Undercover Boss

Undercover Boss
Genre Reality television series
Created by Stephen Lambert
Composer(s) David Vanacore (Vanacore Music)
Country of origin United Kingdom
Production
Executive producer(s) Stephen Lambert
Release
Original network Channel 4
Original release present

Undercover Boss is a television franchise series created by Stephen Lambert and produced in many countries. It originated in 2009 on the British Channel 4.[1] The show’s format features the experiences of senior executives working undercover in their own companies to investigate how their firms really work and to identify how they can be improved, as well as to reward hard-working employees.

Format

Each episode features a high-ranking executive or the owner of a corporation going undercover as an entry-level employee in his or her own company. The executives alter their appearance and assume an alias and fictional back-story. The fictitious explanation given for the accompanying camera crew is that the executives are being filmed as part of a documentary about entry-level workers in a particular industry, or a competition with another individual with the winner getting a job with the company. They spend approximately one to two weeks undercover (one week being the norm in some editions, such as the U.S. version, and two weeks in some other versions, such as the Australian edition), working in various areas of their company's operations, with different parts and in most cases a different location each day. They are exposed to a series of predicaments with amusing results, and invariably spend time getting to know the people who work in the company, learning about their professional and personal challenges.

At the end of their time undercover, the executives return to their true identity and request the employees they worked with individually to travel to a central location—often corporate headquarters. The bosses reveal their identity, and reward hard-working employees through promotion, or financial rewards; while other employees are given training, better working conditions, or, in extreme cases, termination.

Franchises

Australia

The Australian version of the franchise premiered on Network Ten on 18 October 2010[2][3] The show ran for 2 seasons.

Austria

The Austrian version of Undercover Boss premiered on ORF eins on 16 January 2013 with the CEO of ASFiNAG, Klaus Schierhackl.

Bulgaria

The Bulgarian version of Undercover Boss is named Шеф под прикритие (Shef pod prikritie). Premier of the show is on 9 February 2016 on Nova TV. The first show is for Domino's Pizza Bulgaria.

Canada

The Canadian version of Undercover Boss premiered on W Network on 2 February 2012 with the CEO of Toronto Zoo, John Tracogna.

Chile

The Chilean version of Undercover Boss, named El jefe en tus zapatos ("The Boss in your shoes"), premiered on Chilevisión on 17 August 2016 with the CEO of Monarch, Alejandro Magnasco.

France

Patron incognito is broadcast on M6.

Germany

The German version of Undercover Boss premiered on RTL on 28 March 2011 with the CEO of Eismann, Mika Ramm.

Israel

Undercover Boss Israel, premiered in January 2013 and has aired 15 episodes over 2 seasons.

Italy

The Italian version of Undercover Boss is Boss in incognito. The show premiered in January 2014. It is broadcast on Rai 2 and has had so far three seasons. TV channel NOVE of Discovery Networks broadcasts the UK and US versions.

Japan

The Japanese version premiered on 4 January 2016 on NHK BS Premium named Fukumen Recearch Boss Sen-nyu.

Norway

Main article: Undercover Boss Norge

The Norwegian version of Undercover Boss premiered on TV2 on 8 March 2011 with the CEO of Rimi, Thor Linge.[4] Ten episodes are scheduled.

Poland

The Polish version of Undercover Boss is Kryptonim szef. The show premiered on 2 September 2015 at broadcaster TVP1.[5] Ten episodes are scheduled.

Spain

Main article: El jefe infiltrado

The Spanish version of Undercover Boss premiered on 11 June 2011 on Antena 3 named El jefe, but it was cancelled after 3 episodes due to low viewership ratings. Three years later, Atresmedia adapted the program, this time on the channel laSexta, where it premiered on 3 April 2014 under the title El jefe infiltrado.

United Kingdom

The original UK series produced by Studio Lambert started airing in June 2009 on Channel 4 and returned for a fifth season in July 2013, the third series featured the bosses of Best Western, Jockey Club, Harry Ramsden's, Npower and Poundworld, wembley amongst others.[6]

United States

The first episode of the U.S. series, also produced by Studio Lambert, premiered on 7 February 2010 after Super Bowl XLIV and featured Larry O'Donnell, then-President and Chief Operating Officer of Waste Management, Inc.[7]

On 9 March 2010, CBS announced it had commissioned Undercover Boss for a second season.[8][9] On 28 July, CBS announced four company executives from NASCAR, DirecTV, Chiquita Brands International, and Great Wolf Lodge, Inc. had signed up for the second season of Undercover Boss.[10] The second season opener was the Choice Hotels CEO, Steve Joyce on 26 September 2010.

The series was a ratings success for the network, with its premiere episode receiving 38.6 million viewers and a share of 32%.[11] The first season was the most popular new show in any genre in the 2009–10 television season with an average audience of 17.7 million viewers.[12]

CBS's premiere of Undercover Boss on 7 February 2010, immediately following the network's coverage of Super Bowl XLIV, delivered 38.6 million viewers—the largest audience ever for a new series following the Super Bowl since the advent of people meters in 1987, the largest audience ever to watch the premiere episode of a reality series, and the most watched new series premiere overall on television since Dolly on 27 September 1987 (39.47 million). It was also the third largest post-Super Bowl audience behind Friends Special on 28 January 1996 and Survivor: The Australian Outback on 28 January 2001.[13] Repeats of Undercover Boss have been picked up by TLC, beginning 25 July 2011; and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, beginning Fall 2012.[14] TLC has also picked up selected episodes of the UK, Canadian and Australian versions, which air as Undercover Boss: Abroad; this series debuted on Monday, 13 February 2012, with TLC broadcasting the series most Monday nights, and OWN slated to show the series on Tuesday nights beginning 13 March 2012.[15][16]

Undercover Boss won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program in 2013 and 2012 having also been nominated in the same category in 2011 and 2010.[17]

Undercover Boss has been criticised as a reality show for presenting scenarios and situations which rarely happen to employees in real workplaces and are in fact dramatic tricks.[18] Others point out that CEOs in real-life workplaces do not typically go out of their way to provide gifts and other extra benefits to front-line employees at the expense of the bottom line.[19]

The fourth season premiered on 2 November 2012 on CBS. On 13 March 2014, CBS announced the sixth season renewal of Undercover Boss.[20]

Future

Localized versions of the show format are being produced in Denmark, Turkey, Sweden, Belgium, and the Netherlands.[21][22]

International broadcasts

The American version has been broadcast on a variety of international networks:[23]

The network in bold indicates that they also air their own version of Undercover Boss.

Country Network
 Argentina FOX Life
 Australia Network Ten
 Austria ORF eins
 Brazil GNT and Fox Life
 Bulgaria NOVA
 Canada CTV and W Network
 Croatia RTL Living
 Finland MTV3
 France M6
 Germany RTL
 India BBC Entertainment
 Indonesia B-Channel
 Iran Manoto (United Kingdom)
 Israel Channel 2
 Italy RAI 2
 Japan WOWOW
 Netherlands RTL 4 and Veronica
 New Zealand TV One
 Norway TV Norge
 Panama Fox Life
 Philippines CNN Philippines
 Poland BBC, TVP1
 Portugal Sic Radical
 Singapore Channel 5
 Slovenia Kanal A
 South Korea MBC
 Spain Antena 3, la Sexta
 Sweden Tv3
 Thailand TrueVisions
 United Kingdom Channel 4

In addition, international versions have been aired in the United States on TLC and Oprah Winfrey Network, under the umbrella title Undercover Boss Abroad.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Christopher Rocchio (2 February 2009). "CBS orders 'Secret Millionaire'-like 'Undercover Boss' series". Reality TV World.
  2. ↑ Knox, David (2 October 2010). "Airdate: Undercover Boss Australia. Returning: Modern Family, NCIS, Good Wife". TV-Tonight.com.au. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  3. ↑ Clune, Richard (3 October 2010). "Chewing gum for the eyes". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  4. ↑ "Disse norske sjefene går undercover" (in Norwegian). TV2. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
  5. ↑ "info".
  6. ↑ Ruth Faulkner (14 July 2009). "Viridor boss goes undercover for TV documentary (Subscriber Only Content)". MRW. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  7. ↑ "CBS picks "Undercover Boss" for post-Super Bowl slot". TVbytheNumbers.com. 20 December 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  8. ↑ "CBS renews 'Undercover Boss' for second season". The Live Feed. 9 March 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  9. ↑ Fernandez, Maria-Elena (22 March 2010). "The rewards of hanging with the 'Undercover Boss'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  10. ↑ Serjeant, Jill (28 July 2010). "NASCAR, DirecTV sign up for "Undercover Boss" TV show". Reuters. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  11. ↑ "TV Ratings: Super Bowl XIV post game and Undercover Boss dominate weekly viewing". TV-By-The-Numbers.com. 4 August 2010. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  12. ↑ CBS (28 July 2010). "CBS ANNOUNCES FOUR COMPANIES PARTICIPATING IN THE SECOND SEASON OF THE EMMY AWARD-NOMINATED SERIES, "UNDERCOVER BOSS"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  13. ↑ Undercover Boss Marks Biggest New Series Premiere Since 1987
  14. ↑ Hollywood Reporter: "OWN, TLC Pick Up Reruns of 'Undercover Boss'", 11 July 2011.
  15. ↑ The Daily OWN: "“Undercover Boss: Abroad” Coming to OWN in March", 6 February 2012.
  16. ↑ Discovery Communications press release: "OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK GO UNDERCOVER AND OVERSEAS", 6 February 2012.
  17. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie. "2012 Emmy Creative Arts Awards - The Analysis". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2013-04-20.
  18. ↑ The Fakery of CEOs Undercover. Businessweek. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_07/b4166078342087.htm. 4 February 2010.
  19. ↑ He’s Good at Pushing Paper, but Can He Pick Up Trash? New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/06/arts/television/06under.html. 5 February 2010.
  20. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (13 March 2014). "CBS Renews 'The Good Wife', 'The Millers', 'Two and a Half Men', 'Hawaii Five-0', 'Mom', 'Blue Bloods', 'Elementary' and 11 More". TV by the Numbers (Press release). Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  21. ↑ "'Undercover Boss' goes local (Subscriber Only Content)". World Screen. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  22. ↑ Jesse Whittock (8 July 2010). "Undercover foray into Israel, Sweden". C21 Media. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  23. ↑ Int'l b'casters search for Undercover Boss – Television Business International, 8 July 2010 (dead)
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