The Apprentice, Season 6 Preview: California, Here We Come!

The sixth season of The Apprentice, the show in which candidates vie for the opportunity to run one of Donald Trump’s companies, will begin on Sunday, January 7, in a 90-minute special. There are several new twists that will make this edition of the show a little different from those we’ve seen in the past.

I have recapped all five previous seasons of The Apprentice, and I have to say, I was disappointed in the last one. Few of the candidates really seemed like people who could legitimately hope to win. Compare the final four of Roxanne, Allie, Lee, and Sean in Season 5 to the first season’s final four of Nick, Amy, Kwame, and Bill. Any one of the first season’s finalists would have given eventual winner Bill a run for his money. The challenges have also been progressively less interesting, seeming more and more like the product placement that they admittedly are, and less like real examples of challenges a person might face working for Donald Trump.

But this season honestly does sound exciting to me. Here are the changes, which may well freshen things up.

The winning project manager of each team will remain project manager until they lose. In the past few seasons, we’ve seen that Trump tends to fire the losing project manager. That might cause a savvy candidate to be reluctant to take charge of the team, but the opportunity to lead over the long term will certainly be an incentive this season. Even more interestingly, the winning project manager will join Trump and his viceroys in the Boardroom to advise him on which member of the losing team should be fired. The increased amount of face time with Trump, as well as the opportunity to learn more about one’s opponents, should make things very interesting indeed.

Teams will have yet another incentive to win this season. The winning team will live in a luxurious mansion. But the losing team will be dwelling in tents on the lawn behind the house. Worse still, they’ll have to use outdoor showers and portable toilets. I predict that this change will increase the rivalry between the two teams, which always makes for an interesting story. Plus, in past editions of the show, teams have used their suite in Trump Towers as a base of operations. Having a comfortable area will certainly help the winning team.

The final change is the one I’m least excited about. The show will move from its usual base of operations in New York to Los Angeles. Manhattan is such a perfect setting for Donald Trump. It’s the base of his empire and the place where he is most powerful. Los Angeles seems to me like an excuse to get the female candidates in bikinis. But wh knows – maybe the change of scenery will be more interesting than I think it will.

Eighteen candidates will battle it out for the opportunity to work for Donald Trump. Here are brief introductions to them.

Aaron, 25, Fredericksburg, Virginia, Community Sales Manager: Aaron is a former college baseball player with an M.B. A. from the University of Mary Washington. He works as a community sales manager for a Fortune 150 homebuilder.

Aimee, 32, Chicago, Illinois, Territory Manager: Aimee graduated from the University of Illinois in just 3-1/2 years. She works in sales for a medical company.

Angela, 26, Oyster Bay, New York, Olympic Ice Hockey Player: Angela is the Olympian who was selected by viewers to compete on the show. In addition to having three Olympic medals, she has a degree from Harvard University, is the founder and president of a girls’ hockey school, directs a non-profit, and is a published author.

Carey, 25, Atlanta, Georgia, Owner of Marketing and Promotions Firm: Carey founded his own event marketing and promotions firm, with a number of high profile candidates. As a hobby, he enjoys making “fashion forward couture” with finds from thrift shops.

Derek, 34, Los Angeles, California, Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs: Derek is a lawyer specializing in entertainment law. He is also a huge fan of reality TV, which may well give him an advantage!

Frank, 27, Bronx, New York, Founder and CEO of a Contracting Company: Frank started his own company when he was just 21 years old. The company soon became a multi-million dollar construction firm. He also helped launch a tech firm.

Heidi, 26, Santa Monica, California, National/International Sales Manager: A former model, Heidi now works in sales in the aerospace industry. She is in charge of business relations around the world.

James, 29, Seattle, Washington, Internet Entrepreneur: When James was 18, he started his own technology investment fund with $5,000. In just five years, the value grew to over $2 million. He created an internet company that concentrates on professional and online social networking.

Jenn, 26, Phoenix, Arizona, Publicist: Jenn works as a publicist for a public relations firm and is a features reporter on a local morning show in Phoenix. She is also the co-founder and editor-in-chief of a lifestyle magazine.

Kristine, 37, Los Angeles, California, Attorney: Kristine is also a former model and currently works as a sports and entertainment lawyer.

Marisa, 28, Wellington, Florida, Attorney: Marisa has worked as an intern for a congressman and as a law clerk for the Attorney General of Maryland. She works for a prominent law firm, specializing in class action lawsuits related to corporate fraud.

Martin, 37, Atlanta, Georgia, Attorney: Martin specializes in real estate law and is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.

Michelle, 34, Los Angeles, California, Real Estate consultant: Michelle averages $50 million a year in real estate sales. She is also an expert in real estate remodel and design and started her own publishing company.

Muna, 38, Matawan, New Jersey, Attorney: Muna is a native of Jamaica. She has degrees in both common law and civil law and has competed internationally in equestrian shows.

Nicole, 25, Chicago, Illinois, Owner/Broker for Commercial Real Estate Corporation: Nicole financed her college education herself an dnow owns her own real estate corporation.

Stefani, 32, Los Angeles, California, Attorney: Stefani is a trial attorney for a large California defense firm.

Surya, 24, Cincinnati, Ohio, Brand Manager: Surya began his own e-commerce company when he was just 15. He is a brand manager for a Fortune 500 company.

Tim, 24, Los Angeles, California, Tutoring Company Owner: Tim is a Harvard gradutate who owns an academic tutoring company with an annual revenue of over $1 million.

Season 6 of The Apprentice debuts on NBC January 7 from 9:30-11:00 PM Eastern time. The second episode will also be 90 minutes, then the show will move to its regular timelot of 9:00-10:00 Eastern. I’ll be up late every Sunday night writing recaps, so keep an eye on Reality News Online for all of the details!

Betsy Wasser is the Associate Editor of Reality News Online. She can be reached at Betsywasser@Gmail.com.

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