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Undercover Boss Abroad, UK and Australia rights to OWN

By April MacIntyre Feb 7, 2012, 7:19 GMT

OWN chief Oprah Winfrey - © Janet Mayer / PR Photos

TLC and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today they have acquired the rights to Undercover Boss UK and Undercover Boss Australia, airing on the networks as Undercover Boss: Abroad.

TLC plans to air two back-to-back one-hour episodes on Monday nights at 9PM and 10PM ET/PT, and the 28 new episodes will air across 14 weeks starting Monday, February 13. OWN will add the series to its schedule on Tuesday nights at 8 PM and 9 PM ET/PT beginning Tuesday, March 13.

From OWN 

UNDERCOVER BOSS: ABROAD, distributed domestically by CBS Television Distribution, has the same hit format as the American version, following high-level corporate executives as they slip anonymously into the rank and file of their own companies.  Each week, a different executive will leave the comfort oftheir corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their corporation.  While working alongside their employees, they willlearn about themselves, the effects their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organization, the perception of their company, and discover the unsung heroes of their work force.

Many of the companies featured in UNDERCOVER BOSS: ABROAD are worldwide brands, including YMCA, Domino’s Pizza, Sodexo, Best Western Hotels and Isuzu Trucks.  The series will also explore brands and businesses unique to their own countries.

“The original American version of UNDERCOVER BOSS was an instant hit on CBS and has turned into a powerful franchise for the off-network marketplace with numerous international editions to extend the brand,” said Scott Koondel, Senior Vice President of Corporate Licensing and Distribution for CBS Corp. and President of Distribution for CBS Television Distribution.

Additionally, UNDERCOVER BOSS CANADA joins the networks’ schedules later in Spring 2012.

UNDERCOVER BOSS: ABROAD continues in the joint acquisition model of the original UNDERCOVER BOSS series, which began airing each on TLC and OWN during 2011.