You're Fired

You’re fired

The Apprentice TV Realty Show

One US Government Cabinet Members is being fired every (2) week

Real estate tycoon (and now U.S. President) Donald Trump was the show's host for the first fourteen seasons. After he declared his candidacy for the presidency, NBC announced that actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would become the new host of The Celebrity Apprentice, starting January 2017. Lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart hosted the one-season spin-off The Apprentice: Martha Stewart in 2005.

After recovering from a series of financial setbacks in the early 1990s, the well-known New York real-estate developer Donald Trump changed his business strategy from borrowing to build and purchase assets, to licensing his name to others. Producer Mark Burnett approached Trump about a new television show. Although Trump was skeptical, stating that reality television "was for the bottom-feeders of society", Burnett proposed that Trump appear as himself, a successful businessman with a luxurious lifestyle.^[3]

The first season of The Apprentice aired during the winter and the spring of 2004. The show is co-produced by Burnett and Trump. The premise of the show, which bills itself as the "ultimate job interview" in the "ultimate jungle", is to conduct a job talent search for a person to head one of Trump's companies. The position starts with an introductory one-year contract with a starting yearly salary of $250,000.

The popularity of the show led to Trump becoming known for his fateful catch phrase, "You're fired!" and for the emergence of Trumponomics, a "portmanteau of Donald Trump and economics initially spelled ‘Trump-Onomics’ (2004), [which] started out as a bland managerial concept on cable TV, meant to convey the notion that 'impressing the boss' was the only way to 'climb the corporate ladder' (The Apprentice, Season 1)."^[4]

The opening theme music used on the show is "For the Love of Money", a 1973 R&B song by The O'Jays.^[5]

For most seasons, the candidates ostensibly live in a communal suite at Trump Tower in Manhattan. This was originally billed as a penthouse suite, and after boardrooms, candidates were told to "go up" to the suite. However, in reality, the suite and the boardroom (and its elevator lobby) are all purpose-built sets within Trump Tower, all on the same floor. Later seasons of The Celebrity Apprentice no longer conceal this.

The Apprentice was so successful that, according to Trump, he earned $214 million from 14 seasons of the show, plus more from related product licensing as his name as a brand became more valuable.^[3] As the popularity of the series grew, more and more of the tasks began to be tied to specific companies. For example, sales tasks would require a team to take over a brand-name storefront or restaurant and operate it; and marketing tasks would require teams to prepare marketing material (e.g. a jingle or flyer) or campaign for an established company. In later series, the launches of specific products would be tied to the airing of episodes of the series. Several companies have appeared multiple times on the show.

Trump's original advisors were Carolyn Kepcher, former Chief Operating Officer and General Manager for the Trump National Golf Club, and George H. Ross, Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel, The Trump Organization. In August 2006, Trump released Kepcher from her duties at the Trump organization saying only that he "wishes her the best." Kepcher also left The Apprentice at that time. Upon her departure, Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump became a regular advisor, though she was not officially billed as a replacement for Kepcher.^[6] As the series progressed, the advisors were occasionally substituted on a weekly basis with other advisors including two of Trump's other children, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as past winners of the show and other business executives (typically from the company whose product or service was featured in the episode.

During Trump's tenure, the series frequently featured and promoted his properties, products and brand. Trump's wife Melania Trump was also featured on the series several times including in several tasks that have featured her fashion and cosmetic products. Ivanka Trump's fashion products have also been featured in tasks.