Trump, with his perpetual scowl, petulantly thrust lower lip, and hoarse tirades ('I hate people to be late!'), is a surprisingly engaging -- and engaged -- host, managing to look genuinely puzzled by the contestants' bunglings, and airily refusing to remain neutral.

Compelling... While "The Apprentice" is not without its humor as the budding entrepreneurs inevitably stumble and jostle for position, this is a show that runs counter to the current trend in reality TV in which the wealthy are ridiculed. Instead, it shows the hard work and innovation required to become rich. [7 Jan 2004]

Trump's narrative skills are as grating as his accent, but the hook is undeniable: With peeks into The Donald's penthouse, boardroom, helicopter, limo and his taste in hiring and firing, this debut has solid entertainment value. [8 Jan 2004]

In terms of pure, element-defying excitement, the show is no match for "Survivor," which took the cutthroat ethos of corporate America and stripped it down to its basest, most primal essence.

If The Apprentice is going to succeed, there has to be more drama. Watching ambitious people do menial tasks isn't entertaining enough. [8 Jan 2004]

There's "The Apprentice's" colossal flaw, besides forcing us to bear witness to Trump's egomania: Watching these business lions and tigresses in action is about as thrilling as collating thousands of documents.

Burnett is reality royalty, but he seems to have fallen for a faulty premise: that anyone outside of NBC's New York offices cares enough about Trump to want to watch a group of suck-ups compete for his favors. [8 Jan 2004]