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Show tatnr 1 AH ftaat Donald Trump finally tells apprentice You're hired By JacquallM Cutler Zap2it who would sooner home dentistry than reality shows are hooked on NBC's "The Apprentice." Sure, millions indulge in sehaden freude watching the lovesick debase themselves for romance or money on dating shows. Countless others find watching contestants gag on pig uteri amusing. Yet the legions who ' find nothing entertaining about humiliation or revulsion shunned reality shows until Jan. 9, when The Apprentice" premiered and "You're fired" became a catch phrase. After three months of tasks that ranged from setting up a lemonade stand to renovating apartments, the winner hears "You're hired" in a special two-hoepisode Thursday, April 15. One hour has already been shot, and one hour will air live from NBC's "Saturday Night Live" studio. A few weeks before the finale, host Donald Trump acknowledged that Troy McClain, the folksy fellow from Boise, Idaho, is "very, very close" to being the lucky party. Still, Trump says, "I don't have an inkling yet" of who the apprentice will be. , Naturally, viewers tune in to see who gets sacked weekly, but the lure is far greater than the elimination . process. Part of what keeps people watching is that it is easier to relate to than most reality shows. Not everyone wants to live in primitive conditions or climb into a hot tub with strangers, but viewers can figure out how they would accomplish the tasks. Inevitably, viewers liken contestants to people they know. Every office has someone convinced she is superior to everyone (Omarosa Manigault-Stal- l worth), someone who confuses being wild with being a -- risk tokeF (Sam Solovey) and seme- one with a limited but foul vocabu lary (Heidi Bressler). Many offices are filled with people who make about as much of an impression as a ghost walking in sand (the others). For these reasons and because People much-herald- is deigned approprntaforaloSidren lfriirlirjii people crave glimpses into the lives of the utra wealthy. The Apprentice became the No. 1 new program of the season. It helps that the one-hoshow airs on NBC's stronghold night, Thursdays, but repeats of the previous week on Wednesdays also do quite well. It is the No. 3 overall series, tied with "Friends" in the most coveted demographic group of according to Nielsen Media Research. Even Trump is surprised by its success, though creator Mark Bur- nett, the impresario behind "Survivor," says he expected as much. There was no reason to believe, if I did my very best work on The Ap- it wouldn't prentice,' do well," Bur- nett says from his Los Angeles office. "It has good story telling and good characters, which are the essence of all entertainment. Think about the cavemen days around the fire, then Shakespeare, books, plays, TV and movies - all the great ones have a great story. Therefore, why should unscripted ones be any dif- ferent?" The characters on the show range from street-saw- y youth to responsible physicians. Trump says he is most surprised by "how brilliant they are and how fast they do tasks," and taken aback by "what mistakes they made." Despite the billionaire's business successes, Trump is a newcomer to TV stardom, and as such says, "I love to watch it on tape before the show airs, but I get a bigger kick watching it on television with the commercials." Why? "It's cool." Natty in a navy suit, Trump leans back in a leather chair, a panoramic view of New York framing his coif, and says of this success, "It'iso different from real life, Tm enjoying it." A staffer presents him with a Bloomingdale's ad for pink tank tops emblazoned with "You're fired," a phrase the opportunistic businessman is trying to trademark. be Pfogram A&E AMC BET CART CMTV CNBC CNN CNNINT COMDYCI DISW DISC El ESPN ESPN II FAM . to : 5I contains some material HGTV INSP Inspirational Channel KTLA L.X jndelnd FX GALAV GMSHW GAC HIST ' LJF MSNBC NASH NIC NOST USA Sunday , Programming...... Weekday Daytime nuujuniiing -.- -- J KUTV2 CBS KTVX4 ABC NBC Tuesday Programming ..8 KSL5 Wednesday Prograrrtming. J KUED7 JPBS Thursday Programming 10 9 UofU KULC .1! 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