The Apprentice (British TV series) series 1
The first series of British reality television series The Apprentice was broadcast on BBC Two, from 16 February to 4 May 2005. After securing the rights to creating a British version of the American original, the BBC commissioned a total of twelve episodes, a standard that would be used for consecutive series. It is the only series not to feature a boardroom scene after a candidate quit the programme following a task. Alongside the twelve episodes that were produced, two specials were also created and aired – "The Story So Far" on 2 April, bringing viewers up to speed on the series; and "You're Hired!" on 7 May, airing after the series finale. The format of the latter would be later adapted for use in The Apprentice: You're Fired, beginning the following year.
Fourteen candidates took part in the first series, with Tim Campbell eventually winning. Excluding specials, the series averaged roughly around 2.5 million viewers during its broadcast.
Series overview
Work on the series began in Autumn 2004, after the BBC successfully secured the rights to create a British version of the American original. Soon after, Alan Sugar signed on to spearhead the new programme. Involved in development of the format, Sugar worked with the production staff to determine the types of tasks candidates would complete. Two of Sugar's close business associates, Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford were also announced to be joining the programme as his aides.After the preliminary application stages, fourteen candidates were selected to participate and consisted of a balanced mix of male and female participants. As part of their first task, the candidates formed teams, with the women naming theirs First Forte, while the men named their team Impact. This series is unique for being the only series to date in the show's history not to feature an extensive boardroom scene after a candidate chose to leave the programme following a task, and to feature a charity-based challenge with no proper reward for the winning team. In addition, the series finale only had six "fired" candidates return to provide assistance to the series' two finalists. Episodes aired on Wednesday evenings, post-watershed, as final edits of episodes often contained explicit language, especially during heated confrontations between candidates.
Of those who took part, Tim Campbell would become the eventual winner of the series, and go on to become Project Director of Amstrad's new Health and Beauty division, with his time there documented in a special episode prior to the second series, entitled "Tim in the Firing Line". In 2006, Campbell would leave the company to pursue other interests, and would go on to found the Bright Ideas Trust in 2008, offering funding and support for young people wishing to start their own business.