Undercover Boss (U.S. TV series)
Encyclopedia
Undercover Boss is an American
2010 reality television
series, based on the British series of the same name
. Each episode depicts a person who has a high management position at a major business, deciding to become undercover as a entry-level employee to discover the faults in the company. The first series consisted of nine episodes produced in 2009 and first aired on February 7, 2010 on CBS
.
The series was a ratings success for the network, with its premiere episode receiving 38.6 million viewers and a share of 32%. 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.
On March 27, 2011, Undercover Boss was officially picked for a third season by CBS, but will not premiere until Winter 2012 with as yet an undetermined amount of episodes.
Repeats of Undercover Boss have been picked up by TLC
and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Broadcasts on TLC began on July 25, 2011, initially Mondays at 8PM ET, later moving to Thursdays at 9PM ET; OWN has also broadcast repeats of Undercover Boss since Fall 2011.
and fictional back-story. The fictitious explanation for the accompanying camera crew is that the executive is being filmed as part of a documentary about entry-level workers in a particular industry. They spend approximately one week undercover, working in various areas of the company's operations, with a different job and in most cases a different location each day. The boss is exposed to a series of predicaments with amusing results and invariably spends time getting to know selected company employees, learning about their professional and personal challenges.
At the end of the undercover week, the boss returns to true identity and calls in the selected employees to corporate headquarters. The boss rewards hardworking employees through campaign, promotion or financial rewards. Other employees are given training or better working conditions.
The show's producers determine what companies will be featured, what jobs the bosses will do, and which employees and which situations will be shown. The company has no control over what airs, although a promise is made the companies' reputations will not be hurt. Neither the company nor its executive receive money from, or give money to, CBS or the show's producers.
and featured Larry O'Donnell, President
and Chief Operating Officer
of Waste Management, Inc
.
On March 9, 2010, CBS announced it had commissioned Undercover Boss for a second season. On July 28, CBS
announced four company executives had signed up for the second season of Undercover Boss, the executives were from NASCAR
, DirecTV
, Chiquita Brands International
and Great Wolf Lodge, Inc.
The second season opener featured the Choice Hotels
CEO, Steve Joyce on September 26, 2010.
s in 1987, the largest audience ever to watch the premiere episode of a reality series, the most watched new series premiere overall on television since Dolly
on September 27, 1987 (39.47 million), and the third largest post-Super Bowl audience behind Friends Special on January 28, 1996 and Survivor: The Australian Outback
on January 28, 2001.
Undercover Boss received mixed reviews; most held good words for the opening episode, but some criticized elements of the show's format. The New York Daily News praised the concept as "simple and brilliant" and "an hour of feel-good television for underappreciated workers." Reviewers with the Chicago Sun-Times
and the New York Times complimented the opening episode, although the latter had reservations on Waste Management, Inc
COO Lawrence O’Donnell III's plan to create a task force to address the problems he found: "Larry’s plans to reform his company and humanize the workplace seem great, until he starts to order up committees to study what he has learned. So many good intentions have gone to die in task forces, off-site meetings and mentoring programs." "The show is a welcome change from reality concepts based on humiliating people," concluded the Wall Street Journal. "It is emotionally stirring, with catharsis and messages of virtue rewarded and lessons learned for the betterment of all," said the Baltimore Sun.
The Washington Post, in a negative review, said that Undercover Boss "is a hollow catharsis for a nation already strung out on the futility of resenting those who occupy CEO suites." Entertainment Weekly
initially panned it, calling the first episode a "CBS-organized publicity stunt" and "a recruiting tool for a worker uprising," but said a week later that it was "irresistible." The Los Angeles Times
believed that it was deriving its idea from Fox
's Secret Millionaire
(also created by Stephen Lambert
) and that it was 'cooked' for TV, with the low-level workers being hand-picked, but conceded that the show is "undeniably touching".
Arianna Huffington noted, "In the 19th century, one of the most effective ways to convey the quiet desperation of the working class to a wide audience was via a realistic novel. In 2010, it's through reality TV. And Undercover Boss has clearly touched a nerve with viewers. Last week [February 28 - March 6, 2010], only the Olympics and American Idol scored higher in the ratings."
In an end of season review, the New York Timess chief television critic, Alessandra Stanley, examined the unexpected success of the show and concluded that "it’s the humility of the workers, their genuine astonishment and thankfulness over small acts of benevolence, that is most striking. If nothing else, Undercover Boss is a reminder that in bad times, people are less eager to confront or provoke authority; mostly they wish for small favors and the big, serendipitous strokes of luck."
The CBS season two premiere drew 11.02 million, down 27.58 million from the previous seasons premiere, and with a 9.55% share, the episode ranked number 2 against its major competition consisting of Sunday Night Football
on NBC
and Brothers & Sisters on ABC
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
2010 reality television
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...
series, based on the British series of the same name
Undercover Boss (UK TV series)
Undercover Boss is a British reality television series. Each episode depicts a person who has a high management position at a major business, deciding to become undercover as a entry-level employee to discover the faults in the company. The first series, consisting of two episodes was aired in 2009...
. Each episode depicts a person who has a high management position at a major business, deciding to become undercover as a entry-level employee to discover the faults in the company. The first series consisted of nine episodes produced in 2009 and first aired on February 7, 2010 on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
.
The series was a ratings success for the network, with its premiere episode receiving 38.6 million viewers and a share of 32%. 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.
On March 27, 2011, Undercover Boss was officially picked for a third season by CBS, but will not premiere until Winter 2012 with as yet an undetermined amount of episodes.
Repeats of Undercover Boss have been picked up by TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Broadcasts on TLC began on July 25, 2011, initially Mondays at 8PM ET, later moving to Thursdays at 9PM ET; OWN has also broadcast repeats of Undercover Boss since Fall 2011.
Format
Each episode features a high-positioned executive or the owner of a corporation going undercover as an entry-level employee in their own company. The executive changes appearance and assumes an aliasPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
and fictional back-story. The fictitious explanation for the accompanying camera crew is that the executive is being filmed as part of a documentary about entry-level workers in a particular industry. They spend approximately one week undercover, working in various areas of the company's operations, with a different job and in most cases a different location each day. The boss is exposed to a series of predicaments with amusing results and invariably spends time getting to know selected company employees, learning about their professional and personal challenges.
At the end of the undercover week, the boss returns to true identity and calls in the selected employees to corporate headquarters. The boss rewards hardworking employees through campaign, promotion or financial rewards. Other employees are given training or better working conditions.
The show's producers determine what companies will be featured, what jobs the bosses will do, and which employees and which situations will be shown. The company has no control over what airs, although a promise is made the companies' reputations will not be hurt. Neither the company nor its executive receive money from, or give money to, CBS or the show's producers.
Episodes
The first episode premiered on February 7, 2010 after Super Bowl XLIVSuper Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
and featured Larry O'Donnell, President
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
and Chief Operating Officer
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
of Waste Management, Inc
Waste Management, Inc
Waste Management, Inc. is a waste management, comprehensive waste, and environmental services company in North America. Founded in 1894, the company is headquartered in Suite 4000 at the First City Tower in Downtown Houston, Texas, in the United States....
.
On March 9, 2010, CBS announced it had commissioned Undercover Boss for a second season. On July 28, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
announced four company executives had signed up for the second season of Undercover Boss, the executives were from NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
, Chiquita Brands International
Chiquita Brands International
Chiquita Brands International Inc. is an American producer and distributor of bananas and other produce, under a variety of subsidiary brand names, collectively known as Chiquita. Other brands include Fresh Express salads, which it purchased from Performance Food Group in 2005...
and Great Wolf Lodge, Inc.
Great Wolf Lodge, Inc.
Great Wolf Resorts is the world's largest chain of indoor water parks which owns and operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge brand. The company is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin.-History:...
The second season opener featured the Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International is a hospitality holding corporation which is affiliated with several hotel brands and is based in Silver Spring, Maryland...
CEO, Steve Joyce on September 26, 2010.
Reception
CBS's premiere of Undercover Boss on February 7, 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 meterPeople meter
A people meter is a audience measurement tool used to measure the viewing habits of TV and cable audiences.The People Meter is a 'box', about the size of a paperback book. The box is hooked up to each television set and is accompanied by a remote control unit. Each family member in a sample...
s in 1987, the largest audience ever to watch the premiere episode of a reality series, the most watched new series premiere overall on television since Dolly
Dolly (TV series)
Dolly is a television variety show that ran on ABC during the 1987-1988 season featuring Dolly Parton.-Overview:The show was an attempt at a traditional variety show, featuring music, comedy skits and various guest stars...
on September 27, 1987 (39.47 million), and the third largest post-Super Bowl audience behind Friends Special on January 28, 1996 and Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback is the second season of the United States reality show Survivor. Filming took place at Goshen Station in northern Queensland during 2000 and aired from January 28, 2001 to May 3, 2001 on CBS...
on January 28, 2001.
Undercover Boss received mixed reviews; most held good words for the opening episode, but some criticized elements of the show's format. The New York Daily News praised the concept as "simple and brilliant" and "an hour of feel-good television for underappreciated workers." Reviewers with the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
and the New York Times complimented the opening episode, although the latter had reservations on Waste Management, Inc
Waste Management, Inc
Waste Management, Inc. is a waste management, comprehensive waste, and environmental services company in North America. Founded in 1894, the company is headquartered in Suite 4000 at the First City Tower in Downtown Houston, Texas, in the United States....
COO Lawrence O’Donnell III's plan to create a task force to address the problems he found: "Larry’s plans to reform his company and humanize the workplace seem great, until he starts to order up committees to study what he has learned. So many good intentions have gone to die in task forces, off-site meetings and mentoring programs." "The show is a welcome change from reality concepts based on humiliating people," concluded the Wall Street Journal. "It is emotionally stirring, with catharsis and messages of virtue rewarded and lessons learned for the betterment of all," said the Baltimore Sun.
The Washington Post, in a negative review, said that Undercover Boss "is a hollow catharsis for a nation already strung out on the futility of resenting those who occupy CEO suites." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
initially panned it, calling the first episode a "CBS-organized publicity stunt" and "a recruiting tool for a worker uprising," but said a week later that it was "irresistible." The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
believed that it was deriving its idea from Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's Secret Millionaire
Secret Millionaire
The Secret Millionaire is a reality television show which originated in the UK, in which millionaires go incognito into impoverished communities and agree to give away tens of thousands of pounds . Members of the community are told the cameras are present to film a documentary...
(also created by Stephen Lambert
Stephen Lambert (media executive)
Stephen Lambert is an English television producer and executive. He is best known for creating and launching international hit formats such as the award-winning Wife Swap, Faking It, Secret Millionaire, and Undercover Boss...
) and that it was 'cooked' for TV, with the low-level workers being hand-picked, but conceded that the show is "undeniably touching".
Arianna Huffington noted, "In the 19th century, one of the most effective ways to convey the quiet desperation of the working class to a wide audience was via a realistic novel. In 2010, it's through reality TV. And Undercover Boss has clearly touched a nerve with viewers. Last week [February 28 - March 6, 2010], only the Olympics and American Idol scored higher in the ratings."
In an end of season review, the New York Timess chief television critic, Alessandra Stanley, examined the unexpected success of the show and concluded that "it’s the humility of the workers, their genuine astonishment and thankfulness over small acts of benevolence, that is most striking. If nothing else, Undercover Boss is a reminder that in bad times, people are less eager to confront or provoke authority; mostly they wish for small favors and the big, serendipitous strokes of luck."
The CBS season two premiere drew 11.02 million, down 27.58 million from the previous seasons premiere, and with a 9.55% share, the episode ranked number 2 against its major competition consisting of Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and Brothers & Sisters on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
.