The Apprentice: 16 candidates, 12 weeks, one gigantic waste of time

The finale of the BBC's Apprentice on Sunday was a total sham.

Having whittled down the original 16 contestants during 11 entertaining episodes, the final four were judged on their business 'plans'.

The candidate with the best one was apparently going to win the series. Suzie's was by far the strongest, but Tom was the eventual winner.

He had some vague notion of selling chairs to businesses to reduce the costs of back injury, but as it turns out, Alan Sugar ditched this plan after the show and decided to develop Tom's curved nail file which he had invented and sold before the Apprentice even started.

So what exactly was the point of the 11 weeks of gruelling tasks?

Clearly whoever came up with the 'business plan' concept for this year's series should be hauled before an panel of TV heavyweights and ritually humiliated before being 'fired'.

The Apprentice is entertaining mainly because of the challenges the candidates are faced with, and like most reality TV you can't help but think what you would do and say if you were in that situation.

It is also is a bit of a guilty pleasure, a modern incarnation of the gladiator spectacles of old where contestants are pitted against each other in a dog eat dog fight to the bitter end.

The weakest members are selected for disposal and made to attack each other (delivered through the 'who do you think is responsible for this mess' question).

The competitors are then metaphorically shredded before Lord Caesar gives of of them the thumbs down.

Terrible stuff altogether...anyone know when TV3's Apprentice is starting?

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