Mark Burnett, best known for executive-producing CBS' Survivor, is
keeping himself busy this summer working on three new reality shows and one new
sitcom.
NBC claims two of them -- The Apprentice and The Restaurant -- while
The WB Television Network is adding Burnett's skills to its upcoming surfing reality show,
Boarding House: North Shore, and a sitcom, Are We There
Yet?.
NBC's The Apprentice, which will air for 13 episodes, will test 20
competitors' survival skills in New York's corporate jungle. The winner
gets a dream job with a six-figure salary and, in this first go-round, an
apprenticeship with famed New York developer Donald Trump. Trump also will act
as the "master" to the apprentice, firing one participant from the show each
week for failing to accomplish an assigned task to his satisfaction.
"Mark Burnett and Donald Trump are the best in their respective businesses.
They are the ultimate survivors," said Jeff Zucker, president of NBC
Entertainment. "Just as these young competing professionals will enhance their
career prospects, we believe this series will push the reality to new
creative horizons."
Burnett this summer is bringing The Restaurant to NBC, on which he is
partnering with Reveille and Magna Global Entertainment. The show, a one-hour
reality drama, will feature celebrity chef Rocco DeSpirito while he opens a new
downtown New York eatery. The show debuts on NBC this summer for a six-episode
run.
Burnett has also signed on to chisel The WB's Boarding House: North
Shore into a six-episode reality show launching Wednesday, June 18, at 8
p.m. and reairing Sundays at 9 p.m. North Shore has been in production
at The WB since November, but Burnett signed on after one of the show's
producers left on maternity leave.
And Burnett has completed a fall pilot of Are We There Yet?, and The
WB has ordered three more scripts to give Burnett some lead time in case the
network decides to place a full order. The sitcom will be a sort of TV rendition
of National Lampoon's European Vacation. The WB is hoping to turn both
North Shore and Are We There Yet? into advertising and
product-placement opportunities, with American Honda Motor Co. Inc., Mars
Inc., Mars' Masterfoods USA division, PepsiCo Inc.'s Mountain Dew and AT&T Corp.'s 1-800-CALL-ATT all having signed on as sponsors for
North Shore. That show is being produced by Mark Burnett Productions and
Basic Elements.
Are We There Yet? is executive-produced by Mark Burnett, David
Goetsch, Jason Venokur and Ross Venokur and Carsey-Werner-Mandabach, with Marcy
Carsey, Tom Werner and Caryn Mandabach all executive-producing.
