announced  the all-star celebrity cast for the third season of “The Celebrity Apprentice” premiering on Sunday, March 14 (9-11 p.m. ET/PT).

Fourteen new celebrities will rise to the challenge once again it will be men versus women. All the celebrities will be vying for the coveted title as they fight for their respective causes close to their hearts.

The men include: Darryl Strawberry, Bret Michaels, Goldberg, Michael Johnson, Rod Blagojevich, Sinbad and Curtis Stone. The women include: Cyndi Lauper, Sharon Osbourne, Holly Robinson Peete, Selita Ebanks, Maria Kanellis, Carol Leifer and Summer Sanders.

Donald Trump said “This season of ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ is going to be fantastic. The list of celebrities we have this season is outstanding and the show will really resonate with our core viewers and fans. I expect this season of ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ to be the best one yet.”

The celebrities will compete in business-driven tasks around New York City using their fame, rolodexes and their business acumen to win weekly tasks and money to donate to their favorite charities, while ultimately battling with each other to stay out of the boardroom and avoid hearing those dreaded words “You’re Fired!”

They’ll be subjected to long hours, grueling mental challenges, personality clashes and intense scrutiny — all without the help of their regular support system of agents, managers and personal assistants. Certain tasks encourage the contestants to reach out to their network of celebrity contacts for assistance or donations — making for entertaining surprise visits by some of the world’s biggest stars along the way.

Trump and his advisors in the boardroom will judge all of the tasks. Returning back to the boardroom are Trump’s children (and colleagues) Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., alongside longtime Trump Organization employee and “Apprentice” advisor George Ross. The boardroom will again feature a “rotating seat,” allowing a variety of famous business leaders and industry legends to join Trump in spirited judgment on each task. As with last season, the winning celebrity teams will relish the opportunity to watch the losing team squirm in the boardroom from the comfort of their own war rooms. When all is said and done, 13 celebrities will be famously fired and only one will emerge to become The Celebrity Apprentice.

(courtesy of NBC)

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