TV Fun: The Apprentice

BBC One

The Apprentice logo. © BBC / Freemantle Media

BT Vision:         851
Freeview HD:       101
Freesat HD:        108
Sky HD / YouView:  143
Virgin Media:      108

Series 14

Fremantle Media (Paul Broadbent, Paula Fasht)

02. Comics (Mark Halliley (narration); Alan Sugar, Karren Brady, Claude Littner, Claudine Collins, Linda Plant, Mike Soutar; contestants: Camilla Ainsworth, David Alden, Frank Brooks, Tom Bunday, Sarah Byrne, Kayode Damali, Daniel Elahi, Jackie Fast, Alex Finn, Sian Gabbidon, Khadija Kalifa, Jasmine Kundra, Sarah Ann Magson, Rick Monk, Kurran Pooni, Sabrina Stocker)

Lord Sugar summons the candidates to the House of Illustration, the UK's only gallery dedicated to graphic art. On arrival, the teams are greeted by their business superhero as they've never seen him before. Via augmented-reality technology, Lord Sugar reveals that the candidates are to create a brand new comic aimed at eight- to 12-year-olds. They need to invent a new comic name, main character and original story as well as design a dynamic front cover using cutting-edge AR.

With comics printed overnight, they need to pitch to leading industry figures to secure orders. The task balances creative flair with productive pitching, and the team that forgets either could face a graphic showdown in the boardroom.

b: 10 Oct 2018.

(Sypnosis from BBC website)

The Apprentice on the BBC website.

While I'm not anticipating much from a creative point of view, this should prove interesting. How difficult is it to craft an entirely new comic, aimed at a younger age range, without falling back on tried and tested clichés? We will, no doubt, discover the answer soon enough. The inclusion of VR is intriguing, as it has (thus far) been an area which hasn't had more than a passing influence on the direction of comics as a whole - how much more entertaining would comics be for youngsters if, embedded at several unobstructive points throughout the title, there were triggers which would, when a 'phone is aimed at the comic, provide a 3D image.

Better yet, an animated 3D image.

The Beano has already highlighted the technology (back in March), but crucially didn't have a cover-enhancing element. Imagine a curious (yet reluctant) would-be purchaser, 'phone in hand, glancing at the title - if there is a trigger on the cover, then the curious-minded will aim their 'phone at it to see what happens. If the resultant visual is exciting and intriguing enough, they will most likely purchase the comic just for the novelty. I mean... It isn't as if embracing new ideas is going to lower the sales of a title.