Donald Trump Fires Himself After NBC Disses His Show
Tycoon Commits the Ultimate Act of Compassion for TV Viewers
Those NBC execs are so brilliant, I tell ya, it’s a wonder their astuteness hasn’t translated into better ratings for the network’s shows. Knowing full well what a difficult egomaniac real-estate mogul Donald Trump is, the Peacock Network opted to use some nifty psychological tactics to get him to give his tired reality series The Apprentice the boot himself.
Instead of reneging on their word—namely, the public announcement nearly a year ago last June that The Apprentice would return on the network for a seventh season—and just canceling the billionaire’s sinking show—the proof is in the ratings, which have declined from a 2004 first-season premiere high of 18.5 million viewers to a 2007 sixth-season finale low of 8 million—NBC executives decided to seemingly “cancel it by omission” when they didn’t include it in the Fall 2007 primetime schedule unveiled during the network’s 2007–2008 upfront presentation last Monday.
What’s a Trump to do? Well, pitch an indignant fit first and then issue a laughable press release informing the two people in the world who care that you’re quitting your show before the host network officially evicts it. Somewhere, Rosie O’Donnell must be choking on her guffaws.
That’s right, in his own words, Trump is “moving on from The Apprentice” in order to pursue “a major new TV venture.” Although it presently remains a top secret guarded 24/7/365 by vicious attack dogs, I’m sure Trump will throw a ticker tape parade for himself along New York City’s Fifth Avenue when the specifics of that “venture” are finalized and ready for public consumption.
While we await that highly anticipated event, how will NBC survive without his venerable and groundbreaking reality series on the roster? If viewers are lucky, maybe the network will fill the previously wasted time slot with a program that is actually entertaining and not a joke. Of course, I haven’t watched The Apprentice regularly since its Omarosa heyday (Good Times!), so my apologies to anyone offended by my lack of love for both the man and his show.
Related News: NBC’s 2007-2008 Primetime Schedule Heavy on Sci-Fi
Donald Trump photo courtesy of John Shearer/WireImage.com
