The Apprentice (NBC)

Working from the template established by The Real World and Survivor, THE APPRENTICE pits hungry young would-be executives against each other in a corporate competition to see who can outwit, out-market, and out-manage the others. Eighteen contestants are divided into two teams, both of which are assigned a business-related task in each episode by the show's smirking overlord, Donald Trump. Each week, a member from the losing team is sent home. Unlike Survivor, the competitors can only nominate three possible candidates for dismissal. The ultimate judgment lies in Trump's hands.

The show retains the catty behavior and alliance-forming of its reality predecessors but replaces drunken hookups and obstacle courses with boasts of business savvy and the frequently demeaning job of selling something no one seems to want. It's so shamelessly capitalist that its endorsement of corporate culture can seem like indoctrination. This view has resonated with many viewers, perhaps because corporations have been either demonized or ignored by other shows. Generally, the most aggressive competitors lose. The contestants who last the longest are those who know when to be cooperative and when to be cutthroat. The show's main flaw is its failure to be critical of the possible long-term negative effects of corporate culture.

Parents should put the show's money-above-all-else world view into perspective by explaining that while many people strive for business success to support themselves and their families, there's more to life than money.