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Wife Swap (American TV series)

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Wife Swap is an American reality television series based on the British series of the same name that premiered on September 26, 2004. In the program, two families, usually from different social classes and lifestyles, swap wives/mothers – or sometimes husbands – for two weeks. The show originally aired on ABC for six seasons between 2004 and 2010 and was narrated by actor John Schwab.[1]

Wife Swap
GenreReality
Narrated byJohn Schwab
Brian Lee
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes148 (original series)
40 (Celebrity Wife Swap)
20 (reboot)
Production
Running time42 minutes
Production companyBanijay Studios North America (formerly RDF/Zodiak USA)
Original release
NetworkABC (2004–2010; 2013)
Paramount Network (2019–2020)
ReleaseSeptember 26, 2004 (2004-09-26) –
April 16, 2020 (2020-04-16)

The program usually swaps wives who are polar opposites in some way, such as a messy wife swapping with a fastidiously neat one, or a stay-at-home mother swapping with a high-powered career woman, and documents the cultural and social differences that the wives and their new families must overcome.

A short-lived continuation of the original show aired on ABC in 2013.[1] On March 8, 2018, it was announced that CMT had picked up the series for a 10-episode reboot. However, it was later announced that the reboot would premier on April 4, 2019 on Paramount Network.[2] On September 5, 2019, the series was renewed for a 20-episode season which premiered on February 13, 2020.[3][4] On September 22, 2020, Paramount Network cancelled the series as part of the network's then-planned shift to films.[5]

A spin-off series featuring celebrities, Celebrity Wife Swap, ran on ABC from 2012 to 2015.[6]

Synopsis

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Two very different families are introduced, and the wife of each family (or rarely, the husband) is sent to live with the other family for two weeks. Before meeting their new families, each wife has a chance to explore the family's home and read a manual left for them by the other wife. During the first week of their stay, the wives must live by their new families' rules and learn to adapt to a different lifestyle.

In the second week, the wives are able to impose their own rules on the families, which they read out at the "rules change ceremony". The rule change almost inevitably results in conflict as the families push back against their new wives' demands.

After the two weeks, the couples are reunited and come face to face across a table to discuss their experiences. This often leads to insults and arguments (and has even led to physical violence) though the couples also often use the time to reconcile and talk about what they have learned. The show ends with the cameras returning a few weeks later to see how the swap impacted each family's life.

Series overview

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See also: List of Wife Swap (American TV series) episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
121[a]September 26, 2004 (2004-09-26)March 23, 2005 (2005-03-23)ABC
224[b]September 12, 2005 (2005-09-12)May 1, 2006 (2006-05-01)
320September 18, 2006 (2006-09-18)August 6, 2007 (2007-08-06)
420January 2, 2008 (2008-01-02)June 25, 2008 (2008-06-25)
522October 3, 2008 (2008-10-03)May 1, 2009 (2009-05-01)
614April 2, 2010 (2010-04-02)August 13, 2010 (2010-08-13)
77March 21, 2013 (2013-03-21)May 2, 2013 (2013-05-02)
810April 4, 2019 (2019-04-04)June 6, 2019 (2019-06-06)Paramount Network
910February 13, 2020 (2020-02-13)April 16, 2020 (2020-04-16)
  1. ^ Includes two episodes with different formats ("Boss Swap" and "Vacation Swap")[7] and one episode that only aired outside the United States (Bedford/Leonard).[8]
  2. ^ Includes one compilation episode ("Wife Swap Saved My Marriage").[9]
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Trading Spouses

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In early 2004, ABC announced an American version of the British show Wife Swap, to be called Trading Moms, having outbid Fox Network for the rights for the format in the U.S.[10] 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 July 1.[11] ABC then reverted to the original UK title for their series, which began on September 26. In December 2004, RDF Media sued Fox for copyright infringement for reproducing the Wife Swap format without their permission.[12] In 2008, FOX sold the rights to the show to CMT, ending the run.[13]

Gay swap

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In November 2005, series participant Jeffrey Bedford sued ABC for over $10 million for trading his wife for a gay man.[8][14] He accused ABC of being dishonest, not allowing him contact with his wife and making him miss his lessons at college. He claimed 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. An ABC spokesman revealed that the contract stated the spouse could be of either gender.[15] The episode (Bedford/Leonard) never aired in the United States, though it did air in the United Kingdom on Channel 4.[16] In 2007, the UK version of Wife Swap began a search for more gay or lesbian swaps.[17]

Alicia Guastaferro

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In March 2010, Alicia Guastaferro sued ABC for $100 million, claiming that her appearance and depiction on a 2008 episode of Wife Swap led to her public embarrassment and that she suffered from panic attacks and suicidal tendencies as a result.[18] Guastaferro alleged that many of the scenes that depicted her as a "spoiled brat" were staged and that she had been purposely asked to "act a little more spoiled."[19] The lawsuit was settled out of court later that same year and the terms were not disclosed to the press.[19]

Notable episodes

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Controversies

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The only aired episode of the original series to feature a same-sex couple was in 2004, with the lesbian Boone-Luffey family swapping with the conservative Christian Gillespie family. The Gillespies' wife, Kris, called the Boone-Luffeys' relationship "depraved" and implied that the lesbian wife sent to her house was a sexual predator.[20] The episode created controversy, particularly within the LGBT community.[21][22]

In a 2005 episode, the Wiggins family (who were Black) swapped wives with the Felix family (who were White). The Felix' husband Jeremy admitted to using racial slurs, leading to an angry confrontation with the Wiggins' wife Neicey. The couples also had a physical altercation at their table meeting. After the episode aired, the Felix family was harassed and had to be given private security by the show's producers.[23]

An episode taped in 2005 featuring the Panagiotakis family was halted mid-production due to the father, Yanni, being arrested and charged with hitting his 13-year-old daughter in the face. The episode was never broadcast.[24]

The 2006 episode between the Ridgeley and Corrao families ended in violence, after the Ridgeleys' wife Jen called the Corraos' wife Kim a "slut" and the husband Louis a "sap". Jen's husband Randy, a professional rodeo cowboy, flipped the table over and punched Louis. The couples declined to return to the table meeting. Randy stated afterwards that Louis had gotten "some cowboy education", and Louis remarked "I guess that's how they do it on the farm. They just, you know, it's hit first and ask questions later".[25]

A 2007 episode featuring the Haigwood family of rural Iowa prompted numerous calls to the Iowa Department of Human Services. The family enforced a raw food diet on their children that included raw meat, and homeschooled them with a curriculum that allegedly included counting the number of eggs their chickens had hatched. However, it was determined by state officials that the unorthodox diet did not amount to child abuse, and that the parents had filed paperwork proving competent homeschooling.[26]

In 2009, a San Francisco contestant named Stephen Fowler became the target of heavy online criticism for his disparaging attitude toward his substitute wife, Gayla Long. Fowler belittled Long throughout the show, calling her "uneducated, over-opinionated, and overweight" and a "dumb redneck", among other insults. The episode resulted in Fowler losing his job.[27]

Spolansky/Bradley

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The second ever episode in 2004 was unusual in that it featured a New York City multi-millionaire, Jodi Spolansky, who swapped lives with Lynn Bradley, a woman from rural New Jersey who chopped wood for a living.[28] Lynn left the Spolansky household early due to the disrespect she felt she was getting from Jodi's husband Steven. The couples later appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, where Steven apologized and offered to do a day of Lynn's wood chopping duties.[29]

Stockdale family murders

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A 2009 episode featuring the Stockdale family later became notorious when one of the sons, Jacob Stockdale, murdered his mother and brother in 2017. The Stockdales, who performed in a family bluegrass band, were depicted as sheltered and deeply religious on the show.[30]

One hundredth episode

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For their hundredth episode on March 13, 2009, the show selected 24 families from previous episodes to participate in a contest to swap again. Viewers voting in October 2008 picked the artistic/psychic Silver family of Florida and the storm-chasing/UFO-hunting Heenes of Colorado.[31] The Heenes later gained infamy in the national media when they were involved in the Balloon boy hoax. According to Denver, Colorado blogger Bill Husted, "It sounds like a good match".[32] But, "distressingly", L.A. Times writer Jon Caramancia wrote, "it's clear they haven't learned a thing".[33]

Curtis Holland

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Another March 2009 episode was notable for featuring six-year-old Curtis Holland. In this episode, Curtis and his calorie-loving family from North Carolina experience a week at the hands of fitness instructor Joy Brown who tries to force the family to change their unhealthy lifestyle. Throughout the episode, Holland frequently voices his distaste for Joy's fitness regime. After the episode aired, Holland became very recognizable and had even been approached to film a reality show as well as advertise for a bacon company, both of which did not work out.[34] A clip from the episode has received 18 million views as of April 2023.[35] In 2015, Holland created a GoFundMe page to raise money for a car, stating that he never received any money from appearing on Wife Swap.[36] The GoFundMe page was later removed.

Envy/Loudon

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The only time a family withdrew from an episode during filming was in 2013, when Tea Party activist Gina Loudon quit the show after being swapped into the polyamorous Envy family. Gina checked into a hotel room and called her husband John, telling him "We’re definitely dealing with dark forces here". The Loudon family refused to attend the table meeting, though the episode still aired.[37]

Celebrity Wife Swap

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On January 2, 2012, ABC began airing a celebrity version of Wife Swap.[6]

Season 1

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The first season had 5 episode where ten celebrities and their families took part:

  1. Tracey Gold and Carnie Wilson
  2. Gary Busey and Ted Haggard
  3. Dee Snider and Flavor Flav
  4. Niecy Nash and Tina Yothers
  5. Antonio Sabàto Jr. and Mick Foley

Season 2

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On May 11, 2012, the show was renewed for a second season. The second season debuted on February 26, 2013. The celebrities who took part were:

  1. Kate Gosselin and Kendra Wilkinson
  2. Coolio and Mark McGrath
  3. Alan Thicke and Gilbert Gottfried
  4. Bristol and Willow Palin and Joan and Melissa Rivers
  5. Ric Flair and Roddy Piper
  6. Nia Peeples and Tiffany
  7. Andy Dick and Lorenzo Lamas
  8. Downtown Julie Brown and Lisa Leslie
  11. Gerardo and Sisqó

Season 3

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It was announced on July 31, 2013, that the series has been renewed for a thirteen episode third season.[38] The third season began on April 15, 2014. The celebrities taking part are:

  1. Daniel Baldwin and Jermaine Jackson
  2. Tichina Arnold and Kelly Packard
  3. Robin Leach and Eric Roberts
  4. Laila Ali and Angie Stone
  5. Angie Everhart and Pat Neely
  6. Larry Birkhead and Hélio Castroneves
  7. David Justice and Dweezil Zappa
  8. Amanda Beard and Heidi Montag
  9. Judy Gold and Penn Jillette
  10. Joe Piscopo and Barry Williams
  11. Jenna von Oÿ and Jill Zarin
  12. Tyler Christopher and Ronn Moss
  13. Plaxico Burress and DJ Paul

Season 4

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The fourth season premiered on May 20, 2015.

  1. Jackée Harry and Traci Lords
  2. Verne Troyer and Hines Ward
  3. Jeremy London and David A. Siegel
  4. Tami Roman and Kerri Walsh Jennings
  5. Charo and Jill Whelan
  6. Vince Neil and Gunnar Nelson
  7. Holly Robinson Peete and Margaret Cho
  8. Cloris Leachman and Pia Zadora
  9. Sean Lowe and Jason Mesnick
  10. George Hamilton and Alana Stewart and Angela Raiola
  11. Corey Feldman and Tommy Davidson
  12. CeCe Peniston and Kellie Williams
  13. Robert Carradine and Terrell Owens

Syndication

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Episodes of Wife Swap air in syndication on Lifetime in the U.S., E4 in the UK and CMT in Canada.[39][40]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Wife Swap". TV Guide. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  2. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (2019-03-07). "'Wife Swap' Revival Moving From CMT to Paramount Network". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  3. ^ ""Wife Swap" Renewed for 20 New Episodes on Paramount Network". The Futon Critic. September 5, 2019.
  4. ^ "Video: Official Trailer for New Season of "Wife Swap" - Premieres February 13 on Paramount Network". The Futon Critic. January 27, 2020.
  5. ^ Otterson, Joe (September 22, 2020). "Paramount Network Rebrands, Doubles Down on Movies and Minis (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Celebrity Wife Swap". TVGuide.com. 2014-07-08. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  7. ^ "Wife Swap Season 1". TV Guide. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  8. ^ a b Zizzo, David (2006-01-02). "Suit alleges unfair portrayal". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  9. ^ "Wife Swap Season 2". TV Guide. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  10. ^ Carter, Bill (2 August 2004). "In Reality TV, Is It Thievery Or Flattery?". The New York Times.
  11. ^ "Spouse swap a fit for Fox: Net snipes at Alphabet with Trading Spouses" article from Variety
  12. ^ "Wife Swap sues Trading Spouses" article from post-gazette.com
  13. ^ "Breaking News — TWENTIETH TELEVISION SELLS FAMILY FOCUSED REALITY SERIES "TRADING SPOUSES" AND "NANNY 911" TO CMT". TheFutonCritic.com. 27 February 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  14. ^ Russell, Doug (2005-11-20). "Haileyville man sues 'Wife Swap'". McAlester News-Capital. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  15. ^ "Man Sues After Reality TV Gay 'Wife Swap'". FOX News. 21 November 2005.
  16. ^ "Wife Swap husband sues for emotional damages after gay show". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  17. ^ "Wife Swap want gay or lesbian family". Pink News. 13 February 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  18. ^ "Teen beauty queen portrayed as spoiled brat on 'Wife Swap' files $100M lawsuit". NYDN. 23 March 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  19. ^ a b "'Wife Swap' star Alicia Guastaferro to plead not guilty to prostitution in Thruway arrest". Syracuse.com. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  20. ^ Pacetta, Christopher (2005-02-13). "REALITY BITES Stay in the know on TV's most shameless shows". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  21. ^ White, Dave (2005-02-08). "Rough trade". Advocate.com. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  22. ^ Wong, Dickson (2005-02-08). "A Lesbian Wife Swap". Out Magazine. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  23. ^ "Wife Swap family claims harassment". The Globe and Mail. 2005-09-23. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  24. ^ Amter, Charlie (2005-04-05). ""Wife Swap" Punched Out". E! Online. Archived from the original on 2005-08-28. Retrieved 2024-08-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  25. ^ Edwards, L.H. (2013). The Triumph of Reality TV: The Revolution in American Television. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-313-39902-2. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  26. ^ Rocchio, Christopher (2007-02-22). "'Wife Swap' appearance sparks child abuse calls for Iowa family". Reality TV World. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  27. ^ Nevius, C.W. (2011-01-22). "'Wife Swap' antics tough to live down". SFGATE. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  28. ^ Blumenstock, Kathy (2004-09-26). "'It Was the Worst 10 Days of My Life'". Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  29. ^ "Wives Swapping Lives". Oprah.com. 2004-09-24. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  30. ^ Hurst, Brogan-Leigh (2021-10-14). "Wife Swap kid ended up killing his family nine years after notable episode aired". The Mirror. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  31. ^ "Home". Wife Swap. ABC.com. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  32. ^ "Ft. Collins couple play "Wife Swap" – AGAIN! | The Peek". Blogs.denverpost.com. 6 March 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  33. ^ Caramanica, Jon (8 March 2009). "'Wife Swap': Voyeurism with a message (sometimes)". Los Angeles Times.
  34. ^ "Remember King Curtis from Wife Swap? Here's what he looks like now". NewsComAu. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  35. ^ FlyLo123 (2009-08-25), "Bacon is good for me!", retrieved 2017-12-20{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  36. ^ "Viral phenomenon 'King Curtis' from 'Wife Swap' just broke his 6 year silence to ask the internet for money". Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  37. ^ "'Wife Swap': One Family Walks Off The Show". HuffPost. 2013-03-29. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
  38. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 31, 2013). "ABC's 'Celebrity Wife Swap' Renewed For Third Season". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  39. ^ "Wife Swap Full Episodes, Video & More".
  40. ^ "Wife Swap | CMT.ca". www.cmt.ca. Archived from the original on 2014-09-03.
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