This is the only reality TV programme I watch but its a winning format.

Last weeks season opener even had a great split in the boys team between the gobby state educated ones and gobby privately educated mob.

contestants are usually vile but i love the smug feeling of being better than them. I also love the cv's they all give themselves.

Also the fact that its a competition but you can only get on well in the early stages by being co-operative and not to pushy makes the strategy side of it better.

I also love Alan Sugar's sidekicks. Are they real people?

I went for ages think that the the PA was his real PA. Very disappointed to find out she's an actress.

I'm bored with it. It's a one-trick pony. Suits are cunts; Sugar's the biggest cunt of all. Yeah yeah.

Have they ever shown the US version over there? I'd like to know if your guy could really be worse than Donald Trump.

They showed one season of it late at night, and nobody took much notice. US reality shows don't seem to play very well here, even if we have our own version.

They all are but i've only seen bits of one series.

I'm going to try and catch mosty of this one.

I like seeing all these training games on TV with unlimited amounts of money chucked at them.

The problem with the show is that Sir Alan is motivated primarily by ratings. Two of the women in the boardroom tonight could quite easily have been fired. However he fired the third woman, because the other two's detestation of each other will draw viewers back to the issue.

No, that's not the problem with the show. It's arguably a problem with the show.

I first caught Series 2, I think, and got to quite like it, for essentially the same reason the CBI didn't: it shows these people up as utterly worthless tits you'd run a mile from. But you know, I get that now.

The Purple Cow wrote:

QUOTE:
The problem with the show is that Sir Alan is motivated primarily by ratings. Two of the women in the boardroom tonight could quite easily have been fired. However he fired the third woman, because the other two's detestation of each other will draw viewers back to the issue.

What does Sugar actually base his decisions on though? It was clear from the footage of the task that the other two women were the main reason the task wasn't successful. However when the team leader pinned an error on the third woman Sugar seemed to believe it was her fault and fired her. Basing his decisions on just the boardroom and what he hears from his helpers (who don't see everything) doesn't seem fair at all.

And his helpers are real. Heard an interview with the woman on radio Ulster one day, apparently she went to school in Belfast and was giving a talk on how females can be successful in business. Or something.

I'd argue that irrespective of the aptitude of the contestants in the tasks they must be able to demonstrate it in the boardroom.

The asian girl did very little wrong in the task (from my perspective). She was in the unfortunate position of being too good in that she created the inventory system and had the hindsight to realise that the boys might nick the irons. The ginga was over domineering and spiteful whilst the blonde was just weak.

However, in the boardroom, the asian girl did not seem to defend her (in)actions as strongly as the others did. She should have stressed the simplicity of the inventory system (and maybe lied and said she had explained it to someone prior to departure)

anyhow - thats my thoughts and i admit its based on edited TV footage.

This was particularly enjoyable last night. The producers really have trawled the depths of humanity this year to find the worst collection of sociopaths to act as cannon fodder for Suralan. I particularly enjoyed the Vicky Pollard-like Bristolian chap who put himself forward to be head chef in the cooking task. And of course, the fact that the dude who got the sack had provided a soundbite at the start of the show about the word “loser” not being in his vocabulary was particularly sweet. I know it’s all staged nonsense, but it’s still enjoyable seeing these Gordon Gekko wanabee motherfuckers squirming in their Burtons suits and desperately trying to screw each other over. I mean, can you imagine working with just one of these people?

I'm addicted to this, but this series is now totally pointless. There's absolutely no way anyone can beat Simon. He's nailed on as the winner; if Siralun created his fantasy apprentice, this bloke would be it. It'll be fun watching some of these arses get their bollockings from Siralun but, as a meaningful competition, it's over.

yeah, it was a good 'un last night. Matt Lucas cooking was particularly good.

My new hate figure is the bloke who looks a bit like Nick Knowles.

Simon is the army one right? It’s pretty obvious that SirAlun has a big old Amstrad-sized hard-on for Simon. “I don’t want no-one who’s just gonna graft and chop bloody onions!”. You so do.

My favourite moment of the series so far came last week when the deranged ginger woman said that she felt like she was having to breast feed other members of the team. Siralun visibly recoiled in horror. He seems like the kind of power-crazed maniac who’d have a problem with tits.

Ha, yeah.

I really can't wait for the moment the red-haired bully gets her comeuppence.

QUOTE:
Sales Suits are cunts; Sugar's the biggest cunt of all.

In the internet vernacular, fixed that for you. Some of us suit wearing types are quite nice and approachable.

Just remembered my favourite bit from the other night - when the blokes were choosing their 'theme' for the pub and one of the monkeys came up with Italian. Team leader (Ian?) then said "Lightbulb moment; shoot it down or leave it up there". Awesome.

Also the bit where at the same meeting he wanted to go around the table and get some sort of pledge of commitment from everyone to him and the cause.