Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login On January 8, 2004, just more than 20 years ago, the first episode of The Apprentice aired. It was called Meet the Billionaire , and 18 million people watched.
The episodes that followed climbed to roughly 20 million each week. A staggering 28 million viewers tuned in to watch the first-season finale. The series won an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program, and the Television Critics Association called it one of the best TV shows of the year, alongside The Sopranos and Arrested Development .
The series – alongside its bawdy sibling, The Celebrity Apprentice – appeared on NBC in coveted prime-time slots for more than a decade. We played fast and loose with the facts, particularly regarding Donald Trump. Alamy The Apprentice was an instant success in another way too.
It elevated Donald J. Trump from sleazy New York tabloid hustler to respectable household name. In the show, he appeared to demonstrate impeccable business instincts and unparalleled wealth, even though his businesses had barely survived multiple bankruptcies and faced yet another when he was cast.
By carefully misleading viewers about Trump – his wealth, his stature, his character, and his intent – the competition reality show set about an American fraud that would balloon beyond its creators’ wildest imaginations. I should .