Yesterday, we brought you the news that Celebrity Apprentice is going to continue moving forward on NBC, despite the fact that Donald Trump was axed by the network. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the unlikely candidate who will take Trump’s place, but where does that leave the rest of Trump’s boardroom? Apparently, also on the outs. That’s right, Celebrity Apprentice is going to have a lot of work to still do to replace its main cast, and we’re guessing some more famous names will crop up.
Although George Ross and Carolyn Kepcher appeared on the board during early seasons of Apprentice, during Celebrity Apprentice, Trump’s own children have made up the board, including Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. As Trump has been fired from the network, THR is reporting that none of his children will return, either. I suppose Arnold could be judge, jury and executioner in the boardroom, but it’s more likely that NBC will decide to surround the actor with some smart business people who can also give critiques and advice to the participants. We don't know who those people will be at this point, but we do know they won't have the name "Trump."
Currently, NBC is staying mum regarding who will take on the rest of the roles, and it could be a while before Celebrity Apprentice really gets the ball rolling. New episodes of the show have already been pushed back to the 2016-2017 season, giving the Celebrity Apprentice yet another weird gap in the lineup. If you’ve been keeping tabs on the show, you may already recognize that there was a lengthy span of time between Season 13 and 14 (6 and 7 if you are only counting the celebrity-oriented cycle of the show).
With all of the drama related to the series and all of the time gaps, it may seem a little surprising that NBC hasn’t just given up and called it quits on Celebrity Apprentice. Despite its age and lack of novelty at this point, The Apprentice still brings in pretty good numbers for NBC, a network that has struggled somewhat with original programming in recent years. Last season, which saw Leeza Gibbons win the title, averaged a 2.4 rating— a lot higher than some of NBC’s other programs. Sure, NBC has hits like The Voice and The Blacklist, but the network is certainly going to take Celebrity Apprentice’s numbers over the numbers of something like the now-cancelled About a Boy.
It’s hard to tell at this point if Arnold Schwarzenegger and a new team will be enough of a draw to make up for the time gap before we see Celebrity Apprentice again. Arnold hasn’t had the strongest run in the public eye since returning to his movie career, with flicks like Terminator Genisys and The Last Stand underperforming--at least domestically. It’s easy to see why he might want to change things up and try a TV gig. Still, whether or not he makes a compelling reality host is yet to be seen. At least we have some interesting catchphrases to look forward to
