NBC fires Martha Stewart's 'Apprentice'

NBC has canned Martha Stewart's version of The Apprentice after just one season, The Hollywood Reporter said today.

Confirming the cancellation, a spokesman for the network stressed that it had always intended to run the spinoff for just one cycle.

Stewart's version of the show - notably less harsh in style than Donald Trump's original - began in a Wednesday, 8pm timeslot but was quickly shifted to 9pm against ABC heavyweight Lost in a bid to improve ratings.

The series, which has averaged just 6.8 million viewers to date, will wrap with a two-hour finale on December 21.