Amazon announced on Monday it will begin streaming “The Apprentice,” famously for supporting Donald Trump’s profile, on its Prime Video service.
It is the first time the show will be available on streaming services, and the move highlights the close link between Trump’s era as a reality television personality and his twice-elected president. Mark Barnett, the show’s executive producer, remains one of his closest allies.
Burnett, the British producer behind the “Apprentice,” was appointed special envoys to the UK in December by “Survivor” and “Shark Tank.”
“The “Apprentice” is one of the best shows I’ve ever produced. President Donald J. Trump’s charismatic on-screen presence made it a genuine hit! “Barnett said in a press release.
Trump, who was the show’s executive producer alongside Barnett, said in the release:
“The Apprentice” ran on NBC from 2004 to 2017, attracting an average of 20 million viewers per week and 28 million in the season one finale, Amazon said. NBCuniversal is the parent company of NBC and NBC News.
The show attacked 16 contestants from each other to get the chance to win a job working for Trump on a $250,000 salary. Hopeers were dumped from the show with a Trump catchphrase every week: “You’ve been fired.”
Burnett added that “Survivors” found new fans thanks to the audience who discovered it during the pandemic. “On Monday, March 10th, this same phenomenon begins again… with an “apprentice.” ”
But the stars of other Barnett shows don’t have the same retrospective importance as Trump. Both his critics and admirers can now see the first time he saw a show that lifted his public profile long before he ran to the White House in 2017.
Viewers will see Trump developing his skills in front of the camera. This is the abilities he misused on the campaign trails and the ability to communicate easily and effectively with his audience.
Trump returns in the first episode, explaining that he went bankrupt. It depicts the personality that will take control of the Republican Party in a few years and earn two terms.
The show’s return may also raise questions about Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos, who attended Trump’s inauguration in January alongside other tech billionaires. Bezos attracted criticism for ending the tradition with the Washington Post, which supports presidential candidates.
In January, Amazon Prime Video licensed an upcoming documentary about First Lady Melania Trump. At the time, Bezos did not respond to requests for comment on whether he was involved in securing the transaction. Last month, the Opinion section took a new direction, “focusing solely on individual freedom and the free market, spurring criticism, and section editor David Shipley resigned.
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