Beat the Boss is a business game show broadcast in the United Kingdom as part of the BBC's children-oriented programming, CBBC. It was presented by Cameron Johnson and originally Saira Khan. The format features two teams, one team of children named "The Bright Sparks", and one team of adults named "The Big Shots", creating a product that will appeal to the children's market. At the end of each episode, a panel of children vote for their favourite product and the team with the most votes wins the Beat the Boss trophy and a limousine ride home, while the losing team has to take the bus.
Beat the Boss | |
---|---|
Genre | Business Game show |
Directed by | Various |
Presented by | Saira Khan (2006–2009) Cameron Johnson (2009) |
Opening theme | Club Foot |
Composers | Thomas Meighan, Sergio Pizzorno |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 36 |
Production | |
Executive producer | Gillian Scothern |
Producer | Moray London |
Editor | Various |
Camera setup | Various |
Running time | 28 minutes |
Production company | CBBC Production |
Original release | |
Network | BBC One |
Release | 22 May 2006 15 September 2009 | –
Series 1
editFruit Drink
edit- Aired: Monday 22 May 2006
- Filmed: 2005
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Joseph, Becky & James
- Bright Sparks product: "Creative Juices"
- Big Shots: Rachel, Mark & Jo
- Big Shots product: "VIBE"
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Dog Backpack
edit- Aired: Monday 29 May 2006
- Filmed: 2005
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: George, Nina & Sam
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Andrea, Ali & Andy
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Practical Joke
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Shawn, Holly & Callum
- Bright Sparks product: "The FP3 Player"
- Big Shots: Tom, Calypso & Alan
- Big Shots product: "The Screaming Diary"
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Inflatable
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Robert, Radha & Owen
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Jonathan, Karen & Spencer
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Sleepover Experience
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Lauren, Ben & Aimee
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Narrinder, Tia & Tom
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Comic Relief does Beat the Boss
editA special version of Beat the Boss was shown before Red Nose Day 2007. It involved The Bright Sparks and a celebrity team of The Big Shots composed of Joe Pasquale, Duncan Bannatyne and Chantelle Preston. The teams had to design a suit for Lenny Henry to wear on the night. Viewers were asked to phone in and vote for their favourite. During Red Nose Day 2007, Saira Khan and the two teams were on the stage, and Saira Khan announced that the winners were "The Bright Sparks", Lenny Henry came from backstage wearing the designed suit.
Series 2
editSwim
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Robin, Oscar & Jess
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Paul, Charlie & Jak
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Board Game
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Harry, Charlotte & Daniel
- Bright Sparks product: "Pyramid Plunder"
- Big Shots: Shauna, Syd & Denise
- Big Shots product: "Beat the Boss"
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Ice
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Bethany, Luke & Dani
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Jonathan, Lydia & Doug
- Big Shots product: "Rap Freeze"
- Winner: The Big Shots
Bike
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Joe, Lisa & Jimmy
- Bright Sparks product: "MountRock"
- Big Shots: Yana, Andy & Charlotte
- Big Shots product: "BodyPAC"
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Hair
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Craig, Alice & Dale
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Sarah, Jason & Sian
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Football
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Harry, Chloe & Janojan
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Tom, Georgie & Stafford
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Chair
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Aminah, David & Maxine
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Ian, Tamara & Atif
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Cereal
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Charmaine, James & Hannah
- Bright Sparks product: "Crunch Crew"
- Big Shots: Theo, Mairi & Jimmy
- Big Shots product: "Rocket Boost"
- Winner: The Big Shots
Pets
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Rhiann, Sam & Abbie
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Erfan, Rachel & Adam
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Outdoor Games
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Hinay, Sianhael & Jake
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Sumerah, Vincent & Gerry
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Series 3
editTent
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Anna, Samuel & Amy-Louise
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Jordan, Tricia & Amin Saleem
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Rocket
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Chae, Jack & Jessica
- Bright Sparks product: "Sky High"
- Big Shots: Wilfred, Collette & Imran
- Big Shots product: "Lunar Lens"
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Bed
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Charlotte, Charles & Niomi
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Robin, Liz & Matt
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Hand Luggage
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Zachary, Carolyn & Miron
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Sue, Ranzie & Roisin
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Reptiles
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Callum, Anna & Alex
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Tracey, Alvin & Eddie
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Cake
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Isabel, Richard & Leah
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Alex, Laura & Will
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Series 4 & Beat the Boss USA
editSeries 4 was partly filmed in America, with an American presenter (Cameron Johnson from Oprah's Big Give), American Big Shots, and one of the three Bright Sparks was also American. It was filmed during the Summer of 2008 and aired beginning January 2009. The first five episodes are called "Beat the Boss USA".
Dog Outfit
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Location: New York
- Company:
- Bright Sparks: Victoria, Khaleel & Violet
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Susan, Andrew & Sunny
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Cheesecake
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Location: Los Angeles
- Company: The Cheesecake Factory
- Bright Sparks: Laura, Harry & Sierra
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: David, Cheryl & Ryan
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Outdoor Craze
edit- Aired: January 2009
- Filmed: August 2008 in San Francisco, Santa Cruz Beach, and Emeryville, California.
- Brief: "You'll need to whip the nation into a frenzy with this challenge. Your team has to create an outdoor craze to take America's backyards by storm. Your craze must have an element of skill and it must be easy to carry around."
- Location: San Francisco
- Company: Wham-O
- Bright Sparks: Rhys, Ruth & Eli
- Bright Sparks product: "Pogo Ball"
- Big Shots: Bob, Margaret & Ray
- Big Shots product: "Hoop Flyers"
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
All Purpose Sauce
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Location: Pittsburgh
- Company: Heinz
- Bright Sparks: Rosie, Rory & Brana
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Nathan, Kelley & Emmai
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Street Wear
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Location: Los Angeles
- Company:
- Bright Sparks: Ali, Cherelle & Oliver
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Debbie, Sean & Lucinda
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Karting
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Jess, James & Sam
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Khami, Stef & Katy
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Den
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Shannon, Ned & Ella
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Matt, Sally & James
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Beach Inflatable
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Will, Charlie & Hakim
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Jacky, James & Dee
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Luxury Cat Pad
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Aliyah, Jay & Shanice
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Ben, Jane & Amarron
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Wet Weather Gear
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Mustafa, Cordelia & Robert
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Rebecca, Umer & Claire
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Series 5
editCricket
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Connor, Olivia & Asim
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Deidre, Richard & Mel
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Bike
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Bethan, Daniel & Monet
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Edwin, Emma & Imran
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Fashion
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Alex, Kimberley & Khalil
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Laura, John & Sandy
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Recycling
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Harry, J'nae & Riordan
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Nicola, Moneeb & Sarah
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Bright Sparks
Crisps
edit- Aired:
- Filmed:
- Brief:
- Bright Sparks: Ruwa, Allan & Leah
- Bright Sparks product:
- Big Shots: Obi, Clare & Neil
- Big Shots product:
- Winner: The Big Shots
Other versions
editIn September 2008, an Irish version of the show in Irish language started on BBC Northern Ireland. Hosted by Céara Ní Choinn, it is titled Gaisce Gnó (Be the Business). In this version, the Big Shots appear to come more from the visual media world than from big business. The first challenge was to create a board game.