NBC Boasts Of Warren Buffett’s Appearance On ‘The New Celebrity Apprentice’ To Bolster Ratings

The switch-over from Donald Trump to Arnold Schwarzenegger for NBC’s reality TV show The Celebrity Apprentice hasn’t been as successful as NBC would like to see, and so in a new press release, the network is sharing details for upcoming episodes of the show in hopes of generating some buzz and attracting some new viewers. The biggest news is that billionaire Warren Buffett will make an appearance next Monday.

For the last two weeks, the Celebrity Apprentice has been playing a losing game going up against ABC’s The Bachelor, something that Trump took note of on January 6 when he tweeted, “Wow, the ratings are in and Arnold Schwarzenegger got ‘swamped’ (or destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT. So much for….”

Wow, the ratings are in and Arnold Schwarzenegger got “swamped” (or destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT. So much for….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2017

Schwarzenegger quickly tweeted back, “There’s nothing more important than the people’s work.”

Donald Trump’s response was odd because he had initially praised NBC months earlier for hiring Schwarzenegger as his replacement saying, “Congrats to my friend @Schwarzenegger who is doing next season’s Celebrity Apprentice. He’ll be great & will raise lots of $ for charity. To all my fans, sorry I couldn’t do The Apprentice any longer – but equal time (presidential run) prohibits me from doing so. Love!”

After last Monday’s programming, Broadway World reported that The Apprentice was beaten by The Bachelor which led with 67 percent in total viewers (6.5 million vs. 3.9 million). With the shows already taped long ago, the only strategy NBC has in grabbing viewers is to find clever ways to promote the antics that will be featured in each week’s episodes. Here is what you can expect to see in the coming weeks:

January 16

In next week’s episodes of The New Celebrity Apprentice, the two teams will be tasked with creating an artistic magazine photo shoot and campaign for Kawasaki motorcycles. Gemma Godfrey, founder and CEO of Moola (a personal finance firm), and Arnold’s nephew, Patrick Knapp Schwarzenegger, will be overseeing the two teams’ progress on the task. Then, for the second episode, the teams will be tasked to create their own new confection creation for See’s Candy. At the end of the challenge, two of each team’s representatives will fly to Omaha, Nebraska, to present their creation to be taste-tested by Warren Buffett.

January 23

The following week, The Biggest Loser host and celebrity trainer Bob Harper will work with Patrick, overseeing the teams’ progress on a task creating a healthy new snack for Lorissa’s Kitchen followed by a task creating an informational guide for Universal Studio’s “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” attraction. According to the press release, “It is one player’s controversial attempt to help their team that really gets Arnold’s attention and brings out a very different side of the Governor,” something many viewers have been wanting to see.

January 30

Former Microsoft CEO and L.A. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer will serve as a boardroom advisor to Arnold in selecting the best team who crushes a T-shirt design competition that promotes the Clippers brand during a “high energy presentation.” “While one celebrity contestant goes ‘full Ballmer’ in their presentation and players on the opposing team hope a catchy tune will win over the crowd, another narrowly misses being terminated in the boardroom when they meet with Arnold and the advisors afterward,” says the press release. This episode is followed by one where last season’s winner, Leeza Gibbons, will be on hand to help judge which team does a better job promoting fitness equipment on the shopping TV channel QVC. The press release promises a “boardroom shocker.”

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To date, The Celebrity Apprentice show has raised over $15 million for charity over the years and this season’s winner’s charity will be given $250,000. The Celebrity Apprentice airs on Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. on NBC.

[Featured Image by Luis Trinh/NBC]