2103 replies to this topic

[InigoMontoya]

Compare and contrast...

Never ever underestimate me because you will be making a fatal error. I don't like liars, I don't like cheats, I don't like schmoozers, I don't like arse-lickers...

More serious. More swearing. Fewer (or any) pretty people.

The ones that aren't gonna impress me are the ones who come back with a load of wilted pansies

Selling at a loss and giving them away insured that there were no flowers left but the girls lost on the money count and Adenike wilted away instead.

Edited to add the Guardian's review.

Edited by InigoMontoya, Feb 17, 2005 @ 5:23 AM.

[modge]

ooh, glad to find this thread.

Compare and contrast? Well I dont intend to spend the entire series doing a US-UK comparison, but it was interesting to see how much the first episode mirrored the first episode of the US season. Similar task, similar setting to present the task (right down to Sugar/TD being up on some podium looking down on little ant contestants), and I have to wonder if Sugar has been watching tapes of TD because he had some of the script and pointing gestures down pat. Sugar has a better boardroom table though.

I thought it was an interesting episode, we were introduced to at least some of the contestants, I can only hope that some of the others will get their air time as the series progresses. I was astounded at the patronising tone of Saira not three minutes after the teams had got together, honestly if anyone ever said to me can I just interrupt you for two minutes and I'm going to tell you why I've interrupted you... in that honeyed tone, I'd have to have words. Mind you, she did make a relatively successful project manager. Relatively.

I was disappointed to see how quickly the women (and to a certain extent the men) jumped to the idea of using their "sexuality" to sell, but pleased to see that it didn't end up playing a major role in the sales patter. O the patter though, "I'm muslim, you are muslim, you buy my f-l-o-w-e-r-s?", "you're a painter? My dad was a painter, buy my flowers"... made my teeth ache. Guess that's why I'm not in sales. I'm surprised that First Forte (heh) did so well selling at Kings Cross, because I would have thought commuters - especially London ones - would be stomping home and definitely not up for messing around with bouquets. They can't have sold them for much though, given their final total. As another small point, I thought that Impact ("Impact means... impact!") looked a bit odd at Baker St wandering around with one or two bunches each trying to sell them - there is no way I'd buy from a seemingly desperate guy wandering aimlessly trying to sell two bunches of flowers for £2. Still, didn't matter in the end.

I thought that Adenike was fair game for firing. She hadn't shown herself to be a proactive seller, and wasn't very forthcoming in the boardroom. Although Miranda lost some money, she at least stuck by her point and her reasoning, and Sugar did say he would have rather they came back with money than dead product. She made a bad call, but at least she had the courage to make a decision, which is probably what saved her.

Next week? Saira drives me crazy by coo-ing over a toy.

edited to correct punctuation.

Edited by modge, Feb 17, 2005 @ 7:33 AM.

[InigoMontoya]

Hey modge, glad to have a mate.

I was noticing the differences last night, specifically the very different styles of Trump and Sugar. Sure they are both egomaniacs of the nth order but that's where the similarity ends. Trump seems more focused on the entertainment to me and I thought that the lines lifted from him to Sugar did not transpose well. He sounded stilted when using the Apprentice 'catchphrases'. The only times he seemed remotely natural was when he was in his 'East End lad' mode, such as in the quote above and when he told them to get on their bikes.

It is obviously going to take time for Margaret and the other one to gain personalties. Also, is it usual for George and Caroline to exclusively shadow only one of the groups each? I got the impression they both saw both teams in the course of the task.

As for the contestants, my initial impression was that I was glad I was self-employed.

The women had no cohesion despite talking up a storm but one has to have a grudging admiration for Saira for trying to hold it together. Impact seemed to work much better as a team despite Timothy's leadership being almost invisible. Maybe that was a good thing. Hard to tell.

Early, wholly shallow, dislikes have emerged. Matthew comes across as proof of the stereotype of arrogant Tory twerp and Sebastian, despite saying nothing as far as I can recall, was smug everytime he was on screen. Be interesting to see if the show takes off here.

[The Vahki]

This was one of the most unlikable groups of people ever. I dont want any of them to win.

[modge]

Definitely agree about Sugar seeming awkward when parroting TDs catchphrases, he sounded much better when - as you say - he was being himself. I'm not sure why it's even necessary for him to say the same lines (beyond saying "you're fired") but if he is going to copy TD, I'd appreciate a few more yooges and a few less finger points.

The women's team were awful when they had to discuss things, and when compared to the straight talking of the men's team, far less business-like. However when it came to talking about the task afterwards, it was First Forte that were able to come together more, whereas the men seemed less tight at that point. I think that Matthew is going to be problematic for the group in future episodes, he has a different background and job experience from a lot of the other city-types and has already annoyed other members of his team.

I don't think they are all unlikeable though, and in a final comparison to the US version, was pleased to see that there are fewer "good looking" types. Maybe us Brits are just naturally more ugly.

[InigoMontoya]

Why on earth did Lindsay ignore the focus group that preferred the robots to the semephore cards? How can they have done their best when they split their energies on the two different products right up to the last minute? Another girl bites the dust.

Sugar complains that everyone is too polite. Sad to say that whilst that is the preferred state of human beings with one whom interacts, it is making for dull television.

Interesting idea of Lindsay's that Sugar should have kept her because she had failed and could now learn from that failure. Duh!

[Kikishua]

I'm with the little lad who said his ideal present would be his own bouncy castle - how wonderful is THAT?!

I was disappointed that the girls didn't go to the kids to get ideas before their brainstorming. But once Lindsay had that idiotic Secret Signals idea, it was pretty clear she'd never let it go, no matter what.

Sadly, no outstanding loonies in the UK version. Where is our Sam or Omarosa?

[InigoMontoya]

Matthew has loon potential.

[Kikishua]

Oh we all swear like troopers here ;)

[modge]

The women on this show do seem, I'm sad to say, to be somewhat lacking in the presentation department. The fact that they even showed a clip of the male team snarking on the women's make-up just emphasised it. They (the women) look like school teachers on parents night, not business executives; that is, they look okay but not booted and suited and ready to wow people. It only serves to weaken their already weak position.

Two episodes in and I'm disappointed by the women. I would like to think that women I know are able to behave better than this, without resorting all the time to eye rolling and stealth bitching. I'm hoping this will get better, or at least be diluted, by the mixing of the teams next week.

[Kikishua]

And now that's four women axed in a row... (jumping first didn't fool any of us, Adele!)

That was by far the best task to date, not least because it was so close. Different initial tactics and planning, changing those plans as they went along. This was the first time it seemed that the teams were really THINKING about what was required - even though both made various small errors along the way.

[trustno1]

It seems likely that a female will not win this.
That's a shame.

[corgi-ears]

Since I'm among friends, I feel that I can reveal how I'm a little in love with James.

[SillyMamma]

James lost a little of his luster for me when he wouldn't really run with the whole jams idea. Yeah, Saira took control--but she brought the team a solid victory.

Who thinks that she's the "loudmouth" for this coming episode?

[corgi-ears]

Heh. I don't think there's any way for "venison stew" to not be awful.

Saira has been walking the line between "go getter" and "obnoxious loudmouth" for a while, and the balancing act could mean that she has to go soon. Right? Right? God? I'm still calling a final two of Boyfriend James and Alison "Miriam" Janney.

[Kikishua]

Aha - I'm not the only one getting a C J Cregg vibe from Miriam, then. Excellent.
But she did not deserve to be fired tonight - and for a tenuously scraped together reason at that.

Why on earth is he keeping Paul in despite everything he's said and done?! Because "you remind me of me". Very bad move. Believe me, Alan - if he was working for you you'd soon start disliking him BECAUSE of that!