NEW YORK CITY — A & E cable network will roll out a new reality television series where two candidates compete to be a franchise owner.The new series, "Be the Boss," will premiere on Sunday, December 2 at 10 p.m. Molly Maid, Auntie Anne's, The Melting Pot and Jazzercise will be featured in the first season.

From the Emmy-award winning creators of "Undercover Boss," "Be the Boss" faces off two lower-level employees for the chance at what they think is a big corporate promotion. A&E says the challenge will turn "average Joes into CEOs." In each episode, the CEO summons two deserving candidates to the company headquarters and subsequently puts them through a series of grueling challenges to see if they have what it takes to be a senior manager. The winner will be in for a shock when they win not the company promotion but the keys to a franchised establishment. Startup franchise fees will be waived. It will be the runner-up who gets the corporate promotion.

In mass media's salute to franchising, the premiere episode will feature a country-singing marine going up against a former beauty queen for a career lift in Complete Nutrition. The franchisor of nutritional supplement retail stores has been franchising since 2007 and reports that it has 117 franchised units.