Memo from NBC Programming Department: You just don't fit.
We're huge Martha Stewart fans—notice that she has her own category—but never enjoyed The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. The cancellation comes as no surprise because the show displayed no ... edge, no fire. People tuned in and hoped to catch a glimpse of the real Martha—haughty, driven, anal, dismissive and all that good stuff. But Martha's well-known personality never came across. Producers re-cast her as a stern but charming headmistress ... she was just too polite. Yawn. Another factor: much of the show was shot before Martha's release from home monitoring—euphemistically called "working from home"—so there was limited interaction with candidates. The audience was not tuning in to see her daughter, Alexis Stewart, or Charles Koppelman, the chair of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Dick Cheney has more on-air charisma than these two.
Finally, we could say that exactly one month ago, we told you so ... but, well, we told ya so.
She was too quiet. She never became assertive like Donald.
Posted by: rob | 14 November 2005 at 23:26
She had great tasks for her candidates, but the overall show was bland...usually the casting crew purposely picks candidates who have some memorable personalities for reality TV, but there was only one person who fit that bill, and I forgot his name, but I know that people call him the male Omarosa...indeed he is.
Posted by: Waddie G. | 15 November 2005 at 09:02
The whole franchise (including Donald's show) is just silly. They are hour long commercials for products that I could care less about. The fact that Martha barely appears on the show just makes it that much more disappointing. I took it off my tivo season pass list.
Posted by: Pip | 15 November 2005 at 09:44
I heard that this wasnt a cancellation but that the show was only scheduled for one seasons and a short one at that. Because of the low ratings they decided it was best not to renew the show.
Posted by: huhotboi | 15 November 2005 at 10:08
That's called a cancellation!
LOL
I'm a television producer, let's explain how it goes:
Most tv shows are produced in blocks of 13 weeks (half season). It's traditional to renew in blocks of 13 or 26 weeks.
Think of tv shows like workstations in an office: they need to be filled with bodies. Every day you show up at work, and, if you do well, you're invited back the next day. If you're a blockbuster like Oprah or Friends (the "temps" that perform well), you're invited back for years.
Now, Martha's time slot must be replaced; her workstation needs a body to produce work.
Saying a show was only designed for a half-season is like the office temp who was sent home after a day or two of bad performance explaining that s/he "was only hired for a day or two." Meanwhile, the office manager is still looking for another temp to sit at that desk. ;)
Posted by: rod | 15 November 2005 at 10:29
The daughter is way more interesting than she lets on.
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2005/11/alexis_stewart.html
Posted by: Alberto | 17 November 2005 at 14:46
OOPS. Here is the full link.
www.businessweek.com/the_thread/
brandnewday/archives/2005/11/
alexis_stewart.html
Posted by: Alberto | 17 November 2005 at 14:50