Celebrity Apprentice on NBC will be interesting next season. Donald Trump is officially out, Arnold Schwarzenegger is in.
“We are thrilled to be opening a powerful new chapter in the story of the Apprentice franchise,” said Paul Telegdy, president of alternative and late night programming for NBC Entertainment. “Arnold Schwarzenegger is the epitome of a global brand in entertainment and business, and his accomplishments in the political arena speak for themselves. It was Arnold’s personal passion for the format that Mark Burnett and Donald Trump built over the last decade, as well as his fresh take on how to take it to new heights for today’s audiences, that made him the man to hire. The Celebrity Apprentice … will be back!”
“I have always been a huge fan of The Celebrity Apprentice and the way it showcases the challenges and triumphs of business and teamwork,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement. “I am thrilled to bring my experience to the boardroom and to continue to raise millions for charity. Let’s get started!”
Producer Mark Burnett is trying to be polite about the switch without getting into the recent disputes between NBC and Donald Trump.
“After leaving the show to run for political office, Donald made it clear that he wanted The Celebrity Apprentice to be able to continue to raise millions of dollars annually for worthy causes, and now NBC and I have found an amazing new leader to do just that. Gov. Schwarzenegger will use his vast and highly successful business, political and media experience to drive this hit franchise to new heights.”
Any early bets on what Arnold's catch phrase will be instead of "You're fired!"? I'm thinking "You're terminated!" would be too much of an obvious cliche.