NBC cancelled The Apprentice due to low ratings.
After launching its Fall 2007 schedule, the network left Donald Trump’s long-running reality series off its lineup.
Rumors the show had taken a hit in viewership swirled at the beginning of the year, promoted by none other than Trump’s nemesis Rosie O'Donnell.
Donald fired back at the dig later that week in an interview with NBC’s Today show, claiming that it was actually very successful:
But numbers disputed Trump’s claim, as The Apprentice was third in the 10-11 PM slot, well behind Desperate Housewives and Cold Case. The show hadn’t even topped NBC’s 9:30 - 11:00 PM slot since October 2005, with a 5.5 household rating which paled in comparison to Law & Order: Criminal Intent - and even Crossing Jordan.
As reports swirled about the fate of the low-rated series, Trump issued a statement claiming that he wasn’t fired, but decided it was time to move on from The Apprentice to a “major new TV venture.”
But not everybody was buying the axed reality star’s excuse - especially Trump’s rival Mark Cuban, who shared via his blog some possible jobs Donald could take now that he was off the air:
Later that year, NBC announced they would renew the canned series for a seventh season, but Trump and co-producer Mark Burnett settled for a celebrity cast in an attempt to increase ratings and revive the sinking franchise.
