New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Times are very different than when “The Apprentice” first aired in 2004. Nearly everyone was hit hard by the economy. Even host Donald Trump, who experienced sluggish sales for his Trump Tower in Chicago and failed to pay a $40 million loan, and whose Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year.

Cut to 2010 and “The Apprentice” is suddenly a very different show. All of the contestants have been adversely affected by the economy. Among them, recent college graduates having zero luck in the job market, 40-year-old former breadwinners who recently lost their jobs, and even a truck driver with a Masters in Engineering.

“We have people who went to the best schools and who don’t have a job and people who once had really good jobs,” Trump told AHN. “In one case, someone who has five kids and now has zero income coming in. It’s both sad and educational. Some were really high flyers and now they’re down and out.”

“We weren’t looking for people who were feeling sorry for themselves, but the common factor in the casting of the show was people who wanted to fight back,” said show creator Mark Burnett.

The prize also seems more lucrative than ever, with the winning contestant landing a job in the Trump Organization with a six-figure salary. The opportunities for the remaining 15 are endless as well, with Project Managers earning one-on-one interviews with top executives and corporate headhunters.

The past few years, Trump has been busy with the hit “Celebrity Apprentice” spin-off, which scored charity wins for Bret Michaels, Joan Rivers, and “America’s Got Talent” judge and Larry King replacement Piers Morgan. But the new season of “The Apprentice” gives a much more real glimpse at corporate America today, reflective of the current state of the world and thereby more relevant than ever.

It’s the first non-celebrity “Apprentice” since 2007 and, like most of its contestants, the show is also looking for a fresh start.

“We have had so many requests from so many people because of the times, because obviously the country is not doing well and economic times are not good,” Trump told AHN. “When we first started ‘The Apprentice,’ it was a big hit, but that was also in a different world. Times were booming. Now times are the opposite of booming. So many people wanted to see this show reflective of the current times and that’s what we’ve done.”

“The Apprentice” airs Thursdays at 10pm ET/PT on NBC.

View full post on All Stories