How does undercover boss film

Cloobeck Self as Self …. Sheldon Yellen Self as Self …. Rick Silva Self as Self …. John Fuller Self as Self …. Dan DiZio Self as Self …. Rick Tigner Self as Self …. Steve Phelps Self as Self …. Mark Mallory Self as Self …. Stephen Lambert Greg Goldman. More like this. Watch options. Storyline Edit. Add content advisory. Did you know Edit. Goofs In ads for the series, the title style of the camera pointing down at the cityscape is used. In addition to the time slot being called out, casting a shadow on a building, two birds are added flying by.

The birds are in silhouette, flying in an orientation traditional for a level-to-horizon camera shot, not for one pointing straight down where you should see both wings at all times. User reviews 20 Review. Top review. Not Fake. Now, it's fair to say that the employees chosen to be watched have probably been interviewed for a sob-story, but the dialog is real.

This show, if nothing else, gives us a look into the lives of the bigwigs running these companies. They have feelings-- they're rich, sure, but so what? Some studied, some worked extensively to reach the top, etc, and at the end of each episode, their inner philanthropist comes out.

Yellen gave Beck an autographed book and "a backpack full of goodies," and promised to keep their correspondence going. He even spent the day working alongside Beck, whose manager described him as "an exceptional employee," and "a joy to work with. According to Lambert's book, Undercover Boss: Inside the TV Phenomenon That Is Changing Bosses and Employees Everywhere , the kernel of the concept for the show came from British Airways head honcho Willie Walsh's response to a reporter's question about whether he'd suffered traveling inconveniences using the very airline he runs.

He responded, "I can't because people in BA recognize me. That simple truth led Lambert, who had previous success creating the show Wife Swap , to pitch the idea to Channel 4 and they agreed to "a two-episode cycle," according to executive producer Eli Holzman, who spoke with The Futon Critic. Lambert and Holzman were then able to bring the show to CBS and make it the reality TV juggernaut it is today, with one interesting difference: in the British version, after the emotional one-on-ones, the boss never reveals the ruse in front of the entire company via a celebratory screening of clips from the episode.

Holzman says he thought Americans would want a "big celebration," and the companies involved have confirmed that to be true. The celebrations have supposedly been a big morale booster.. Another interesting tidbit from Lambert's book : the first episode of Undercover Boss was lucky enough to follow the Super Bowl that year, giving it the absolute best possible lead-in. And while many shows have failed in the spot , Undercover Boss thrived, retaining an astounding Even after it moved to its regular 9PM Sunday night slot, it still averaged 17 million viewers per episode, making it what Lambert claimed was "the most popular new show of the television season.

Admiral Thomas, who was in his 50s at the time of the filming, cleaned rust off the deck using a "needle gun," and participated in training exercising for the LCAC or Landing Craft, Air Cushion. There were no tears, hugs, or monetary awards at the end of his day, but his his fellow seamen did attempt to act surprised that they'd been working alongside a superior officer all day. Though many who watched contended the jig was up before it even began.

According to commenters on the Surface Force Atlantic Facebook page, there's no way anyone would have believed a man of Admiral Thomas' age would have been an E Not only that, but according to some, it was obvious that most of the supposed TV crew were actually part of the admiral's security detail, which would have sent up another huge red flag.

Maybe next time he should try a nose ring or some fake tattoos. That's worked for the real show. But hey, it was a good effort, and an admirable gesture on behalf of a military superior to try to get an idea of what his crew goes through every day.

According to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto found himself at the center of a controversy that he categorized as "sublime ridiculousness" when County Controller Chelsa Wagner refused to release taxpayer funds to a tourist organization that offered to donate some of the prize money awarded to the city workers featured on the show.

This prompted Wagner to withhold all taxpayer funds from VisitPittsburgh, sparking a mini controversy that died down a week later when VisitPittsburgh clarified that their donations came from their general fund, which is "a mix of public and private dollars.

Peduto had this to say on the matter: "Some people want to use this as an opportunity as a battering ram. I think it's the first time that any politician has ever been accused for lining someone else's pockets.

Most companies enjoy a healthy shot of positive PR from being on Undercover Boss , but almost exactly one year after house-flipper-turned-seminar-guru Armando Montelongo's episode aired, over former students of his seminars filed a class action lawsuit against him.

Their suit alleges that his seminar course, which purports to instruct people on how to get paid to flip houses, "is a lie, and their widespread promotion of that lie over a course of years violates the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act "RICO". Montelongo has refuted the allegations, telling InTouch Weekly that the participants in the lawsuit are people who "decided that continuous hard work is not for them.

Bosses pick their aliases. Workplace shadowing isn't entirely staged. Enter the disguise. The bosses get to choose whatever they want to conceal their identities, from outfits to wigs to fake facial hair. And if you've ever wondered whether some employees recognize their bosses: they do. The big payoff at the end of each episode comes when the boss reveals their identity and showers praise and rewards on the good workers as well as punishments or firings on the not-so-good ones.

Massive bonuses, offers to pay bills or tuition, and establishing crisis funds for employees have all come from CEOs' experiences on the show. But just as there are less-than-perfect workers, there are also less-than-perfect CEOs. As part of his big end-of-show reveal, he offered one of his workers a boob job. Making yourself vulnerable and learning the truth about your company isn't an entertaining — or even comfortable — situation for every CEO.

Steve Joyce, the head of Choice Hotels International, accused Undercover Boss producers of setting him up to look stupid and unfamiliar with the various responsibilities that come with the job. Joyce also accused the show of exploiting his personal life. And I hadn't really dealt with it," he said. House-flipping mogul and seminar guru Armando Montelongo appeared on Undercover Boss , and the result was likely very different from what he was expecting.

After the episode aired, former students filed a class-action lawsuit against Montelongo alleging his expensive seminars — which claimed to teach people how to make money flipping houses — were fraudulent. Montelongo denied the allegations , telling In Touch Weekly the participants in the lawsuit are people who "decided that continuous hard work is not for them.

Undercover Boss airs in a number of countries and has spawned a couple of notable spin-offs. Undercover Boss: Abroad , which aired in the US, is comprised of select episodes from the British, Australian, and Canadian versions of the show.

Undercover Boss: Celebrity Edition follows various celebs as they go undercover again, in ridiculous disguises to discover untapped talent in their chosen fields.

Jewel, Idina Menzel, and Deion Sanders are among the featured guests. Several counties produce their own versions of the show, including Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland. Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto sparked controversy after his episode of Undercover Boss aired in Since VisitPittsburgh is funded in part by taxpayer dollars, Wagner believed it was unethical to rely on a donation from the group.

Wagner eventually reached an agreement with Peduto, at which point they released the money. Premiering a show immediately after the Super Bowl is either the kiss of death or a recipe for success. For Undercover Boss , it was the latter.