Back to the Floor (UK TV series)
Encyclopedia
Back to the Floor is a Reality-TV documentary series broadcast on BBC2 in the late 1990s and early 2000s in which CEOs or Top level managers Go undercover in their operations and take a junior/entry level job in their company. This give the bosses a lot think about during this exercise. They learn how their company really works, what the industry is like, and what their employees really think of them.
, goes back to work on one of his own liners.
Episode 2 (Broadcast 06/11/2001)- Burger king. French businessman Eric Bonnot, head of the Burger King
fast-food chain in the UK, swaps the boardroom for a week's work behind the counter at the Liverpool branch.
Episode 3 (Broadcast 13/11/2001)- Hovis. Peter Baker, MD of British Bakeries, swaps the boardroom for a week of putting crosses on hot-cross buns, scooping up litres of garlic butter with his hands, and chanting business Mantras in his Newcastle upon Tyne
bakery.
Episode 4 (Broadcast 20/11/2001)- Central park. Just ten days after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center
, Dr. Regina Peruggi
, president of the New York
Central Park Conservancy, leaves her Fifth Avenue office to work as a gardener in Central Park, where duties include cleaning dog mess and cleaning up after drug addicts.
Episode 5 (Broadcast 27/11/2001)- Ambulance. Adrian Lucas, Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, returns to the streets of Glasgow as a member of the ambulance crew.
Episode 6 (Broadcast 04/12/2001)- Women's prison USA. John Ferguson, head of the world's largest private prison
firm, heads for New Mexico
as he works for a week a guard at one of his organisation's own women's prisons.
Episode 7 (Broadcast 18/12/2001)- Dating agency. As head of the UK's largest dating agency, Louise Hansen's job is to make profits from lonely hearts.
Episode 8 (Broadcast 19/04/2002)- Hoover. Despite making the world's most famous vacuum cleaners, the Hoover
factory near Glasgow
is fighting for its future.
Series 1
- "Working Holiday" (broadcast 28/10/1997) - Terry Brown of Unijet spends a week as a rep in TenerifeTenerifeTenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
. - "A Class Apart" (broadcast 04/11/1997) - Headmistress Gillian DuCharme teaches in a comprehensive.
- "Running Water" (broadcast 11/11/1997) - Bob Baty of South West WaterSouth West WaterSouth West Water provides drinking water and waste water services throughout Cornwall and Devon and in small areas of Dorset and Somerset. South West Water came into being in 1989 with the privatisation of the water industry...
returns to the frontline. - "Drop In Rank" (broadcast 18/11/1997) - General Sir Hew PikeHew PikeLieutenant-General Sir Hew William Royston Pike KCB, DSO, MBE is a retired British Army officer known for his service in the Falklands War and for his command in Northern Ireland.-Education and early career:...
becomes a junior officer in the ArmyArmyAn army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
. - "Crawling About" (broadcast 25/11/1997) - Peter Cottee of Terminex works as a pest controller in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. - "Pillow Talk" (broadcast 02/12/1997) - Ann Lloyd becomes an auxiliary nurse.
Series 2
- Seeing Red (broadcast 10/11/1998) - Tony Marshall, MD of ButlinsButlinsButlins is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Butlins was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families....
samples life as a redcoat. - Back on Site (broadcast 17/11/1998) - Tony PidgleyTony PidgleyAnthony William Pidgley is the founder of Berkeley Group Holdings, one of the United Kingdom's largest housebuilding businesses.-Career:...
of Berkeley Group HoldingsBerkeley Group HoldingsThe Berkeley Group Holdings plc is a British housebuilding company based in Cobham, Surrey. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
works as a site manager on his own muti-million pound development. - Home Truths (broadcast 24/11/1998) - Heather Rabatts, Chief Exectutive of Lambeth Council, becomes a housing trainee.
- Top Dog (broadcast 01/12/1998) - Peter Davies, DG of the RSPCA, works as an inspector in LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. - A Copper's Lot (broadcast 08/12/1998) - Police chief Paul Whitehouse goes back on the beat.
- Man on the Move (broadcast 15/12/1998) - Grant Whitaker becomes a mover for PickfordsPickfordsPickfords is a moving company based in the United Kingdom, part of the Moving Services Group UK Ltd.The business is believed to have been founded in the 17th century, making it one of the UK's oldest functioning companies. The earliest record is of a William Pickford, a carrier who worked south of...
.
Series 3
- Supermarket swap. (Broadcast 28/10/1999)- Sainsbury's Chief Executive Dino Adriano works as an Assistant Floor Manager.
- Down to earth. (Broadcast 04/11/1999)-Roger Cato becomes a Customer Service Duty Manager at Heathrow airport.
- On the rails. (Broadcast 11/11/1999)- The Chief Executive of West Anglian Great Northern Line works as a platform supervisor.
- Fast food. (Broadcast 18/11/1999)- David Ford of Gardner Marchant trains as a catering Manager.
- The write stuff.(Broadcast 25/11/1999)- David Sullivan of the Daily Sport hustles as a reporter.
- Child's play. (Broadcast 02/12/1999)- The head of PGL looks after 24 children for a week.
- Breaking the mould.(Broadcast 09/12/1999)- WedgwoodWedgwoodWedgwood, strictly speaking Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, is a pottery firm owned by KPS Capital Partners, a private equity company based in New York City, USA. Wedgwood was founded on May 1, 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood and in 1987 merged with Waterford Crystal to create Waterford Wedgwood, an...
's Brian Patterson works on the production line. - No place like home. (Broadcast 16/12/1999)-David Batts cleans and washes for his own RadissonRadisson HotelsRadisson Hotels is one of the leading, full-service global hotel companies with more than 420 locations in 73 countries. The first Radisson Hotel was built in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1909, and was named after the 17th-century French explorer Pierre-Esprit Radisson...
-Edwardian hotel chain.
Series 4
- 400 weddings and a... (Broadcast 01/11/2000)-Sandals boss, Steve Garley, spends a week as a wedding co-ordinator in the CaribbeanCaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. - Behind bars. (Broadcast 08/11/2000)-Prison Service Director General, Martin NareyMartin NareyMartin Narey was the Chief Executive Officer of Barnardo's from October 2005 before stepping down in January 2011 to spend more time with his family...
, turns 'screw' at Parkhurst. - Binman. (Broadcast 15/11/2000)-Tom Riall, MD of the country's biggest waste disposal company, OnyxOnyxOnyx is a banded variety of chalcedony. The colors of its bands range from white to almost every color . Commonly, specimens of onyx contain bands of black and/or white.-Etymology:...
, spends a week on the bins. - Musseling in. (Broadcast 22/11/2000)-BelgoBelgoBelgo is a small chain of London restaurants specializing in simple Belgian cooking and Belgian beer. Belgo is noted for its uber-cool 1990's design and architecture, including kitchens viewable by customers entering the restaurant , and its waiting staff who dress as monks...
boss, Luke JohnsonLuke JohnsonLuke Johnson may refer to:* Luke S. Johnson , American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement* Luke Johnson , British businessman and former chairman of the British Channel 4...
, dishes out the mussels and the frites. - Working girl. (Broadcast 29/11/2000)-Ann SummersAnn SummersAnn Summers is a United Kingdom-based retailer specialising in sex toys and lingerie, with over 140 high street stores in the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and Spain. In 2000, Ann Summers acquired the Knickerbox brand, a label with an emphasis on more comfortable and feminine underwear, while...
head, Jacqueline GoldJacqueline GoldJacqueline Gold is a British business woman, and is currently Chief Executive of the Gold Group International companies Ann Summers and Knickerbox. She is the 16th richest woman in Britain.-Early life:...
, stitches bras and demonstrates sex products. - Changing homes. (Broadcast 06/12/2000)-Head of Carillion, Britain's biggest building company, Sir Neville Simms spends a week knocking down walls.
- Into the Lion's den. (Broadcast 13/12/2000)-Chairman of Millwall football club, Theo PaphitisTheo PaphitisTheodorus "Theo" Paphitis is a retail magnate and British entrepreneur of Greek Cypriot origin. He made the majority of his fortune in the retail sector, and is best known to the general public for his appearances on the BBC business programme Dragons' Den and as former chairman of Millwall...
, spends a week on the staff at The New DenThe New DenThe Den , is a football stadium and the home of Millwall FC. It is situated in South Bermondsey, South East London, almost directly adjacent to the railway line between London Bridge and New Cross Gate, plus the SELCHP incinerator. It is under a quarter of a mile away from original Den...
. - What's in store. (Broadcast 20/12/2000)-House of FraserHouse of FraserHouse of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
group boss, John Coleman, becomes a sales assistant for a week.
Series 5
Episode 1 (Broadcast 30/10/2001)- Cruising. American multimillionaire Bob Dickinson, president of Carnival Cruise LinesCarnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Doral, Florida, a suburb of Miami in the United States. Originally an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company is now one of eleven cruise ship brands owned and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc...
, goes back to work on one of his own liners.
Episode 2 (Broadcast 06/11/2001)- Burger king. French businessman Eric Bonnot, head of the Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
fast-food chain in the UK, swaps the boardroom for a week's work behind the counter at the Liverpool branch.
Episode 3 (Broadcast 13/11/2001)- Hovis. Peter Baker, MD of British Bakeries, swaps the boardroom for a week of putting crosses on hot-cross buns, scooping up litres of garlic butter with his hands, and chanting business Mantras in his Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
bakery.
Episode 4 (Broadcast 20/11/2001)- Central park. Just ten days after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
, Dr. Regina Peruggi
Regina Peruggi
Regina S. Peruggi is an American educator, who is the President of Kingsborough Community College, the first woman to hold that position in the college’s 40-year history. She is also known as the first wife of Rudy Giuliani, who would subsequently become Mayor of New York and a U.S...
, president of the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Central Park Conservancy, leaves her Fifth Avenue office to work as a gardener in Central Park, where duties include cleaning dog mess and cleaning up after drug addicts.
Episode 5 (Broadcast 27/11/2001)- Ambulance. Adrian Lucas, Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, returns to the streets of Glasgow as a member of the ambulance crew.
Episode 6 (Broadcast 04/12/2001)- Women's prison USA. John Ferguson, head of the world's largest private prison
Private prison
A private prison, jail, or detention center is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned by a third party that is contracted by a government agency...
firm, heads for New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
as he works for a week a guard at one of his organisation's own women's prisons.
Episode 7 (Broadcast 18/12/2001)- Dating agency. As head of the UK's largest dating agency, Louise Hansen's job is to make profits from lonely hearts.
Episode 8 (Broadcast 19/04/2002)- Hoover. Despite making the world's most famous vacuum cleaners, the Hoover
The Hoover Company
The Hoover Company started out as an American floor care manufacturer based in North Canton, Ohio. It also established a major base in the United Kingdom and for most of the early-and-mid-20th century, it dominated the electric vacuum cleaner industry, to the point where the "hoover" brand name...
factory near Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
is fighting for its future.
See also
- Undercover BossUndercover BossUndercover Boss is a television franchise series that has been released in multiple countries, originating in 2009 on the British Channel 4...
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