TV Review: CBS Jumps Into Employment Reality with ‘The Job’

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CHICAGO – Is it odd to anyone else that there’s an entire subgenre of reality TV shows — we could call ‘em employment reality — about people trying to find work? There’s “The Apprentice,” “Shark Tank,” “Fashion Star,” and even “Project Runway” & “Top Chef” are essentially job interviews. It makes sense that we would someday get to “The Job,” where people try to find employment with major companies in front of a live studio audience.

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

The concept is so simple that it’s kind of remarkable someone didn’t come up with it early. It’s a mini-“Apprentice,” as top-tier professionals compete for a job but do so not through challenges but mostly through the power of their own personalities. Introductions, first-impressions, on-site interviews before the show, quizzes about the history of the company, and rapid-fire questions from the potential employers — Welcome to “The Job.” Is it any good? Sorta. It meets the Friday night standard of low expectations and fits the same niche as “Shark Tank” in that it’s easy to root for people who have had trouble making their dreams come true. Mark Burnett (“Survivor,” “The Apprentice”) knows reality TV and I expect “The Job” to be a modest hit for CBS on Saturday nights. It’s forgettable and nowhere near ground-breaking but it’s a likable hour of TV and sometimes that’s all you want after a long week at (or looking for) work.

The Job
Photo credit: CBS

In the premiere sent for review, five candidates compete for a job at The Palm in New York City. They come from varied backgrounds, have very different looks, and unique approaches to the interview process. One woman seems overly nervous, trying to entertain as much as inform. Another gentleman doesn’t think it’s a problem that the bulk of his work history comes from a vegan restaurant when he’s applying for a job at one of the most famous steakhouses in the world.

The Job Photo credit: CBS

“The Job” takes place in rounds. In one, it’s just the introduction process. Another is a quiz that Palm employees need to know. And the candidates were all put through their paces the night before at the restaurant (which is kind of a cheat given that it’s something that typically doesn’t happen in the interview process) so the employers could discern who doesn’t recognize the CEO of the company when he comes to the front of the restaurant and who doesn’t know how to gracefully pour a glass of wine. After each round, a candidate is eliminated, until a job is offered at the end. During the process, three competing companies (three other NY eateries) have the capability to steal a candidate, offering them a job before the Palm can.

Future episodes will include Cosmopolitan Magazine, Major League Soccer, Epic Records, Zynga, Live Nation, Gilt, and Viceroy Hotel Group.

“The Job” really does feel like a reality TV “Greatest Hits” in the way it borrows from shows like “The Apprentice” and “Shark Tank” but I don’t mean that as harshly as it may sound. Not all TV, certainly not on Friday nights, needs to break new ground. The show is well-produced, well-hosted (by Lisa Ling), and generally entertaining. I found myself cynical at first but then wondering who I would hire from the employer position and what I would say if I was up on stage. That’s all we want from a show like this one — a bit of involvement as you come down from a hard week at work and, hopefully, give thanks that you’re not job interviewing on national TV.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com