Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: Donald Trump's reality TV show "The Apprentice" first aired in 2004. (SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE APPRENTICE") PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: My name's Donald Trump, and I'm the largest real estate developer in New York. SIEGEL: He left the show last year during his presidential campaign. And though Trump has exaggerated the ratings for "The Apprentice," it was a hit, especially in its first season. For her podcast Embedded, our co-host Kelly McEvers introduces us to a few people who had a lot to do with the show's initial success. Whether they feel good about it is another thing. KELLY MCEVERS, BYLINE: The first sense that "The Apprentice" was going to be a big hit was back in 2003 at the first casting call in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York. Rob LaPlante was the casting director. ROB LAPLANTE: The first thing that I noticed that morning which blew my mind was the line wrapped around Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue and then all the
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