Review: 'Phone Shop Idol'

One of the best things about observational reality television is being exposed to a world that you had no idea even existed.

That's certainly the case in PHONE SHOP IDOL, the new series that debuts this week on BBC2. The six-episode series follows the rough-and-tumble competition surrounding the U.K.'s annual "Shop Idol" competition.

There are about 20,000 people in the U.K. employed in the cellphone retail shop sector and each year the best of the best are pitted against each other in a competition to choose the best overall sales associate. 32 phone shop idols are chosen by their respective employers and there are also contestants who self-nominate themselves. The self-nominated contestants are winnowed down online, with the most popular contestants moving forward in the competition. In fact, last year's "Shop Idol" winner was a self-nominated contestant, so it is a competition in which any man or woman can win.

It's easy to laugh off such a competition, but as the first episode shows, working in a phone shop can have a profound impact on someone's life. For some, their success has given them self-confidence and the peace that comes with knowing you can make a good living. For others, it's their chance to make a place for themselves in an unfamiliar country or recover from a life that had been filled with homelessness and financial challenges.

Once the final pool of contestants has been chosen, each potential winner is visited by a mystery shopper that secretly films their interaction. While the potential idols know that a mystery shopper is coming, it can happen anytime within a three-month period. The mystery shopper provides feedback and the contest judges view the footage and also grade the interaction. The combined score then is posted online and some of the contestants are cut before the next round.

I was surprised at how quickly I was sucked into this series. The contestant profiles are fascinating and this is a glimpse into a world that most people never see. I find myself already rooting for some contestants and have so far successfully fought the temptation to look online and see if I can discover who ended up winning.

PHONE SHOP IDOL airs Tuesday evenings on BBC2.