Wife Swap is a British reality television programme that aired on Channel 4 from 7 January 2003 to 15 June 2017.
In the programme, two families, usually from different social classes and lifestyles, swap wives/mothers – and sometimes husbands – for two weeks. In fact, the programme will usually deliberately swap wives with dramatically different lifestyles, such as a 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.
In November 2009, Channel 4 announced that they had cancelled Wife Swap, and no new episodes of the show would be made for the channel. The final episode was broadcast in December 2009.
It was announced that Wife Swap would return for a special Brexit episode to air on 15 June 2017 on Channel 4.
Synopsis 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 behind 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 involved with, 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.
Transmissions
Wife Swap had 11 total seasons, as well as a celebrity version. This table is approximate as exact dates are not known for all seasons.
Series Series Start date End date Episodes 1 7 January 2003 28 January 2003 4 2 30 September 2003 4 November 2003 6 3 29 June 2004 27 July 2004 6 4 26 October 2004 9 February 2005 6 5 19 September 2005 24 October 2005 6 6 2006 2006 4 7 2006 2006 5 8 2007 2007 10 9 2008 2008 9 10 2008 2009 5 11 2009 19 December 2009 6
Specials Date Entitle 30 September 2003 Changed Our Marriage 29 June 2004 Changed Our Marriage 15 June 2017 Brexit Special
Celebrity Wife Swap There were nine celebrity episodes, airing between 11 November 2003 and 16 August 2009.
International versions Country Title Network First airdate Wife Swap Australia LifeStyle YouSeven Network 9 January 2012Обмен ЖёнамиObmen ZhjonamyONT 24 September 2011 De Nieuwe Mama vtm 2004 Troca de Esposas RecordTV 14 February 2019 Смени женатаSmeni zhenata bTV 1 March 2017 ¿Quién cambia a quién? Intercambio de Esposas Canal 13 14 March 2006 Mijenjam ženu RTL 2006 Výměna manželek TV Nova 5 September 2005 Par på prøve TV3 6 October 2003 On a échangé nos mamans M6 13 January 2004 Frauentausch RTL II 14 July 2003 Maa Exchange Sony January 2011 Cambio moglie Fox LifeLA7, SKY VivoNOVE 20042005-200820 May 2020 אמא מחליפה Ima Mahlifah Channel 2 (Keshet) 2005 Jouw vrouw, mijn vrouw RTL4 ? Wife Swap NZ TVNZ 2 30 May 2019KonebytteTV322 November 2004 Zamiana żon TV4 7 June 2007TTV19 April 2018 Schimb de mame Prima TV 2006Обмен ЖёнамиObmen ZhjonamySTS9 July 2011 Yu TV 2017 Мењам женуMenjam ženu RTV PinkHappy TV July 2006 Zámena manželiek TV Markiza 6 September 2004 Me cambio de familia Cuatro 5 February 2010 Міняю жінкуMinyayu zhinku 1+1 8 March 2010 Wife Swap ABCCMT 26 September 2004
Spin-offs Boss Swap A spin-off, Boss Swap, was broadcast as a series in the UK. A pilot for an American 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. In the Netherlands and Belgium Vacation Swap episodes, are produced as "Jouw vakantie, mijn vakantie".
At least once a husband and a live-in boyfriend swapped while the women stayed with their families.
X-Change There is an ongoing series on China's Hunan Television in which the people being swapped are mostly the eldest children (or in rare cases, youngest or all children) of between 9–16 years old. One of these comes from an affluent family, but with behavioural and legal issues, in which they must surrender all technological gadgets and money (except for the allowances left by the opposite family, or any money they earned or collected). The other is from a poorer agricultural village, often orphaned or with single parents. This show also has celebrity mentors making videos of support for the participants.
In the Netherlands the same format is being used in KRO's Puberruil, broadcast on NPO3. The children are 15–18 years old. Most of the time Dutch children are swapped, but there are also episodes named "Puberruil buitenland" where Dutch children are swapped with children in countries like India, Brazil and Sierra Leone. Longer episodes are called "Puberruil Xtra".
In popular culture In 2007, Richard Thomas's BBC Two series Kombat Opera Presents included a musical parody of the American version of Wife Swap, under the title Spouse Change. In The Vicar of Dibley, Alice Tinker mentions going on the programme. In 2009 during a week of EastEnders, Max Branning and Tanya Branning swapped lifestyles with Ian Beale and Jane Beale for a week. The programme was parodied in the children's programme Horrible Histories, where it was called Historical Wife Swap. In the sketch, wives from different positions, such as a Viking and a thrall, or a Pharaoh and a peasant would swap, showing how these people lived. There were seven sketches in total, appearing in series 1–5.
References
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