The Apprentice 10 is the tenth and final original format installment of the United States version of international franchise and reality game series The Apprentice. For this particular season, the show departed from The Celebrity Apprentice and returned to its precursor, featuring unknowns as apprentices instead of celebrities. Not since season six, during the 2006–07 television season, did the show use this format. The theme of the season is "second chance" and the contestants are those affected by the Great Recession.
The format of the show is much the same as was employed between the first and fifth seasons, with the changes introduced in The Apprentice: Los Angeles being discarded. The biggest change is to the rewards—unlike the often lavish rewards that had been granted in prior seasons to the winning teams, in this season, the winning Project Managers are rewarded with one-on-one meetings with some of America's best-known business leaders and CEOs. Taping began June 1, 2010, and ended on June 29, 2010. The season premiered on Thursday, September 16, 2010, at 9–11 pm ET.
Despite hopes by fans that this season would lead to a permanent return of the original format, the season received the lowest audience figures of any Apprentice season, managing barely half the ratings of the panned season six, which had been the previous lowest-rated season. In addition, critics roundly condemned the decision to bring back the non-charity format, saying it was inappropriate to do so during an economic crisis (although this season was dedicated to helping victims of the recession). Because of the poor ratings and lackluster reception of this season, Donald Trump confirmed on the day of the final episode that the original format would be permanently discontinued after this season, and that all future seasons of the show would be in the Celebrity Apprentice format. The season was the first in the history of The Apprentice to end without a live finale.
Candidates
Weekly results
The candidate was hired and won the competition. The candidate won as project manager on his/her team. The candidate lost as project manager on his/her team. The candidate was on the losing team. The candidate was on the losing team and brought to the final boardroom. The candidate was fired. The candidate lost as project manager and was fired. The candidate was disqualified from the competition for breaking the rules. The candidate didn't participate in the challenge.
Episodes
Episode 1: Back to Work
Airdate: September 16, 2010
Task scope: The teams were tasked with creating an office workspace. Fortitude project manager: Nicole Octane project manager: Gene Judges: Donald Trump; Ivanka Trump; Donald Trump Jr. Winning team: Octane Reasons for win: Trump expressed that he didn't like either team's designs, but he preferred Octane's modern SOHO design. Reward: Gene is rewarded by having the opportunity to sit down with Donald Trump Losing team: Fortitude Reasons for loss: Their office space felt too enclosed and uninviting. Moreover, Tyana insisted on placing a portrait of an unidentified elderly businessman in the middle of the office, giving it an overly formal and stuffy atmosphere. Sent to boardroom: Nicole, Tyana, Mahsa Fired: Nicole Chiu – for being deemed unanimously as a bad leader by her teammates and for losing their respect, a lack of overall leadership, relying on the team too much for decision making, and for not effectively defending herself in the boardroom against Tyana and Mahsa.
Episode 2: Frozen Assets
Airdate: September 23, 2010
Task scope: The teams had to sell ice cream on the streets of New York. Fortitude project manager: Poppy Octane project manager: David Judges: Donald Trump; George H. Ross; Donald Trump Jr. Tension: Constant bickering between Stephanie, Poppy, Brandy, and Liza flared. Winning team: Fortitude Reasons for win: They earned $1800 in profit. Reward: Poppy is rewarded by having the opportunity to sit down with Jack Welch, former CEO Of General Electric and two-year scholarship to the Jack Welch Management Institute Losing team: Octane Reasons for loss: Lost by $300 with total profit of $1500. Sent to boardroom: David, Alex, James Fired: Alex Delgado – for lack of skill in sales, not defending himself in the boardroom, and for not being a good overall contributor to the team, as well as not having enough passion. Notes: Fortitude acknowledged that tension was building between them, and the women said that if they lost that Liza should be fired. Trump jokingly fired Liza and then announced that the women won. Alex is the only person this season not to have a record as project manager.
