Martha Stewart to Star in "Apprentice" Spin-off
Daniel Fienberg
Issue date: 2/9/05 Section: Entertainment
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Franchise expansion: It's a good thing.
In what NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker described as a "big, exciting and thrilling announcement," NBC revealed on Wednesday (Feb. 2) that Mark Burnett and Donald Trump will spin-off their successful business reality franchise with "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart," an upcoming series featuring the currently incarcerated domestic diva.
"While both Donald and Martha are incredible business icons, they're in very different businesses," Burnett says. "This allows each version of 'The Apprentice' TV show to have a very different look and feel, while operating within the same successful format. This is really a win, win win. It's a win for NBC, absolutely. It's a win for Martha. And definitely a win for Donald and I as partners."
"The Apprentice: Martha Stewart," which will land the winner an unspecified job with Martha Stewart Ominimedia, is the second announced project teaming Stewart, Burnett and NBC Universal. A syndicated series is currently selling well with affiliates and is hoping for a launch some time this fall.
"There's no question that each of us is fascinated by the rags-to-riches and comeback in this country and I think that nobody is a better example of that than Martha," Zucker boasts. "I think that that is part of what the tremendous interest in her will be both in daytime and in the primetime version of 'The Apprentice' when that airs."
Although Burnett acknowledges that a deal for the spin-off was in place before Stewart was incarcerated, the official announcement was held until February to avoid confusion with the third season of "The Apprentice" and, allegedly, so as not to take attention away from The Donald's recent nuptials. No timetable has been set for the premiere of Stewart's "Apprentice," but on the show's upcoming 27-city casting tour, applicants will be given the opportunity to choose whether they want to audition for the Trump-flavored fourth season, or Stewart's different brand.
In what NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker described as a "big, exciting and thrilling announcement," NBC revealed on Wednesday (Feb. 2) that Mark Burnett and Donald Trump will spin-off their successful business reality franchise with "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart," an upcoming series featuring the currently incarcerated domestic diva.
"While both Donald and Martha are incredible business icons, they're in very different businesses," Burnett says. "This allows each version of 'The Apprentice' TV show to have a very different look and feel, while operating within the same successful format. This is really a win, win win. It's a win for NBC, absolutely. It's a win for Martha. And definitely a win for Donald and I as partners."
"The Apprentice: Martha Stewart," which will land the winner an unspecified job with Martha Stewart Ominimedia, is the second announced project teaming Stewart, Burnett and NBC Universal. A syndicated series is currently selling well with affiliates and is hoping for a launch some time this fall.
"There's no question that each of us is fascinated by the rags-to-riches and comeback in this country and I think that nobody is a better example of that than Martha," Zucker boasts. "I think that that is part of what the tremendous interest in her will be both in daytime and in the primetime version of 'The Apprentice' when that airs."
Although Burnett acknowledges that a deal for the spin-off was in place before Stewart was incarcerated, the official announcement was held until February to avoid confusion with the third season of "The Apprentice" and, allegedly, so as not to take attention away from The Donald's recent nuptials. No timetable has been set for the premiere of Stewart's "Apprentice," but on the show's upcoming 27-city casting tour, applicants will be given the opportunity to choose whether they want to audition for the Trump-flavored fourth season, or Stewart's different brand.