The Apprentice....

[phoenixalpha]

Aye, overheads etc were completely ignored of course. Pretty much why I dont watch The Apprentice generally. Nothing based in reality, and a bunch of muppets. 8 people per team for 2 days, profit of £600 (for the boys) - works out at... less than £5ph per person if you work an 8 hour day. That doesnt include things like screens & ink for the screen printing and paper and ink/toner for the digital printing or electricity, or the fact that the kit they had was extremely expensive to buy or the cost of the stalls and electricity.

All the equipment was Magic Touch but the printables were a variety of brands.

[phoenixalpha]

Whilst they did show the boys especially making (more than) a few mistakes, it looked an easy way to make money - which it isnt. People who dont know whats involved would look at it and go...pshhh I could do that and more than a few will probably try. I havent had a look on ebay yet, but I bet there will be more than a few "union jack teddies" and a few "I AM A BUS" tote bags at markets up and down the land this weekend.

[JSR]

I think they did one of these the other year. Sounds exactly the same except that they were doing dye-sublimation (mugs, etc). They pretty much had one person doing all the work hidden away in the back room and everyone else swanning about pretending to be in charge. It was a right old farce. They had so much difficulty getting something to print that I doubt they even bothered to try and get the colours right. And those swanning about just spent the entire show arguing over who's job it was to do what task.

On that show, no one ever mentioned costs and overheads, just "profits". But profits were not profits, it was "what they made" (not accounting for costs and overheads). They effectively made the entire industry look like a bunch of rip-off monkeys by suggesting the whole price was profit, the customer's just a commodity, and that no one has a clue what it is they're doing.

If these are the kinds of people Alan Sugar wants to have working for him, then it's no wonder he's fronting a cr*ppy TV show these days and not selling the Amstrad.

[phoenixalpha]

It makes people in the industry that is being dealt with to be total shysters and con artists. The one last night where the woman just sketched out a couple of penguins and it was a "great idea" looked like she had just drawn something on a napkin and behold 2 minutes later - they were knocking out personalised tshirts and bags without a care in the world - or in fact professional training and kit (which was never mentioned).

[pisquee]

If only Greenwich would let us have much stall space, and power (we could set up a print service there, but then again, I'm happier people not seeing how our products are made, kind of spoils the magic!) ... though to be honest, it did look like they were there on a particularly quiet day (wednesday) , when there isn't actually that many other traders there, or footfall for trade, and with lower stall costs, so in a way were quite lucky to make the money they made.

[Ian M]

I must admit I too was worried when I heard what the task was but, once I saw the men trying to screen print the bags I relaxed a lot. I did hear Lord Sugar mention mugs at the very start & thought the bus & a taxi with maybe a union jack & London on a mug might have sold fairly well to passing tourists. I also think the girls lost a golden opportunity to be able to personalise items there at the stall. As a few of you have already said they did come across as a right old bunch of muppets.

I did think one of the men summed it all up when they first entered the house when he said 'just hope there is enough room in here for all our ego's'.

[Lee]

hmmmmm at risk of being unpopular (who, me?) I think we have to remember its a tv show made for entertainment purposes - it wouldnt make great tv for the majority seeing people training for a few hours........... I do agree that it would be nice to make them take everything into account, but again, its a 1 hour show......... As for the magic, again the majority of people probably wouldnt see this as magic, just those of us that love the industry do.... :-)

And without ego's, the show simply wouldnt work! Still a huge fan!

[jennywren]

Me to , I love the show, I did cringe at some of the women's voices, they grated on my ears, I'm a huge fan of the show

[sarahjayne]

gutted that the BBC player will only show this to people in the UK. Anyone know could I get my sis to download it from the BBC site in the UK and then put it on a card and send it to me?

[Lee]

just had a look but can only see iplayer link....... would there be anything on youtube?