Wife Swap
Encyclopedia
Wife Swap is a reality television
program, originally produced by UK independent television production company RDF Media
and created by Stephen Lambert
. It was first broadcast in 2003 on the UK's Channel 4
. Since 2004, a US version has also been broadcast on the ABC
network. In November 2009, Channel 4 announced that they had axed Wife Swap, meaning that no new episodes of the show would be made for the channel. The final episode was broadcast in December 2009.
es and lifestyles, swap wives/mothers (and sometimes husbands) for two weeks. In fact, the programme will usually deliberately swap wives with extreme, polar opposite lifestyles, such as a dramatically messy wife swapping with a fastidiously neat one. Despite using a phrase from the swinging lifestyle, couples participating in the show do not share a bed with the "swapped" spouse while "swapping" homes.
During the first week, the new wife must adhere to exactly the same rules and lifestyle of the wife she is replacing. Each wife leaves a house manual which explains her role in the family and the duties she holds. This almost always determines what rules the wives will apply at the "rules change ceremony".
During the second week, the new wives are allowed to establish their own rules, and their new families must adhere to these new household rules. It usually takes a while for the families to adjust to this policy, meanwhile the wives disburse a sum of money to the family they have become immersed in, to do what the wives see fit to spend it on.
At the end of the two weeks, the two couples all meet together for the first time, and the wives, along with their husbands, discuss how they felt about the two weeks. This often descends into personal insults and has degenerated into violence at least twice. More often than not, however, both families reach toward a middle ground and express that they have learned from the experience. Sometimes, the table meeting is a very heartfelt and emotional time for the two families who sometimes have complete and mutual respect for each other. A few weeks later the cameras return to record what changes have occurred since the wife swap.
and broadcast in Croatia
, Sweden
, Norway
, Denmark
, Estonia
, Latvia
, Lithuania
, Italy
and Romania
. Viasat was the first company in the world to adapt the format locally.
The first adaptation was broadcast in Denmark in autumn 2003. A version in Serbia
is shown on RTV Pink
, called Menjam ženu, which premiered in July 2006. Also, Chile
premiered its own version of Wife Swap called "¿Quién cambia a quién? Intercambio de Esposas" (Who changes whom?: Wife Swap) on 14 March 2006. The series is produced by Canal 13
and hosted by Cecilia Bolocco. The Croatia
n version is broadcast on RTL Televizija
.
There is also a Dutch and a Belgian version of Wife Swap. The version shown in the Netherlands is called "Jouw Vrouw Mijn Vrouw" (Your wife My wife), and in Belgium, it is called "De Nieuwe Mama" (The New Mum/Mam/Mom). There is also a Czech Version, hosted by NOVA TV, called Výměna Manželek (Wife Swap). In Germany Wife Swap is called Frauentausch
and premiered on 14 July 2003 on RTL II
. An Italian version is broadcast by different channels and is still going on since 2004. The Indian version of wife swap is called Maa Exchange on Sony Television India and just recently started the first season in January 2011 and is still airing.
broadcast two international versions of Wife Swap, one where a British
family changed lifestyles with a German
family,
and then one where a British family changed lifestyles with an Australian family.
In 2008, Channel 4 broadcast a version where two British families who happened to be living in Spain at the time swapped with one another.
in the USA announced its version of Wife Swap, to be called Trading Moms, having outbid the Fox Network for the USA rights for the format. In June the same year Fox publicized a program with an almost identical format to Wife Swap entitled Trading Spouses
, which it began broadcasting on 1 July. ABC
then reverted to the original UK title for their series, which began on 29 September. In December 2004 RDF Media sued Fox for copyright infringement
for reproducing the Wife Swap format without their permission. In 2008, FOX sold the rights to the show to CMT
, ending the run.
was shown to be living entirely on state benefits, which she continued to do without declaring payments she subsequently received for media work. Prosecuted and found guilty in 2005, she was sentenced to 80 hours community service and ordered to repay £4,879 in overpaid benefits. In February 2007, she was convicted of child cruelty charges, receiving an eight-month suspended sentence
and a two-year supervision order.
man. He accused ABC of being dishonest, not allowing him contact with his wife, and making him miss his lessons at college. He claims that, when he ceased participating with the production of the episode, ABC threatened that it would not tell him his wife's whereabouts and would not pay for his wife's return home. He is suing for over US$
10,000,000, although a spokesperson revealed that the contract stated the spouse could be of either gender. In 2007, the UK version began a search for more same-sex swaps.
and methadone
after a binge
following his divorce from wife, Jane. The couple had been engaged in an open relationship
where each partner had an extra-marital girlfriend. The couple appeared in an October broadcast and were described as being comfortable with their lifestyle during the show, however after the airing Jane divorced Simon to be with her lesbian
lover and Simon was reportedly put under "enormous strain ... He was never really the same". Simon lost his job, his wife and his home in the months following the broadcast of the episode. After the show aired, Jane was recorded as stating that "The TV company has an image of you they want to portray and they goad you into behaving how they want you to behave" and "From the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed you are mic-ed
up. You can take the mic off when you go to the toilet and that's it. You aren't allowed to have contact with your own family." The issue was taken to Inquest, however no link was found between the incident and the programme. Despite this, however, the issue brought controversy
to the programme and drew such comments from the media as "There is a propensity for psychological damage to these inexperienced and naive people who, in seeking their 15 minutes of fame, may inadvertently be placing themselves and their families at enormous personal risk."
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
program, originally produced by UK independent television production company RDF Media
RDF Media
Zodiak Media is a Anglo-American television production company. It was formed in 2010 when RDF Media Group was acquired by, and merged with Zodiak Entertainment...
and created by Stephen Lambert
Stephen Lambert (media executive)
Stephen Lambert is an English television producer and executive. He is best known for creating and launching international hit formats such as the award-winning Wife Swap, Faking It, Secret Millionaire, and Undercover Boss...
. It was first broadcast in 2003 on the UK's Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. Since 2004, a US version has also been broadcast on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
network. In November 2009, Channel 4 announced that they had axed Wife Swap, meaning that no new episodes of the show would be made for the channel. The final episode was broadcast in December 2009.
Synopsis
Two families, usually from vastly different social classSocial class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
es and lifestyles, swap wives/mothers (and sometimes husbands) for two weeks. In fact, the programme will usually deliberately swap wives with extreme, polar opposite lifestyles, such as a dramatically messy wife swapping with a fastidiously neat one. Despite using a phrase from the swinging lifestyle, couples participating in the show do not share a bed with the "swapped" spouse while "swapping" homes.
During the first week, the new wife must adhere to exactly the same rules and lifestyle of the wife she is replacing. Each wife leaves a house manual which explains her role in the family and the duties she holds. This almost always determines what rules the wives will apply at the "rules change ceremony".
During the second week, the new wives are allowed to establish their own rules, and their new families must adhere to these new household rules. It usually takes a while for the families to adjust to this policy, meanwhile the wives disburse a sum of money to the family they have become immersed in, to do what the wives see fit to spend it on.
At the end of the two weeks, the two couples all meet together for the first time, and the wives, along with their husbands, discuss how they felt about the two weeks. This often descends into personal insults and has degenerated into violence at least twice. More often than not, however, both families reach toward a middle ground and express that they have learned from the experience. Sometimes, the table meeting is a very heartfelt and emotional time for the two families who sometimes have complete and mutual respect for each other. A few weeks later the cameras return to record what changes have occurred since the wife swap.
USA broadcast
On February 28, 2008, ABC announced that it had renewed Wife Swap through the 2008–09 season; the 100th episode aired in March 2009. The show also aired in syndication on the Lifetime channel.Other countries and versions
Localised versions of Wife Swap were produced by ViasatViasat
Viasat is a DBS distributor and TV broadcaster, owned by the Swedish media conglomerate Modern Times Group. Broadcasting from London, the target markets are in the Nordic and the Baltic Countries...
and broadcast in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. Viasat was the first company in the world to adapt the format locally.
The first adaptation was broadcast in Denmark in autumn 2003. A version in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
is shown on RTV Pink
RTV Pink
RTV Pink or Radio-Television Pink is a popular, privately-owned, national TV network in Serbia. Pink is the leading commercial station in the Serbian television broadcast market. TV Pink has gained a strong reputation for its entertainment programming...
, called Menjam ženu, which premiered in July 2006. Also, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
premiered its own version of Wife Swap called "¿Quién cambia a quién? Intercambio de Esposas" (Who changes whom?: Wife Swap) on 14 March 2006. The series is produced by Canal 13
Canal 13 (Chile)
Canal 13 , is the second oldest television station in Chile. It is owned by Luksic Group associated with the Papal Catholic University of Chile. Its inaugural transmission took place on August 21, 1959...
and hosted by Cecilia Bolocco. The Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n version is broadcast on RTL Televizija
RTL Televizija
RTL Televizija is a Croatian commercial broadcaster with national availability that has been broadcasting since April 30, 2004.RTL Televizija is 74% owned by the RTL Group....
.
There is also a Dutch and a Belgian version of Wife Swap. The version shown in the Netherlands is called "Jouw Vrouw Mijn Vrouw" (Your wife My wife), and in Belgium, it is called "De Nieuwe Mama" (The New Mum/Mam/Mom). There is also a Czech Version, hosted by NOVA TV, called Výměna Manželek (Wife Swap). In Germany Wife Swap is called Frauentausch
Frauentausch
Frauentausch is a German reality television series.This program is much like the other Wife Swap shows, when, for ten days, wives exchange homes and families. They are allowed to advise each other through a video and information cards. The meet blindfolded, half-way en route to their new homes...
and premiered on 14 July 2003 on RTL II
RTL II
RTL II is a privately owned, commercial, general-interest German television channel.It was founded as a second-generation commercial broadcaster in 1993. It quickly became infamous for its perceived "trash programming", comprising lots of soft porn as well as shows such as Peep and many...
. An Italian version is broadcast by different channels and is still going on since 2004. The Indian version of wife swap is called Maa Exchange on Sony Television India and just recently started the first season in January 2011 and is still airing.
Celebrity Wife Swap
There have been some celebrity versions of Wife Swap produced on the UK version of the series:- Charles IngramCharles IngramCharles Ingram is a former British Army major who made headlines worldwide after he was accused of cheating in the game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in 2001. He was convicted of deception, although he maintains that he did not cheat...
and his wife Diana swapped with Jade GoodyJade GoodyJade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction from...
of Big BrotherBig Brother (UK)Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
and her then-partner Jeff BrazierJeff BrazierJeffrey Carl Brazier is a British television presenter and reality TV star. Before becoming a television personality, he was a footballer on the books of Leyton Orient for three years, although he never played for the first team and quit the game due to injury.-Career:In 2001, Brazier took part in... - Racing pundit John McCririckJohn McCririckJohn McCririck is an English television horse racing pundit. He is notable not only for his racing opinions but also for his old-fashioned style of dress and mannerisms...
and his wife Jenny swapped with politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
Edwina CurrieEdwina CurrieEdwina Jonesnée Cohen is a former British Member of Parliament. First elected as a Conservative Party MP in 1983, she was a Junior Health Minister for two years, before resigning in 1988 over the controversy over salmonella in eggs...
and her husband John - Magician Paul DanielsPaul DanielsPaul Daniels, born Newton Edward Daniels on 6 April 1938, is a British magician and television performer. He achieved international fame through his television series The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran on the BBC from 1979 to 1994.-Early life:...
and his wife Debbie McGeeDebbie McGeeDebbie McGee is an English television, radio and stage performer who is best known as the wife and assistant of magician Paul Daniels. McGee is a former ballet dancer and, for three years, she was artistic director of her own ballet company...
swapped with journalist and radio host Vanessa FeltzVanessa FeltzVanessa Jane Feltz is an English television personality, broadcaster and journalist. She currently presents an early morning radio show on BBC Radio 2, a mid morning phone-in show on BBC London 94.9. In 2011, she started hosting The Vanessa Show on Channel 5. The first series ended on June 24th...
and her fiancé Ben OfoeduBen OfoeduBen Ofoedu , is a Nigerian/British singer-songwriter, most famous for being the former lead singer of the band Phats and Small.-Music career:... - 1980s pop singer and Celebrity Big BrotherBig Brother (UK)Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
star Pete BurnsPete BurnsPete Burns is an English singer-songwriter, author and television personality who founded the band Dead or Alive in 1980, for which he acted as the vocalist and songwriter, and which rose to mainstream success with their 1985 single "You Spin Me Round "...
and his partner Michael Simpson swapped with former footballer Neil RuddockNeil RuddockNeil "Razor" Ruddock is a retired English footballer, who played as a central defender.He made his debut at Millwall , and he had a long career playing for Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Liverpool, West Ham, Crystal Palace, and finally a short-lived spell as a player/coach at Swindon Town Neil...
and his partner Leah Newman - Comedian Freddie StarrFreddie StarrFreddie Starr is an English comedian who became famous in the early 1970s. He is also an impressionist and singer, with a chart album After the Laughter and UK Top 10 single, "It's You", in March 1974 to his credit.-Early career:Under his real name, he appeared as a teenager in the film Violent...
and his wife Donna swapped with Samantha FoxSamantha FoxSamantha Karen "Sam" Fox is an English dance-pop singer, actress, and former glamour model. In 1983, at the age of 16, she began her topless modeling career on Page Three of The Sun, and went on to become a popular pin-up girl...
and her partner Myra Strattan - 1980s pop singer Sinitta and her husband Andy swapped with former Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
star Bruce Jones and his wife Sandra - SoulSoul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer Alexander O'NealAlexander O'NealAlexander O'Neal is an American R&B singer. He is best-known for the songs "If You Were Here Tonight" and "Fake", and the duets with Cherrelle, "Saturday Love" and "Never Knew Love Like This".-Biography:...
and his wife Cynthia swapped with wine critic, journalist and television personality Jilly GooldenJilly GooldenJilly Goolden is a British wine critic, journalist and television personality.-Education:Goolden was educated at an independent convent school ,-Career:...
and her husband Paul - Rhona CameronRhona CameronRhona Cameron is a Scottish comedian. She rose to prominence via the stand-up comedy circuit, and became a regular on British TV in the 1990s.-Television career:...
and her partner Suran swapped with fellow comedian Stan BoardmanStan BoardmanStan Boardman is an English comedian.- Early life :Boardman was evacuated with his family to Wrexham during World War II, and after the family returned to their Merseyside home mistakenly thinking the area had escaped the German bombs, his elder brother Tommy was killed in a bombing raid.He had...
and his wife Viv - Ron AtkinsonRon AtkinsonRonald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
and his wife Maggie swapped with Tessa SandersonTessa SandersonTheresa Ione Sanderson CBE is a former British javelin thrower and heptathlete who competed in the javelin competition in every one of the six Olympics from 1976–1996 winning the Gold medal in 1984...
and her partner Densign
Notable episodes and special editions
Wife Swap has aired several unique episodes in its history.UK
In 2005, Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
broadcast two international versions of Wife Swap, one where a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
family changed lifestyles with a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
family,
and then one where a British family changed lifestyles with an Australian family.
In 2008, Channel 4 broadcast a version where two British families who happened to be living in Spain at the time swapped with one another.
USA
For their hundredth episode on 13 March 2009, the USA version selected 24 families to participate in a contest to reswap. Viewers voting in October 2008 picked the artistic/psychic Silver family of Florida and the storm-chasing/UFO hunting Heenes of Colorado. The Heenes later gained notoriety in the national media when they were involved in the Balloon boy hoax. According to Denver Blogger Bill Husted, "It sounds like a good match." But, "distressingly," LA Times writer Jon Caramancia wrote, "it's clear they haven't learned a thing."Boss Swap
A spin-off, Boss Swap, was broadcast as a series in the UK. A pilot for a US series was shown on ABC but was not commissioned. Husband Swap and Vacation Swap pilots were also broadcast in America, but were not picked up for series production. At least once, however, a husband and a live-in boyfriend swapped while the women stayed with their families.Parodies
- Wife Swap was spoofed in a 2006 episode of The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, "Homer Simpson, This Is Your WifeHomer Simpson, This Is Your Wife"Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife" is the fifteenth episode of the seventeenth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 26, 2006, and was watched by around ten million viewers during that broadcast. In the episode, Homer signs the Simpson family...
", which was written by and starred Ricky GervaisRicky GervaisRicky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
. It was also spoofed in an episode of Hope & FaithHope & FaithHope & Faith is an American sitcom that aired for three seasons on ABC from September 26, 2003, to May 2, 2006. For its first two seasons the show was part of a revived TGIF comedy block....
with Wynonna JuddWynonna JuddWynonna Ellen Judd is an American country music singer. Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the singular name Wynonna. Wynonna first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in the country music duo The Judds...
guest-starring. - In 2007, Richard ThomasRichard Thomas (musician)Richard Thomas is British a musician, writer, and comedy actor. He is best known for composing and scoring the award-winning Jerry Springer: The Opera with Stewart Lee. Thomas collected the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Score in 2004....
's BBC TwoBBC TwoBBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
series Kombat Opera PresentsKombat Opera PresentsKombat Opera Presents is a BBC2 comedy show. The comedy parodies British television programmes by transforming them into Operas. The music for the series was written by Richard Thomas, with the series having its origins in the Kombat Opera segments of Simon Munnery's character The League Against...
included a musical parody of the USA version of Wife Swap, under the title Spouse Change. - In The Vicar of DibleyThe Vicar of DibleyThe Vicar of Dibley is a British sitcom created by Richard Curtis and written for its lead actress, Dawn French, by Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, with contributions from Kit Hesketh-Harvey. It aired from 1994 to 2007...
, Alice Tinker mentions going on the programme. - An episode of Chappelle's ShowChappelle's ShowChappelle's Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedian Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show as well as starring in various skits. Chappelle, Brennan and Michele Armour were the show's executive producers. The series premiered on January 22,...
broadcast a parody of Trading SpacesTrading SpacesTrading Spaces is an hour-long American television reality program that aired from 2000 to 2008 on the cable channels TLC and Discovery Home. The format of the show was based on the BBC TV series Changing Rooms. The show ran for eight seasons....
, entitled "Trading Spouses". This was filmed before the programme was broadcast. The skit featured a format similar to the show, but with sexual themes. - MAD magazine had a wife swap spoof between The Simpsons and Family Guy's Griffin family.
- In 2009 during a week of EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, Max BranningMax BranningMax Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006.-Backstory:Max is the fifth child and second son of Jim and Reenie Branning...
and Tanya BranningTanya BranningTanya Lauren Jessop is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jo Joyner. She made her first appearance on 27 June 2006. She left the show temporarily on 25 December 2009 for maternity leave and returned for one episode on 23 June 2010. She made her full-time return on...
swapped lifestyles with Ian BealeIan BealeIan Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985...
and Jane Beale for a week.
Trading Spouses
In early 2004 ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in the USA announced its version of Wife Swap, to be called Trading Moms, having outbid the Fox Network for the USA rights for the format. In June the same year Fox publicized a program with an almost identical format to Wife Swap entitled Trading Spouses
Trading Spouses
Trading Spouses, often advertised as Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy, is a FOX reality show in which two families, usually of different social classes, swap wives or husbands for a week. Each family is awarded $50,000, with the stipulation that the guest mother decides how her host family must...
, which it began broadcasting on 1 July. ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
then reverted to the original UK title for their series, which began on 29 September. In December 2004 RDF Media sued Fox for copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
for reproducing the Wife Swap format without their permission. In 2008, FOX sold the rights to the show to CMT
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
, ending the run.
Fraudulent activity
In her 2003 appearance on the programme, Lizzy BardsleyLizzy Bardsley
Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bardsley is an English media and television personality who rose to fame after appearing in the Channel 4 series Wife Swap in 2003...
was shown to be living entirely on state benefits, which she continued to do without declaring payments she subsequently received for media work. Prosecuted and found guilty in 2005, she was sentenced to 80 hours community service and ordered to repay £4,879 in overpaid benefits. In February 2007, she was convicted of child cruelty charges, receiving an eight-month suspended sentence
Suspended sentence
A suspended sentence is a legal term for a judge's delaying of a defendant's serving of a sentence after they have been found guilty, in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation...
and a two-year supervision order.
Same-gender swap
In November 2005, Jeffrey Bedford, a participant in the American series, sued ABC network for trading his wife for a gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
man. He accused ABC of being dishonest, not allowing him contact with his wife, and making him miss his lessons at college. He claims that, when he ceased participating with the production of the episode, ABC threatened that it would not tell him his wife's whereabouts and would not pay for his wife's return home. He is suing for over US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
10,000,000, although a spokesperson revealed that the contract stated the spouse could be of either gender. In 2007, the UK version began a search for more same-sex swaps.
Simon Foster
In July 2008, father Simon Foster died as a result of alcoholAlcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and methadone
Methadone
Methadone is a synthetic opioid, used medically as an analgesic and a maintenance anti-addictive for use in patients with opioid dependency. It was developed in Germany in 1937...
after a binge
Binge
-People:* Dagmar Anita Binge, German founder of Binge Discs * Ronald Binge, British composer and arranger of light music-See also:A binge is any behavior indulged to excess...
following his divorce from wife, Jane. The couple had been engaged in an open relationship
Open relationship
An open relationship is an interpersonal relationship in which the parties want to be together but agree to a form of a non-monogamous relationship. This means that they agree that a romantic or sexual relationship with another person is accepted, permitted, or tolerated...
where each partner had an extra-marital girlfriend. The couple appeared in an October broadcast and were described as being comfortable with their lifestyle during the show, however after the airing Jane divorced Simon to be with her lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
lover and Simon was reportedly put under "enormous strain ... He was never really the same". Simon lost his job, his wife and his home in the months following the broadcast of the episode. After the show aired, Jane was recorded as stating that "The TV company has an image of you they want to portray and they goad you into behaving how they want you to behave" and "From the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed you are mic-ed
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
up. You can take the mic off when you go to the toilet and that's it. You aren't allowed to have contact with your own family." The issue was taken to Inquest, however no link was found between the incident and the programme. Despite this, however, the issue brought controversy
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
to the programme and drew such comments from the media as "There is a propensity for psychological damage to these inexperienced and naive people who, in seeking their 15 minutes of fame, may inadvertently be placing themselves and their families at enormous personal risk."
Alicia Guastaferro
In March 2010, teen beauty queen Alicia Guastaferro sued ABC for $100 million, claiming that public embarrassment about her portrayal as a "spoiled brat" on Wife Swap led to panic attacks and suicidal tendencies.See also
- FrauentauschFrauentauschFrauentausch is a German reality television series.This program is much like the other Wife Swap shows, when, for ten days, wives exchange homes and families. They are allowed to advise each other through a video and information cards. The meet blindfolded, half-way en route to their new homes...
(German version of Wife Swap) - Holiday ShowdownHoliday ShowdownHoliday Showdown is a BAFTA-nominated and Royal Television Society award winning reality television programme, produced by Chris Kelly for the UK independent TV production company RDF Media. It first aired in 2003 on ITV in the United Kingdom....
(like Wife Swap, but with holidays)
External links
- Wife Swap UK at Channel4.com
- Boss Swap at Channel4.com
- RDF Media