Ten programming boss Mott: Our next big thing will be Undercover Boss
Ten programming boss David Mott believes he may have found the next post-Masterchef reality ratings blockbuster – Undercover Boss.
The network will start shooting a local version of the series “in six to eight weeks”. It will also air the American version.
In an interview with the Mediaweek Australia podcast over the weekend, Mott – recently returned from the MIPTV conference in Europe – said Ten had held an option on the series since its UK version.
But it was the success of the American version on CBS which persuaded him.
He said: “We picked up a couple of formats. We’re proceeding with Undercover Boss
“That’s been incredibly successful for CBS. We’ve been sitting there thinking about the prospect for Ten. Now it’s a runaway train for CBS we’ve bought the CBS version.”
The format – which sees a company CEO secretly return to the shop floor in each episode – was created by Stephen Lambert who was also behind hit formats such as Wife Swap and Secret Millionaire, for which Nine recently completed filming a second series.
Mott said of Undercover Boss: “We’ll be in production with the local version in six to eight weeks with a view to launching in last few weeks of survey this year or early next year.”
He said: “We’ve defined a few iconic Australian companies. It’s a great series. It’s a real eye opener. It’s a little ripper.”
How undercover are they with cameras and sounds packs over all the staff?
They use the premise that the person is a laid off worker from another industry (automotive etc) and are trying entry level jobs in another industry and they are filming a doco about that.
Shame they are not showing the UK one, its probably better… I am guessing Ten will go the US style.. Both good shows, the US ones tends to focus more on the peoples personal tradegy rather than the business side though.
Of course 10 will emulate the US version. Mott and the rest of his ilk there are obsessed with emulating anything US. Nevermind any original slant or more widely o/s, simply slavishly follow the US.
I’ve never been a fan of 10 since 1992. The simpering brown-nosing for Mott at the Logies by 10 winners was almost as bad as the pedestrian tempo of the ceremony itself.
Hi Simon,
If you have time, take a listen to that Mediaweek podcast (link above) – most weeks it’s pretty good.
During that conversation Mott touches on the differences between the UK and US ones. The message I took was that he liked the polish and production values of the US version. If he wants to emulate that, then that seems a pretty good aspiration to me.
And Queenslander, I’ve never met Mott, so don’t have any reason to cheer for him, but don’t you think he deserved the credit? Personally, I rather liked the fact that it may have mainly been the personalities on the stage at the Logies, but at least they were acknowledging the crew and executives who made this stuff happen.
And if ever there was a year that Mott was going to deserve it, surely it’s now – the success of Masterchef and the 7PM Project seeming to come good after many months of holding his nerve.
(I agree about the pedestrian tempo though, by the way.)
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella