The Irish version of the entertainment programme ‘The Apprentice’ will hit Irish screens on TV3 September 22nd at 9pm for a twelve week run. Producer Larry Bass of Screentime ShinAwiL (You’re a Star), the production company that has brought the show to Irish shores, reveals to IFTN the filming process and why the Irish candidates are a real match for their UK and US counterparts.
Self made Irish millionaire Bill Cullen will follow in the footsteps of the UK’s Sir Alan Sugar and US tycoon Donald Trump in offering the once in the lifetime opportunity to a success driven candidate to become his apprentice. Bill will be joined by his wife Jackie Lavin and business associate Brian Purcell in setting tasks for the 14 aspiring candidates from all over Ireland, for what will be their toughest challenge in achieving their dream business opportunity.
Larry Bass unveils the production process and what Irish audiences can expect from the series.
Larry, when did you start filming the apprentice?
The last week in July and we are finishing tomorrow 19 September.
How did you get involved with the show?
From the first time I saw the show I was a fan. It’s been a long road to get here and it took a long time to acquire the rights but once we acquired the rights it all moved reasonable quickly. I suppose when we first approached TV3 it again moved quite quickly. It’s been a three year project from the first time we started negotiating with Mark Burnett (original producer of the show in LA) who actually got the show on air.
Did you receive much advice from the English producers?
It’s the American format, so we’ve licensed it from Mark Burnett Productions in Los Angeles. We’ve had consults from Mark Burnett while I’ve been over to Los Angeles. We brought Bill Cullin over to meet him and had a lovely dinner in Marks house with his partner Roma Downey who works with the Irish series, so its been a close collaboration between their entity and ourselves.
Did you have someone from the American team on hand while filming took place?
No we just had the hand over of information - they supply a production bible and if there is anything we need to know we certainly call them and ask them. We also had one of the producers of the first two series in the UK do a little bit of consulting with us. Mark has been looking at our rough cut and giving us some instant tips to polish it a little. Apart from that it’s a completely Irish crew, who are well experienced with production.
Who is the crew on the series?
Series Producer/Director is Lynda McQuaid and there are two producers; Zoe Liston and Eugena Cooney. It has been a very complicated camera, location recording and audio event. Our head of cameras is Joe Edwards, sound is by Eamon Clifford and the studio section of the show is designed by Alan Farquharson.
Where is the boardroom action filmed?
We built the studio with design by Alan Farquharson and lighting design by Andrew Leonard. And the lighting equipment is from Cine Electric. We built purpose built studios with board rooms in the Europa Academy in Swords - one of Bill Cullins businesses.
How did Bill Cullin come on board?
We asked him but he wasn’t immediately interested as it is an unusual thing to ask someone to do. Our first conversation with Bill was two and a half to three years ago. We then had more reason to go after him and revisit those conversations last year through Christmas.
Can you describe the process for applicants?
We had 1200 applications when we did the initial reading out and calling of candidates. From their CV application forms and then their follow up application forms, we were able to reduce it down to 200 people and from that we did a closed casting for a couple of weeks - reducing again down to the 14 that made it. It was a very quick process. From the time we launched to when we closed applications, 8 days later, we had 1200 applicants and within two weeks we had casted.
What differs from Irish ‘Apprentice’ to the UK and the American versions?
Our show is modeled on the US series - you will see a reflection of the BBC series given that it is the same format. But unlike the BBC which has very strict guidelines and regulations in relation to commercials products, our show is based on the US show which has full partners on the project so that the tasks that our candidates do are real tasks in real businesses, and that’s the main difference.
Given the general laid back persona of the Irish, how do you think the Irish candidates compare to their counterparts in the UK and the US?
The one thing I know is that certainly at the end of the series the remaining candidates would have burned up the UK candidates - they are very very strong individuals with very strong characters, very good at the tasks and they have been hugely impressive. I think they would have done well in the UK series and it is Mark’s (Burnett) opinion that any one of them could have won the US series.
I’m really looking forward to the Irish people’s take on it. I mean the UK series was hugely popular in Ireland so it remains to be seen how much the Irish audience will take to their own version. I would like to think that they will get a real kick out of it and I think the UK show is a great show in its own right - but to be able to see the same format on Irish streets, in Irish businesses with Irish people - I think is going to be great.
