Can a Monkey Do My Job?

Can a Monkey Do My Job? is a reality television show format produced by Faux Network in many countries throughout the world. In each episode of the show, a participant is replaced by a monkey, usually a great ape, at his or her job for one week. At the end the show, the participant's co-workers, bosses, as well as the live television audience, vote on whether the monkey has done a worse or better job than the participant. If the monkey did a worse job than the participant, the participant wins a cash prize; on the other hand, if the monkey did a better job than the participant, the participant wins nothing and is usually dunked into a giant tank of Banana Smoothy onstage while live on television. Only two participants have won the cash prize so far in the US version of the show.

Concept History

The concept is credited to infamous reality television producer Jimmy Gardoff, creator of previous hit reality shows as Sink or Swim and Can You Survive in Prison? An often circulated apocryphal story has Gardoff pitching the show concept to Newz Corporation and Faux Broadcasting Corporation owner Wendy Murdock while extremely intoxicated and on a dare, only to receive pre-approval to develop the show and an initial order of twenty episodes. The show was first developed by Similar Production Company for broadcast on the Faux Network in the United States, part of the Don't Think, Just Laugh Wednesday night prime-time comedy line-up. It generated a huge rating bonanza for the then ailing Faux Network and at its prime pulled in 40 million viewers per episode.

Episodes

Season 1

Ray Randall Controversy

U.S. Senator Ray Randall was humiliated after viewers and members of his own staff voted unanimously in favor of the monkey following his appearance in episode 13. TV Critic Magazine cited Randall's "poor work ethic, insincerity, and overall sliminess" exhibited on-camera. Impeachment proceedings were brought against the senator for alleged mismanagement of public funds (he was filmed taking regular three-hour lunches on the show), but deliberations failed to generate the required two-thirds majority opinion for him to be removed from office. Randall later filed a lawsuit against Faux Network for the program, which he claimed constituted attempted character assassination. A representative at Faux Network told reporters the matter had been settled outside of court. Episode 13 earned the highest ratings of any 1-hour time slot that season, but even the extra attention was not enough to guarantee Can a Monkey Do My Job? renewal the following fall.

Foreign adaptations

Germany

The German adaptation, Zum Affen gemacht (a common expression literally meaning "turned into a monkey"), is currently (as of 2010) the highest rating show on German television, running in its fifth season with a sixth to be produced in 2011. It has since spawned a sister show, Ein Hundeleben ("a dog's life") featuring workers being replaced by dogs; this show was itself commissioned after a monkey took over as head of light entertainment at the German broadcaster Pro13.

Published under the terms of the CC BY 3.0 license.