THE APPRENTICE -- Review

THE APPRENTICE, NBC
Thursdays @ 10 pm

Man, times are tough. I hear Johnson & Johnson just laid off a Johnson [rim shot].

The tough economic times are reflected in the new season of "The Apprentice", in which most of the contestants are either unemployed or working in jobs they can't stand.

Welcome to the first non-celebrity edition of "The Apprentice" in 3 years.

And just when we thought that we had our fill of The Donald & Co., the new season's pilot is chock-filled with enough conflict & hissy fits to keep us coming back.

The bad economy gives the reality show an added urgency; some of these contestants' lives are on the brink. But here's some bad math: 15 of the 16 will be fired.

In the pilot, among the first contestants we meet is David, an unemployed Sales Rep from Michigan. We really wanted to feel bad for him when we learned that he has 5 kids to support. And then his wife leaves him after he loses his job. David tells The Donald in the boardroom that one reason he wants to win The Apprentice is so that he could put his family back together. Cue violins.

But we quickly learn that dude has an anger management issue. Big time. David shocks his teammates by instigating two separate and silly confrontations. Things almost got physical, but don't worry, the season is still young.

Mahsa, an ADA in Brooklyn, is shaping up to be the Omorosa of the group. On the NBC website, she issues this challenge: "Bring it on, ladies. And yes, I'm referring to the male contestants as well." ooooooh

Mahsa challenges her Project Manager from the get-go and seems to relish in confrontations.
Even Ivanka was taken aback by Mahsa's aggression. Can't wait to see her lock horns with David.

Then there's Nicole, an unempolyed lawyer who was a runner-up in the Miss California USA pageant. Pretty but passive, Nicole was like a lamb being led to the slaughter in the boardroom.

The one notable thing about this season is how quickly things have turned nasty. There was no usual "feeling out" period. Hey, it took Joan Rivers and Annie Duke a good 6 or 7 episodes before their feud got festering.

Fans of "The Apprentice" can rest assured that the show still has the same zip. Uber producer Mark Burnett can edit footage from a State Fair pie-eating contest and turn it into a watchable hour of television.

The celebrity edition returns in the spring.