Beat the Boss

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.

Fruit Drink

 * 1) Aired: Monday 22 May 2006
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired: Monday 29 May 2006
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Robert, Radha & Owen
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Jonathan, Karen & Spencer
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Bright Sparks

Sleepover Experience

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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
A 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.

Swim

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Robin, Oscar & Jess
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Paul, Charlie & Jak
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Bright Sparks

Board Game

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Craig, Alice & Dale
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Sarah, Jason & Sian
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Bright Sparks

Football

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Harry, Chloe & Janojan
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Tom, Georgie & Stafford
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Big Shots

Chair

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Aminah, David & Maxine
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Ian, Tamara & Atif
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Big Shots

Cereal

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Rhiann, Sam & Abbie
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Erfan, Rachel & Adam
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Bright Sparks

Outdoor Games

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Hinay, Sianhael & Jake
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Sumerah, Vincent & Gerry
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Bright Sparks

Tent

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Charlotte, Charles & Niomi
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Robin, Liz & Matt
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Big Shots

Hand Luggage

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Zachary, Carolyn & Miron
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Sue, Ranzie & Roisin
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Bright Sparks

Reptiles

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Callum, Anna & Alex
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Tracey, Alvin & Eddie
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Bright Sparks

Cake

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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
Series 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired: January 2009
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Jess, James & Sam
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Khami, Stef & Katy
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Bright Sparks

Den

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Shannon, Ned & Ella
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Matt, Sally & James
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Big Shots

Beach Inflatable

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) 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

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Mustafa, Cordelia & Robert
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Rebecca, Umer & Claire
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Big Shots

Cricket

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Connor, Olivia & Asim
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Deidre, Richard & Mel
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Bright Sparks

Bike

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Bethan, Daniel & Monet
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Edwin, Emma & Imran
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Big Shots

Fashion

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Alex, Kimberley & Khalil
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Laura, John & Sandy
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Big Shots

Recycling

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Harry, J'nae & Riordan
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Nicola, Moneeb & Sarah
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Bright Sparks

Crisps

 * 1) Aired:
 * 2) Filmed:
 * Brief:
 * Bright Sparks: Ruwa, Allan & Leah
 * Bright Sparks product:
 * Big Shots: Obi, Clare & Neil
 * Big Shots product:
 * Winner: The Big Shots

Other versions
In 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.