The Apprentice is a television franchise that originated in 2004 in the United States. As originally conceived, the show depicted 16 contestants from around the country with various backgrounds competing in an elimination-style competition to become an apprentice to Donald Trump. They would have the opportunity to work for him as the president of one of his companies for at least one year with an annual salary of $250,000. The Apprentice was developed by Mark Burnett, who successfully brought Survivor to the US. Since its premiere, the show has spawned many licensed international versions as well as several imitations.

The Apprentice is a British reality television series in which a group of aspiring young businessmen and women compete for the chance to become an "apprentice" to British business magnate Sir Alan Sugar. The winner is given a £100,000-a-year job at Amstrad, an electronics manufacturing company founded by Sugar, or at one of Sugar's other companies such as Amsprop or Viglen. The Apprentice is modelled on the American series of the same name, which stars entrepreneur Donald Trump.

The first and second series aired in 2005 and 2006 respectively and the third series ran on BBC One in early 2007, the success of which has led the BBC to commission two more series. The programme has spawned two spin-offs, The Apprentice: You're Fired! and Comic Relief Does The Apprentice. Occasional 90-minute special episodes, often concentrating on particular candidates and their stories, also air. Apprentice-related merchandising includes a magazine, podcast, and official books. The programme has led other production companies to produce shows that follow a similar format, including Tycoon and Beat the Boss. It has also been compared to another BBC programme, Dragons' Den.

Series One of The Apprentice television programme was broadcast in the UK from 16 February to 11 May in 2005. The format of the UK version was very similar to that of the US original. The format was licensed by RTL Group and the programme produced for the BBC by RTL's Talkback Thames division. It was shown on BBC Two on Wednesday evenings over twelve weekly episodes. The winner was to become an apprentice to Sir Alan Sugar.

The winner was Timothy Campbell, previously a transport manager at London Underground, who beat Saira Khan in the final. Sir Alan said that he chose Tim as the winner because of his likeness to his East End self.

The Apprentice is a reality television show that originated in the United States on NBC. Billed as "The Ultimate Job Interview", the show stars 16-18 businessmen and businesswomen competing in an elimination-style competition for a one-year, $250,000 starting contract of running one of host and executive producer Donald Trump's companies.

On May 14, 2007, the series was left off of NBC's schedule but NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly said he was still in discussions with Mark Burnett and Trump. However, on May 19, 2007, Trump announced that he was "moving on from The Apprentice to a major new TV venture", effectively ending the series in the United States. However, on May 22, 2007, NBC announced The Apprentice might return next season even though Donald had said he quit.

On May 29, 2007, Trump said that NBC wanted a seventh season and he would be returning as the host. On July 6, 2007, it was announced that The Apprentice has been officially renewed for a seventh season with a possibility of an eighth season. On July 16, 2007, NBC confirmed that the show is renewed for a seventh season to run mid-season. In an effort to revitalize interest in the series, the seventh season will feature celebrities playing the game to raise money for charities. On January 28 ,2008, NBC confirmed that the show is renewed for an eighth season to start in January 2009 and will feature high profile celebrities playing the game to raise money for charity.

Sir Alan Sugar - the £700m owner of AMSTRAD, is presented with 14 candidates, he must split the candidates up into two teams each week, and set them a business task. At the end of the each task, Sir Alan will fire one member of the losing team. Until Week 12 when one of the candidates will get a £100,000 with Sir Alan and become 'The Apprentice.' Written by Tim Reynard

"The Apprentice" is a 15-episode unscripted drama in which 16 candidates from all walks of life, including both Ivy League MBA graduates and street entrepreneurs with no college education, will endure rigorous tasks each week while living together in a hip Manhattan loft apartment. The tasks will test their intelligence, chutzpah and street-smarts. They will face the challenges of living in close quarters and must compete sometimes humorous but always difficult job assignments and will be forced to think outside the box in order to outshine each other to get to the top. Upon their arrival to New York City (some for the very first time), the 16 candidates will be rushed over to Trump Tower to meet with Donald Trump, the centerpiece and driving force of this series. After splitting the group into two teams of 8, Trump then issues the first task. Teams will be given time constraints for each task and they will be observed by either Trump himself or members of his staff at every moment along the way. At the conclusion of each task, the winning team will be granted a lavish reward but the losing team must report immediately to Trump's boardroom where one of them will be fired. Tasks each week will incorporate various aspects of business: sales, marketing, promotions, charities, real estate deals, finance, advertising pitches and facilities management. Most of them will be assignments that executives face in their daily lives. The big twist is that our teams are thrown out to the wolves of the New York business world with only a few days to complete incredibly difficult tasks, many of which have hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake. This is the ultimate corporate jungle where staying alive means using both street smarts and book smarts. The winner of the competition, the true "apprentice" will be granted the dream job of a lifetime with The Trump Organization and a salary of $250,000. Written by NBC

The second season of NBC's smash hit, "The Apprentice," will this time feature 18 candidates from all walks of life, including both Ivy League MBA graduates and street entrepreneurs with no college education. In the first episode, star and executive producer Donald Trump will split the candidates into two teams of nine. Each week, they will endure rigorous business tasks while living together in a hip Manhattan loft apartment. Prominent Fortune 500 companies were enlisted to participate in many of the tasks. The tasks will test their intelligence, chutzpah and street-smarts. They will face the challenges of living in close quarters and must complete sometimes humorous, but always difficult, job assignments and will be forced to think outside the box in order to outshine each other to get to the top. The competition and the boardroom drama will all be taken to the next level during the second season. The candidates will face far more intense tasks and the stakes will be much higher. Donald Trump and his trusted colleagues -- George Ross and Carolyn Kepcher -- will frame each episode, beginning with the task delivery and ending with the climactic boardroom showdown. And, each week, one person will hear those dreaded words -- "You're Fired!" As the winner of the competition, the second "apprentice" will be granted the dream job of a lifetime with The Trump Organization and a hefty six-figure salary. Written by NBC