I'm with SpokeyDokey on this one, tho' I think Arch also has a point. I made a conscious decision this time round that I was done with The Apprentice. It is fun watching all the gormless wannabes blundering around spouting bollocks while doing things of gobsmacking inanity, but when you've seen it once you've seen it, and then it's just re-treads. Enough, I decided. And I feel 'cleaner' for it.
But I would agree that I have in the past sometimes been very impressed with what they have actually achieved, given the timescales and resources available to them. Partly I suspect it's due to that limitless self-confidence - believe enough, and you really can make things happen. And that's quite a heartening message in itself. But partly, too, it is talent - get beyond the bluster, and each crop seems to have a handful of muppets who turn out to be genuinely quite bright.
But I suspect Arch's analogy with politicians who've never done a real job holds water - and it's a rather pernicious philosophy to spread through such a powerful medium.
The other big problem I've always had with TA is that the whole thing is underpinned by 'Lord' Archer's rather limited and crude 'buy cheap, sell dear' business philosophy, which in truth only takes you so far, and leads you down some pretty dark & gloomy ethical back alleys en route. Every series would see some of the young turks doing things that were borderline immoral at best (approaching 4 year olds directly to emotionally blackmail parents into buying overpriced ice-creams, eg), and not, in truth, 'good business' in any business beyond Sugar-style Del Boy ducking & diving. Repeat business is not an issue in business a la Sugar, tho' in the real world, it's the only sure basis for any business that endures. Again, pretty dubious messages going out to the UK's next generation of business aspirants.
It's an entertainment programme, and it's probably best not to take any of it too seriously. But it's repetitive, morally questionable, and even purely in business terms, limited at best. Overall, I'm not sorry to have put those 10 or 12 hours of my life to other uses this time round. Didn't really miss it; certainly won't ever watch it again.