NBC May Rehire Apprentice

Tue., May. 22, 2007 12:52 PM PDT by Josh Grossberg

Donald Trump (and viewers) might be tiring of the job hunt, but that doesn't mean NBC's giving up on The Apprentice just yet.

A spokesperson for the Peacock said Tuesday that network programmers have not ruled out a new season of the onetime reality hit, despite a statement from Trump on Friday insisting that he was "moving on" to a "major new TV venture."

"No decision has been made," an NBC rep said, echoing execs' comments at last week's upfronts when The Apprentice was left off the schedule but not outright canceled following its lowest rated cycle yet.

The April finale of The Apprentice: Los Angeles, in which Trump hired 32-year-old attorney Stefani Shaeffer to help run one of his companies, attracted just 7.9 million viewers, slightly up from its season average of 7.5 million but a huge drop-off from the boardroom competition's glory days. In its inaugural season, the show averaged nearly 21 million viewers per episode, and more than 28 million tuned in to see Bill Rancic win the job and accompanying $250,000 salary.

But before NBC had the chance to say "you're fired," the billionaire businessman submitted a preemptive resignation on Friday, with the spin cycle on high.

"It looks like viewers will have to wait to see what Mr. Trump plans for the future," his statement read. "But if Mr. Trump's past TV success is any indication of the future, then one can anticipate that millions of Apprentice fans will be migrating to his new venture."

While NBC failed to include The Apprentice in its initial 2007-08 schedule, the network has been reluctant to pull the plug because the show still does well in certain key demos, appealing to younger, wealthier viewers.

NBC Entertainment boss Kevin Reilly said during the upfronts that ongoing talks with Trump and executive producer Mark Burnett might still produce a deal for a seventh season of The Apprentice. The network also noted that unless the ax falls, Trump is contractually obliged for another season.

Burnett isn't ready to call it quits yet, either.

"Donald Trump is a television icon, and The Apprentice changed the landscape of reality television and remains a very strong ratings performer," a spokesperson for Mark Burnett Productions told the Hollywood Reporter. "In fact, its 18-49 ratings are better than several programs NBC decided to renew."

The trade reports NBC has until June 1 to make up its mind about The Apprentice. Regardless, the network still intends to remain in business with Trump. In March, the parties sealed a new deal for the Peacock to continue broadcasting the Trump-owned Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants through 2010.

As for Burnett, his rep said the relationship with Trump will continue even if The Apprentice is canned.

Trump meanwhile, has been working on a prime-time real estate show based on the classic board game Monopoly, but the show has not yet been picked up.

More recently, Trump has purportedly entered into discussions with Fox Business Channel about launching a new cable program, but it's unclear exactly what type of show it would be or whether he'll appear on it.

In other Apprentice-related news, a 51-year-old man has settled his age-discrimination lawsuit against Trump and his fellow producers.

The plaintiff, Joseph Hewett of Hampstead, New Hampshire, claimed he was rejected for the reality show in July 2005, because, at 49, he was deemed too old.

Hewett said he reached a confidential settlement; a federal judge in Boston officially dismissed the case on Monday. There was no comment from NBC, Trump or Burnett.

"This was never about a disgruntled applicant trying to get back at [Trump's] organization, it just gave me an opportunity to advocate on behalf of a protected class," Hewett told the Associated Press. "This was about the fact that I believe an entire class was aggrieved."