The Apprentice

Woefully self-unaware "candidates" battle it out to be given a job by a glorified car salesman. Weekly tasks are episode-long product placements, alternating between contestants frantically selling to people in the street (with less grace than charity collectors) and some design task reminiscent of a school poster competition. Bill Cullen, who critiques them on their performance before firing one, is permanently consumed by indignation at their failure to live up to whatever standard it is he contrives so that they never can. Criticism is frequently perplexing, contradictory and always aggressive. Particularly in the third season, the quality of the contestants is staggeringly bad. The type of TV you watch for a self esteem boost.