February 27, 2006
SFist Watches: TV Tonight

The Olympics are finally over, and television is returning to its regular line-up of tired reality shows and midseason replacements. We're stoked.
For the past two weeks Donald Trump and Martha Stewart have been embroiled in a very public feud over just who is to blame for the general suckiness and failure of both of their "Apprentice" shows last season. We have no desire to pick sides here because we can't help but think the whole "feud"'s timing is just a little too convenient. We smell a publicity stunt--a publicity stunt gone overboard. It's almost like two kids playing a game of "your mama so fat" to the point where they begin to lob actual insults that hit a little too close to home. Either that, or the two of them are totally hot for each other and this is their version of foreplay, in which case, ick.
Regardless, the fifth season of Trump's "The Apprentice" premieres tonight at 9 p.m. on NBC, making its moves to a new night, after getting evicted by "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office" on Thursdays. (Why isn't Trump penning venomous memos to Jason Lee and Steve Carell?) The big twist this season seems to be the addition of some foreign candidates to the mix. Also, Trump spawn Ivanka and Don Jr. will be sitting in for Carolyn and George, respectively, in several episodes. Sadly, we face yet another season without a single Apprentice-hopeful from the Bay Area, which puzzles us. Are we really that devoid of famewhores around here?
It's too early to pick a favorite, but we have been digging reading the candidates' lists of favorite movies. Brent includes EVERY Vacation movie, Sean loves both Anchorman and Jules et Jim, and Theresa has a soft spot for It's a Wonderful Life, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Saw. And the leading film favorite? The Shawshank Redemption. We have no idea what any of that means, but we are excited to see Orlando Bloom making the leap from films to TV.

Much as I'd like to check out the Apprentice, I cannot because of 24.