FremantleMedia appoints 2 licensees of The Apprentice

Televisionpoint.com Correspondent
FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide (FLW), the licensing division of FremantleMedia, has announced deals with Video Arts, the award-winning provider of memorably entertaining training, and Ufi, the company behind the UK's largest publicly funded e-learning network, which runs learndirect business, to launch a series of training programmes based on one of the most talked about reality series in the world, The Apprentice.

FLW has granted Video Arts the UK rights to produce a range of three DVD training programmes that are aimed at training managers and coaches of large organisations. The training programmes, based around the themes of sales and negotiation, teams and leaders and project management, will include multiple 'case studies' from the UK TV series, which stars Sir Alan Sugar, one of Britain's most successful entrepreneurs. The learning points illustrated within each programme aim to allow trainers, managers and coaches to build several learning courses and each programme includes a course leader's guide, delegate support materials, customisable presentation slides and a self-study guide. The sales and negotiation programme will be available in June; the teams and leaders and project management programmes will be available in July.

FLW has also licensed rights to Ufi to produce a series of three learndirect business training DVD-ROMs targeted at small to medium sized businesses. Available from June, the DVD-ROMs, which will cover negotiation, leadership and management and selling, pitching and presenting, aim to help small to medium sized businesses which are short on time and resources to tackle the essential issue of developing well-trained staff in a way that is flexible and engaging. The courses are introduced by Nick Hewer, one of Sir Alan Sugar's aides from the TV show, and incorporate footage from the series to illustrate key points in an interactive way.

Dom Wheeler, Vice President, Licensing, UK, FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide, said, "Both Video Arts and learndirect business are leaders in their field and we are really pleased to add them to our ever growing list of multi-platform licensees. talkbackTHAMES and FremantleMedia are delighted with how well the second series has performed and with our viewers' boundless enthusiasm which has helped make the show an unmitigated success both on and off-air".

The second series of The Apprentice, which is produced in the UK by talkbackTHAMES, the UK production company owned by FremantleMedia, reached a dramatic conclusion on BBC2 yesterday. The final episode, which achieved an audience of 5.7 million viewers and a 26.3% share, saw Michelle Dewberry win a year-long job with one of Sir Alan Sugar's companies and a six figure salary.

FLW is managing all ancillary rights for The Apprentice worldwide (excluding the US). Key categories include gifting (executive stationery, gadgets, electronics), games, publishing and apparel. The Apprentice is based on the hit US series of the same name and was originally created by Mark Burnett and produced for NBC by Mark Burnett Productions. FremantleMedia, who is representing the format and distribution rights to the brand in most major territories outside of the US, has produced local versions of the show in 12 territories to date, with more deals in the pipeline.