Emmy voters have a tendency to nominate breakthrough network hits (see “Survivor,” “American Idol”). If so, CBS’ “Undercover Boss” could be a contender this year. The highest-rated new reality series of the season is shepherded by U.K. hitmaker Stephen Lambert, who created “Wife Swap” before forming Lambert Studios, which gave birth to “Boss.”
The Hollywood Reporter: Why has “Undercover Boss” resonated in the U.S.?
Stephen Lambert: A lot of people feel that they work very hard and they dream of recognition. So watching bosses take the time to find out what’s going on in their companies and watching ordinary workers being recognized for their hard work by those bosses is very emotionally satisfying.
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THR: What will be different in Season 2?
Lambert: We’re going to have a number of female bosses. We were keen to have female bosses in the first season, but corporate America is such that there aren’t that many. It proved harder than we thought.
THR: Is there a show you’d like to produce in the U.S. that might be too tricky to pull off?
Lambert: We’re doing a show in the U.K. later this year that is very risky and I don’t quite know whether it’s going to work. It’s a real-time reality show about people who have interesting and difficult life choices to make.We will be editing it and broadcasting it as we go along. So what you’re going to see is what’s happened in the last seven days. But that also means the people on the show are going to be affected by the way viewers and the press talk about them. It’s uncharted territory and I think that would be fascinating to bring to the U.S.
THR: Who would be your dream “Boss” casting?
Lambert: I’d like the head of a big TV network to be on it. But whether we can persuade anybody to do that, I don’t know.
