Undercover Boss

Channel: Ten
Day & time: Monday, 8.30 p.m.
To watch full episodes of Undercover Boss, CLICK HERE

Reality television is, in general, about making the viewer feel good. This is achieved by the viewer either having a sense of superiority over the participants, or sharing the elation of the participants. Undercover Boss is a great example of the latter, with added emphasis on the reality side of things.

Undercover Boss was originally a British show, and as hard as it is to believe, a local version has been produced and is ready for your viewing pleasure. The set-up is as follows: senior executives of various big-name companies lose the sports cars and business suits in favour of working with the employees on the front line. The aim is to discover what those on the ground are thinking and feeling, and hopefully improve the company based on these observations. The result is a mixed bag. On the one hand the premise is cheesy to the extreme; on the other it gives some genuine and very human revelations.

These CEOs aren’t monsters secretly infiltrating the ranks to weed out weaknesses and increase their bottom line. These are real people who are interested in the company they own, and not only want what’s best for it as a whole, but what’s best for their employees. There isn’t any acting or faking; what happens when the big man mingles with the masses is very, very real. And, to be honest, touching. It’s not only finding out gossip and dirt, but also the individual tales we witness. The side stories keep us attached, and are great little hooks the whole way along. But it’s the overarching wholesomeness of getting back to your roots that makes the show. And when something goes wrong, it feels like you are witness to the inner-workings of these otherwise faceless corporations. There’s an immediacy to proceedings that captivates. But of course, this is a reality television show, so the usual faults are still there.

Where would ‘reality’ be without emotional music, crying, ridiculous prizes, and dragging every last scene out till it almost snaps under the sensationalism? Undercover Boss has all this in truckloads. The stories of the little guys may be interesting, but they’re buried under the music and the sound of tissues being ripped from the box. It feels like extraneous padding for the sake of it.

The problem is that there isn’t a lot of substance underneath. The hook is great, but the length of each episode means that it’s the same old emotional rollercoaster as every other ‘reality’ show. The difference is that this ride is one of those lame, slow ones for small children. The first episode with the Dominos CEO had some great insight, but it was let down by an ending that wouldn’t wrap up.

If you’re not in the mood for anything heavy, Undercover Boss will be suitable. Unfortunately it doesn’t fit anywhere to be really popular. There’s no talent being displayed. There’s no competition. There’s no truly gripping sub-plot. The only thing going for it is that it feels genuine, and that for the first half hour it’s actually interesting. Beyond that, it loses presence and any sense of urgency. At the end of each episode you know everything is going to turn out OK. It’s a pity the line “You’re fired” is probably trademarked.

Thomas Wilson