Three reason 'The Apprentice' is beginning to stumble

By SAMANTHA ETTUS
Scripps Howard News Service
23-DEC-04

Donald Trump has impressed both fans and foes with his reality TV success. Yet with its second season completed, "The Apprentice" is already past its prime. The show's ratings have gradually declined, and the tedious three-hour finale looked like an over-the-top retirement party for Trump.

This lackluster conclusion to an energetic season was a slap in the face to The Donald's brand. So rather than devote this column to three celebrities as we normally do, let's take a look at three surprises and mistakes from the second season finale of "The Apprentice.".

Choosing Kelly. A large part of Donald Trump's appeal is his cavalier, do-as-I-please attitude. The elements of surprise and unpredictability he brings to "The Boardroom" is a big reason for the success of "The Apprentice."

This season, the last remaining candidates were Kelly Perdew, a former military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, and Jen Massey, a Harvard law graduate with excellent debating skills. Although both finalists were slightly robotic, cold in personality and calculating in their interactions, Kelly was a near clone of last season's measured apprentice Bill Rancic, whereas Jen showed a bottomless reservoir of fire and spunk.

Nonetheless, Trump followed popular opinion and chose the uninspiring Kelly as his next apprentice. Whether or not you liked her personality, Jen's vigor and relentlessness made for interesting television. More importantly, her selection would have dispelled the growing perception that Trump likes his apprentices to fit a certain mold, a quality that may make future seasons of "The Apprentice" unappealingly predictable. Note to Donald: Before choosing your next apprentice, ask yourself the following question: Who would you rather have negotiating on your behalf?

Indecision. After seeking the counsel of his corporate advisers, Donald uncharacteristically announced that he was completely undecided about whom to select as his next apprentice. He then opened the floor to the studio audience and sought additional opinions. Presumably by chance, the microphone was given to six consecutive Kelly advocates, each feeding off the next in a crescendo of support. This apparent, though unscientifically measured, popular endorsement of Kelly painted Trump into a corner, and a late flurry of Jen supporters could not stem the tide.

In the end, Trump's indecision and subsequent request for guidance, coupled with the unbalanced audience feedback, led to an utterly predictable final decision, robbing the moment of suspense and drama.

Note to Donald: We like you for your brash decisiveness and unpredictability. Next season, don't change a winning formula.

Less Really Is More. After one hour of "The Apprentice" each week, Donald's fans are always left wanting more. But in order to fully profit from advertiser demand, the powers that be stretched the finale into a three hour snoozefest.

The bottom line may have benefited from this brazen maneuver, but the show's plummeting ratings in the final half-hour proved the audience's patience and interest had been stretched to its limits.

There is a real possibility that many of the 5 million viewers who tuned out before Donald chose a winner will not return to the fold next season. And those loyalists who stuck around hoping Trump would make an unpredictable choice were left wondering why they watched at all. These developments do not bode well for the longevity of "The Apprentice," which has already suffered declining viewership.

Note to Trump and NBC: Always leave your audience wanting more. And more importantly, don't take advantage of your fans' devotion and put them through the torture of a three-hour finale. Not even "Friends" or "Seinfeld" was deserving of such a self-aggrandizing sendoff.

We have one final thought for The Donald. Remember: the most dependable road to the top is to treat your brand as your greatest asset.

(Samantha Ettus is the author of "The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do" (Random House). Contact her at Samantha(at)celebrityassets.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com)