John
04-09-2009, 02:11 PM
The series 'Someone's Gotta Go' will feature small businesses that need to shed jobs to survive.
Instead of the boss choosing who will go, the companies will open up their books to staff and let them decide which of their colleagues will get the chop.
Emotional outbursts are assured as salaries are revealed and feelings laid bare.
The series is being produced by Endemol, who brought Big Brother to our screens, and will air on the US network Fox.
It has already come under fire for exploiting people's misery, particularly at a time when so many are out of work.
Tory Johnson, who founded a recruitment company for women, said it is an uncomfortable concept.
"For most people who are concerned about job security or are desperate to get hired, I don't think there's much to laugh at in terms of watching someone else's pain and misery," she said.
But Mike Darnell, chief of alternative programming at Fox, said the programme is simply a reflection of the "times we are living in".
"It's certainly no worse than watching the news every night and hearing all the statistics and watching what is happening," he said.
"To be frank, like all these shows, if you don't want to watch it, don't watch it."
Fox and Endemol have had no trouble in finding companies willing to participate in the show and every member of staff will have to agree to take part.
Darnell says that everyone will know exactly what they are doing and he has no concerns about emotional fallout.
He came up with the idea for the show after seeing a news report about a company where the boss could not decide who to sack and left the choice to his employees.
Instead of the boss choosing who will go, the companies will open up their books to staff and let them decide which of their colleagues will get the chop.
Emotional outbursts are assured as salaries are revealed and feelings laid bare.
The series is being produced by Endemol, who brought Big Brother to our screens, and will air on the US network Fox.
It has already come under fire for exploiting people's misery, particularly at a time when so many are out of work.
Tory Johnson, who founded a recruitment company for women, said it is an uncomfortable concept.
"For most people who are concerned about job security or are desperate to get hired, I don't think there's much to laugh at in terms of watching someone else's pain and misery," she said.
But Mike Darnell, chief of alternative programming at Fox, said the programme is simply a reflection of the "times we are living in".
"It's certainly no worse than watching the news every night and hearing all the statistics and watching what is happening," he said.
"To be frank, like all these shows, if you don't want to watch it, don't watch it."
Fox and Endemol have had no trouble in finding companies willing to participate in the show and every member of staff will have to agree to take part.
Darnell says that everyone will know exactly what they are doing and he has no concerns about emotional fallout.
He came up with the idea for the show after seeing a news report about a company where the boss could not decide who to sack and left the choice to his employees.