Filmed in the centre of London, The show's contestants are split into two teams of "Rulers" and "Grafters", to try and get the prize money to a maximum of £100,000. The Rulers live in a luxurious penthouse apartment, whilst the Grafters are stuck in a gloomy basement.
The Rulers direct the Grafters to work to increase the prize fund through 'work shifts' - little tasks designed to get money for the prize fund - and 'overtime', where pairs of Grafters compete to see if they can reach the quota set by a ruler managing them. Occasionally, there may be other twists, such as the Grafters being able to give feedback to the Rulers, or being allowed to request an item to keep them occupied in the basement.
The main vehicle of the series is a golden lift, through which contestants go up and down as the representative of social mobility. Every night, the climax of the episode alternates between a 'Ruler Vote', in which the Rulers vote amongst themselves for who will leave (the latest Ruler to join has the casting vote); and a 'Rise Vote', where the Grafters vote for two or three of their own to go to join the Rulers, of whom the Rulers will reject one - yet, in classic reality show fashion, this is also subject to change in various episodes.
This series provides examples of the following tropes:
- Acquired Situational Narcissism: Marina, Jack, Eddy (to an extent) all let power go to their head in the Red Room despite being popular in the Basement.
- Added Alliterative Appeal: The dreaded Red Room.
- A House Divided: The whole point of this show.
- Ambition Is Evil: Sophie becoming the villain as a ruler.
- Back for the Finale: All the defeated contestants come to the Basement for one final Grafter task in the final episode.
- Bad Impressionists: Subverted - Connor's Alan Carr impersonation isn't actually too bad. (Although the Eddy one might need a bit of work.)
- Better the Devil You Know: Often it's safer to be in the Basement than be at risk of being voted out in the Penthouse.
- Binge Montage: Before the Rulers vote on who to pick up, every night they have a boozy party.
- Character Development: Many of the original Rulers find themselves better grafting than ruling. Connor and Ramona are good examples of this, as well as Matt.
- Disappointing Promotion: Pretty much what happens to every Grafter-turned-Ruler when they realise that, compared to the Red Room, the Basement's actually a bit safer place to be.
- Earned Stripes: The Rulers, including former Grafters, wear fancy suits, whilst the Grafters wear dull clothing. A big show is also made of Rulers getting a 'ruler badge'.
- Eat That: The missions often involved eating dog food or particularly unappetising meals.
- Moral Luck: The Overtime tasks, where the Rulers set a quota for the Grafters to complete. Either the Ruler went safe, in which case it can be particularly underwhelming; or they go too high, where the result is non-completion.
- Non-Gameplay Elimination: A few of these:
- Ali walks away when he finds out he isn't a Ruler.
- Connor walked out in Episode 13 in protest at the deadlock costing the team almost a third of what the team had earnt.
- Joanna left the basement on medical advice after a few of the tasks.
- Joas was expelled from the basement after pouring water on Sophie.
- Rags to Riches: A Grafter can always go up to be a Ruler.
- Respected by the Respected: Eddy. A very good Grafter who becomes less popular with the Grafters as a Ruler. He wins the prize fund.
- Riches to Rags: On occasion, a newly elected Grafter-turned-Ruler can send a Ruler straight to the basement.
- Rule of Drama: We viewers only get to see the highlights, but producers don't fail to keep the dramatic moments in.
- Tall Poppy Syndrome: Jeff certainly makes himself stand out, but the Rulers have as little respect for him as do the Grafters, and he ends up leaving the show at the same time as James, when the Rulers disagreed on which to save.
- Voted Off the Island: Variation. Either your fellow Rulers vote you out, or occasionally the new Grafter(s) vote you out.
