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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 31 december 2016
Arnold Schwarzenegger: ‘Celebrity

Apprentice’ his show, not Trump’s

about, ‘Is Trump going to bringing Trump on as a
This Dec. 9, 2016 image re- win? What does it mean he ratings-boosting host in No-
leased by NBC shows Arnold was the host of the show?’ vember 2015.
Schwarzenegger, the new None of it,” he said. Earlier this month, the net-
boss of “The New Celebrity
Apprentice,” at a press junket Contestant Laila Ali, box- work left it to “Apprentice”
in Universal City, Calif. The ing champ and daughter franchise creator Mark
latest season will premiere on of the late Muhammad Ali, Burnett, now an executive
Jan. 2, 2017. did consider whether some with MGM, to confirm re-
Associated Press might vote against watch- ports that Trump still had a
ing “Celebrity Apprentice” stake in the series. The net-
because of Trump. work has declined further
LYNN ELBER “It’s definitely something comment.
AP Television Writer I thought about, and I’m Paul Telegdy, who oversees
LOS ANGELES (AP) — In hoping that doesn’t hap- “Celebrity Apprentice” as
an epic mishmash of poli- pen because it’s a whole president of NBC Entertain-
tics and celebrity, Donald new show. But I could defi- ment’s alternative and re-
Trump’s elevation from nitely see certain people ality group, said in a recent
“Celebrity Apprentice” feeling that way,” she said. interview that it deserves to
host to president-elect has “We shot the show a long return after a nearly two-
created an opening for time ago (last February) year absence.
actor and former Califor- and things weren’t where “We bring back shows
nia Gov. Arnold Schwar- they are now.” when they do well,” Teleg-
zenegger to become a re- She hopes viewers will “take dy said. “’Apprentice’ was
ality TV star. it for what it is,” entertain- deemed to be an anchor
To further complicate mat- ment in which money won reality brand. When you
ters, Trump retains a pro- by its celebrity competi- look at the shows that have
ducing stake in “The New tors goes to charity. In Ali’s lasted — ‘Apprentice,’
Celebrity Apprentice.” case, that’s the Women’s ‘Survivor,’ ‘America’s Got
But Schwarzenegger says Sports Foundation. Talent,’ ‘Dancing with the
viewers will find out who’s Other contenders include Stars’ — you don’t give
the boss when the re- Boy George, Eric Dicker- up on those.” That’s de-
vamped reality series de- son, Vince Neil, Jon Lovitz, spite less-than-stellar rat-
buts Monday on NBC with Carson Kressley, Carnie ings. When it last aired in
a two-hour episode (8-10 Wilson and Nicole “Snooki” 2015, with Trump ruling the
p.m. EST). Polizzi. Among the advisers: boardroom, it averaged
“The show is Arnold. The heavyweights Warren Buf- 7.6 million weekly viewers.
other one was Trump. I fett and Steve Ballmer. That was an increase over
have a different person- For NBC, its long and ulti- the previous season, which
ality and I do everything mately fraught relationship aired in 2013 with an audi-
kind of lighthearted,” said with Trump has caused the ence of 5.8 million, but a
Schwarzenegger, of body- network to tread carefully drop from the 9.8 million
building, “Terminator” around his continued off- who tuned into the fran-
movies and political fame. camera link to “The New chise’s first “Celebrity” in-
He served as governor Celebrity Apprentice.” carnation in 2007-2008.
from 2003-2011. NBC licenses the show from But a show in the flexible
He was sanguine about MGM, the studio that pro- reality genre can be “re-
whether the Trump con- duces it. populated” with different
nection, past or present, In early 2015, while explor- cast members and host
may dissuade some view- ing a run for the GOP nomi- and earn an extended life,
ers from tuning in after the nation, mogul Trump said Telegdy said: “You can do
bitterly divisive presidential he wouldn’t renew his “Ap- a new ‘Celebrity Appren-
election. (Schwarzeneg- prentice” contract. tice,’ which is what we’re
ger, a moderate Repub- Several months later, NBC doing.” Besides swapping
lican, said in an October said it was cutting business out the talent, the show
statement that he wouldn’t ties with the then-presiden- traded its Manhattan set-
vote for Trump, calling it tial candidate because of ting for Los Angeles.
a choice of “your country comments he made about “Just taking place in LA in-
over your party.”) Mexican immigrants while stead of New York makes a
“People always like to as- announcing his campaign. difference,” Ali said. “With
sociate themselves with In dropping the annual Miss lots of the tasks (contestant
a winner, and he won, so USA and Miss Universe pag- challenges), you’re run-
I think that’s a big plus for eants that had been a joint ning around the city and so
the show,” Schwarzeneg- venture between NBC and you get to see a lot of the
ger said. Besides, he add- Trump, the network said beautiful views and beauti-
ed, “I never concern my- that “respect and dignity ful sunny weather. It’s a dif-
self over things I have no for all people are corner- ferent vibe.”
control over.” stones of our values.” The catchphrase Schwar-
“When we did the show, That didn’t stop NBC’s zenegger will use in place
we didn’t do it thinking “Saturday Night Live” from of Trump’s “You’re fired!”q