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The Firm (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Firm is Malaysia's first corporate reality television
programme produced by Popiah Pictures
and ntv7
. Hosted by Peter Pek
and Chan Boon Yong
, the show is directed by award-winning director Ng Ping Ho
of Kopitiam fame. In The Firm, a group of professionals compete in an elimination-style competition to find the next corporate high-flyer.
The show attempts to separate the weak from the strong, the under-achievers from the over-achievers and the followers from the leaders. Each week, candidates compete in a series of tasks dealing with different disciplines in business that is imperative to the success of a corporate high-flier. Amongst others, these include brand
ing, promotions, positioning and catering to target markets. The catch phrase
used in the show is "You're terminated". The show premièred prime time
on ntv7 and Astro channel 7 on June 24, 2007.
Although the show initially drew comparisons to Mark Burnett’s
The Apprentice, it became quite apparent that it is quite different in that there are two corporate leaders who lead each team and decide who gets eliminated when their team fails to win a challenge. In addition, in episode 7, both corporate leaders leave their jobs as mentors to the teams and a new CEO enters the picture.
The Firm has reached its second season, which premièred on ntv7 and Astro 107 on August 2, 2008.
, among other prizes. Tengku Zafrul's identity remained undisclosed for the earlier half of the season until the remaining contestants merge in the run-up to the finale. The grand prize fell in the hands of Joel Neoh
, who is now known for pioneering "youth entrepreneurship".
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
programme produced by Popiah Pictures
Popiah Pictures
Popiah Pictures is an award-winning television drama, reality TV and production house from Malaysia. Founded by Anne Low and award-winning film director Ng Ping Ho, the company has produced numerous programmes for television stations such as TV3, ntv7 and 8TV....
and ntv7
Ntv7
Natseven TV Sdn Bhd or better known as ntv7 is a terrestrial television channel in Malaysia. It was launched nationwide on 7 April 1998 and was the country's third private free-to-air TV station after TV3 and Astro. Its mission is to promote a happier and more enlightened Malaysia...
. Hosted by Peter Pek
Peter Pek
Peter Pek MCSD is a brand strategist, writer, columnist, editor, publisher, designer, creative director, public relations professional, public speaker, corporate celebrity, radio and television personality from Malaysia...
and Chan Boon Yong
Chan Boon Yong
Chan Boon Yong is a prominent diamond jeweller from Malaysia, and founder of The Carat Club. He was one of the hosts and a judge of the corporate reality television series The Firm, where he played himself, acting as a corporate leader and mentor. The show premièred prime time nationwide on ntv7...
, the show is directed by award-winning director Ng Ping Ho
Ng Ping Ho
Ng Ping Ho is an award-winning film director, producer and screenwriter from Malaysia, whose work includes the highly successful and hugely popular Malaysian English-language comedy Kopitiam, Table For Two, Realiti and the hit corporate reality TV series The Firm...
of Kopitiam fame. In The Firm, a group of professionals compete in an elimination-style competition to find the next corporate high-flyer.
The show attempts to separate the weak from the strong, the under-achievers from the over-achievers and the followers from the leaders. Each week, candidates compete in a series of tasks dealing with different disciplines in business that is imperative to the success of a corporate high-flier. Amongst others, these include brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
ing, promotions, positioning and catering to target markets. The catch phrase
Catch phrase
A catchphrase is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through a variety of mass media , as well as word of mouth...
used in the show is "You're terminated". The show premièred prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
on ntv7 and Astro channel 7 on June 24, 2007.
Although the show initially drew comparisons to Mark Burnett’s
Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...
The Apprentice, it became quite apparent that it is quite different in that there are two corporate leaders who lead each team and decide who gets eliminated when their team fails to win a challenge. In addition, in episode 7, both corporate leaders leave their jobs as mentors to the teams and a new CEO enters the picture.
The Firm has reached its second season, which premièred on ntv7 and Astro 107 on August 2, 2008.
Hosts/Judges
The Firm has two corporate leaders, and a CEO, who all judge the candidates at different stages:- Peter PekPeter PekPeter Pek MCSD is a brand strategist, writer, columnist, editor, publisher, designer, creative director, public relations professional, public speaker, corporate celebrity, radio and television personality from Malaysia...
- renowned brandBrandThe American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
guru, writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, columnistColumnistA columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
, editorEditingEditing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, publisher, designerDesignerA designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
, creative directorCreative DirectorA creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
, public speaker, and head of Malaysia's largest branding agency, Brand Mercatus. - Chan Boon YongChan Boon YongChan Boon Yong is a prominent diamond jeweller from Malaysia, and founder of The Carat Club. He was one of the hosts and a judge of the corporate reality television series The Firm, where he played himself, acting as a corporate leader and mentor. The show premièred prime time nationwide on ntv7...
- entrepreneur and founder of The Carat Club, a diamondDiamondIn mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
retailer. - Tengku Zafrul AzizZafrul AzizTengku Dato' Zafrul Aziz is one of the judges of the corporate reality television series The Firm, where he played himself. The show premièred prime time nationwide on ntv7 and Astro's Channel 7 in Malaysia in 2007...
- CEO of Tune MoneyTune MoneyTune Money is Asia's first "no-frills" online financial service previously wholly owned by Tune Group Sdn. Bhd. Its founder is Dato' Tony Fernandes, the founder of the low cost airline in Malaysia, AirAsia...
.
Season 1
Season one of the Firm premiered on Malaysian television on June 24, 2007, featuring ten aspiring entrepreneurs divided into two teams, Dynamic and Momentum, led by Pek and Chan respectively, vying for a top position in "the Firm", which turned out to be a job offer in Tune MoneyTune Money
Tune Money is Asia's first "no-frills" online financial service previously wholly owned by Tune Group Sdn. Bhd. Its founder is Dato' Tony Fernandes, the founder of the low cost airline in Malaysia, AirAsia...
, among other prizes. Tengku Zafrul's identity remained undisclosed for the earlier half of the season until the remaining contestants merge in the run-up to the finale. The grand prize fell in the hands of Joel Neoh
Joel Neoh
Joel Neoh , is an entrepreneur whose first success was a million ringgit business venture at the age of 20 while still in university. At age 23, he won Malaysia's first corporate reality television programme, The Firm as the youngest contestant...
, who is now known for pioneering "youth entrepreneurship".
Season 2
Season two premiered on August 2, 2008, in which fourteen aspiring entrepreneurs vie for the position of Assistant CEO in "The Firm", again divided into two teams - Equity and Asset, led by Pek and Chan respectively. Azti Dian Fitri Azmi, a 31-year-old publications manager emerged the winner. She took home a cash prize worth $100,000 and a job contract to work for Tune Money.External links
- ntv7's The Firm microsite
- The Firm preview on YouTube
- Discussion on every episode of The Firm