 |
| Playin' With The Big Boys |
I wanted to wait before telling you because it's still a bit soon, but I couldn't wait and had to tell you now. Prepare for more Survivor. Except on a Wednesday night as well!
On 29 September a new reality TV show is starting on SABC3 at 19h30. It's called The Apprentice and is by Survivor creator Mark Burnett, I've just seen the first episode - and it's superbly excellent.
Set in the real world of business the contestants are playing for the job of being apprentice to American gazillionaire and mega real estate developer Donald Trump. The prize up for grabs is a six figure salary and the opportunity of running one of Donald Trump's companies for a year.
The show is set in Manhattan and the overall mood of it is interesting. It has something to do with the colour. The colours are browns, blacks, dark reds and golds. Which is both like the city and the things the candidates get to experience.
In the first episode Donald Trump gives them a task to do on the gritty, browny city streets and by the next day the winners are visiting his apartment, which is totally gold.
I have no idea how he lives in it! One of the doors looks as if it's totally made out of gold and diamonds, and I got stressed that I didn't mind not having it.
That's gonna be the beauty of this show, because where Survivor puts people in a more imaginary world - this show puts them in the real world (albeit Manhattan Island) and makes them play. Which means when you see what they think and experience at some level you'll automatically relate what's happening to yourself, and quite possibly will see the things you want and the things you don't.
For instance - I already know I'd want a slightly different door. Maybe have shiny jewels dripping down like a bead curtain instead - which people walk through as they pass! Very nice.
I know you're gonna have something to say about Donald Trump's hairstyle because it's very funny, and the goss I got from someone who was at a conference with him is that he said his wife cut his hair and he wouldn't have it any other way. This of course kills the hope that he'll actually do something about it when he hears it being criticised.
Like Survivor each episode ends with someone leaving. The show starts with 16 candidates - some of them have experience in business and some of them don't. For fifteen weeks (16 episodes) they work together and live together in a fancy Manhattan apartment. Each week they are given a series of challenges which incorporate various aspects of business: sales, marketing, promotions, real estate deals, finance etc. The sorts of things executives do.
At the end of each episode Donald Trump fires someone. This decision he reaches with the assistance of George Ross - Trump's Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel, and one of his Chief Operating Officers, Carolyn Kepcher. Contestants also assess each other and themselves in front of him and then he gives a final judgment. The credibility of his judgment assured, because the winner really will run one of his companies.
Heh. Imagine having to go through 15 weeks of Survivor-like torture to get a job. For a $250 000 salary a year. Is that a lot? Wait. R1 672 500. Not bad. With the prospect of doing even better if you get your *bleep!* together, I presume. Would you do it?
The other hot goss surrounding this show is that we're going to be seeing a South African version. Do you know how much pressure that is for whoever's making it?! Heh. Of course Donald Trump won't be able to star in it and it will need to be a South African. The name currently on the circuit is Sol Kerzner - because of his gazillions of businesses and because of his reputation.
Who else in South Africa could actually do it? I thought of the Oppenheimer's because I know that family is very, rich but I've never really known why. I also thought of Raymond Ackermann - but I think he's too "wholesome-family". He's never gonna get down and dirty and if he does I doubt he'd show it.
So, Sol Kerzner's the best possibility at the mo. He's "a little bit-a woo - a little bit-a wah" (wheeler dealer) and I think he also sees life as a game.
What you think? About everything. The show, Donald Trump, Sol Kerzner, the lot.