The Apprentice (British TV series)

The Apprentice
Title card (series 7–8)
GenreReality game show
Created byMark Burnett
Starring
Narrated byMark Halliley
Theme music composerDru Masters[1]
Opening theme"Dance of the Knights" by Sergei Prokofiev[2]
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series18
No. of episodes226 (including 28 specials)
Production
Running time60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
Release16 February 2005 (2005-02-16) –
present
Related
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The Apprentice is a British business-styled reality game show created by Mark Burnett, distributed by Fremantle and broadcast by the BBC since 16 February 2005. Devised after the success of the American original and part of the international franchise of the same name, the programme focuses on a group of businesspeople competing in a series of business-related challenges set by British business magnate Alan Sugar, in order to prove themselves worthy of a prize offered by him. To observe candidates as they undertake these tasks, Sugar is aided by two close business associates who act as observers with little involvement in what is conducted – these roles are currently performed by Karren Brady and Tim Campbell.

Originally aired on BBC Two, its first series generated favourable viewing figures that led to the creation of a companion discussion show, The Apprentice: You're Fired!,[3] with further increasing figures after the second series leading to the programme being aired on BBC One to a much wider audience.[4][5] The success of The Apprentice has led to it receiving its own merchandising, including a magazine and official books,[6][7][8] along with one-off celebrity episodes for charity,[9] and a spin-off, Young Apprentice, which ran between 2010 and 2012.

The programme is a staple part of the BBC's television schedule, with the programme contributing a significant part to television culture, including parodies and imitations for comedy, as well as influencing the designs of other British-based business programmes, such as Tycoon,[10] and Beat the Boss.[11]

  1. ^ Masters, Dru. "Dru Masters". Retrieved 30 July 2007.
  2. ^ Linton, Siena (31 January 2024). "What's the classical music in 'The Apprentice' and who wrote the now famous TV theme?". Classic FM. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Adrian Chiles". Speakers Corner. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
  4. ^ "Boardroom blitz! Baron Sugar raises the bar as The Apprentice moves to BBC One" (Press release). BBC Press Office. 20 March 2007. Retrieved 23 April 2007.
  5. ^ "Apprentice gets two more series". BBC News. 18 May 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2007.
  6. ^ "The Apprentice – series two – starts 9.00 pm on Wednesday 22 February 2006 on BBC TWO" (Press release). BBC Press Office. 7 February 2006. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
  7. ^ "The Official Apprentice Magazine". At Home Magazines. Archived from the original on 9 May 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2007.
  8. ^ Plunkett, John (6 June 2007). "The Apprentice – series three, episode 11". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 July 2007.
  9. ^ Needham, Alex (13 March 2007). "Comic Relief Does The Apprentice? Bring it on!". Guardian. London. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
  10. ^ Wright, Mark (20 June 2007). "Tycoon a Turn Off". The Stage. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
  11. ^ "Saira Khan to front new CBBC series Beat the Boss" (Press release). BBC Press Office. 26 April 2006. Retrieved 30 July 2007.