Undercover Boss is an offbeat reality TV program, which holds the honor of being one of the first new shows so well-received by the viewers in the history of American television. Contrived by Stephen Lambert, the show features a high-tier executive of a business firm, who disguises himself as an entrant in his own company. The camera crew follows the employer under the pretext of filming a documentary that focuses on the journey of a newly recruited employee.

The show premiered on February 7, 2010, and shattered all records on the popularity charts by garnering a record viewership of 38.6 million in its premiere episode. The episode was aired after the 44th Super Bowl championship, and saw the President and C.E.O. of Waste Management Inc., Larry O’Donnell taking on the avatar of the boss in disguise. The second season of the show premiered on September 26, 2010.

A typical episode of the show features a high-level business associate joining as an entry-level worker in his own firm. As the episode unfolds, the viewers get to see the events that span for a week. This journey includes the boss’ interaction with the bottom-level employees, as well as a deep insight into what exactly goes on amongst the employees of a typical organization. In short, it’s a story that every worker, will associate with.

As the events of the entire ploy draw to an end, the boss reveals his true identity, much to the shock of his employees, who are then subjected either to perks and praises, or a slash in their benefits, depending on the behavior that they exhibit through the entire stint.

The ‘undercover bosses’ featured Coby G. Brooks, Joseph DePinto, Dave Rife, William C. Carstanjen, Michael G. Rubin, Joel Manby, Rick L. Arquilla, and Chris McCann in the first season. The season finale sparked a buzz among viewers, as it saw Chris McCann revealing his identity before the stipulated period, when he unraveled some shocking misconceptions regarding his company amongst his employees.