Smallscreen News

Donald Trump and NBC revive 'The Apprentice'

By April MacIntyre Mar 18, 2010, 16:47 GMT

Donald Trump and Melania Trump -she\'s not fired yet © Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos

The Donald loves the smallscreen almost as much as a well-timed land grab in Scotland.

The real estate tycoon has comfortably become as much as a TV personality as he has a buyer and seller of buildings, turf and hotels.

NBC loves them some Donald Trump too, and want to continue their collaborative relationship by reviving an old reality show "The Apprentice."

The show plans to recruit 14 new candidates of various ages who have “been hit hard by the current economic downturn,” NBC said — like  job seekers who are unemployed or recent college graduates with no prospects.

Nationwide casting calls will begin soon for the reboot, which is expected to bow this fall.

“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 Paul Telegdy, NBC’s head of alternative programming, in a statement. “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.” 

Trump released this statement: “I am very excited to return to the original premise of The Apprentice. 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 original version of The Apprentice premiered in January 2004 and later spawned The Celebrity Apprentice. This season's series features Sharon Osbourne, Cyndi Lauper, Bret Michaels, Rod Blagojevich and Goldberg to name a few.