Wife Swap
From Free net encyclopedia
Wife Swap is a reality television program, produced by UK independent TV production company RDF Media, and first aired in 2002 on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom.
Two families, usually with vastly different social classes, swap wives for two weeks. The women try to fill their counterpart's role, usually not succeeding particularly well. The adopted family also tries to cope with the change. However, the husband usually fares worse than the children.
Each wife leaves a house manual which explains their role in the family and the duties they hold. During the first week of the swap, they attempt to keep up with the demands set by their new lifestyle, which usually includes a greatly increased (for one, decreased for the other) level of housework. During the second week, the roles are somewhat reversed with the family having to abide by the rules set by the new wife.
At the end, the women meet for the first time and along with their partners, discuss how they feel about the two weeks. This often descends into personal insults and rows.
A celebrity Wife Swap saw Charles Ingram's wife, Diana, swap with Jade Goody of Big Brother fame.
Contents |
Spin-offs
The program format is reported to have been sold to various countries around the world. In late 2004, in the US, the format was remade on ABC and copied as Trading Spouses on Fox. Some episodes of the American version of Wife Swap were shown on British television (also in late 2004).
A spin-off of the show, Boss Swap, aired as a series in the U.K. A pilot for a U.S. series aired on ABC, but the show never made air. Husband Swap and Vacation Swap pilots were also aired in the U.S., but were not ordered to series. At least once, however, a husband and a live-in boyfriend swapped while the women stayed with their families.
Wife Swap was spoofed in an episode of Hope & Faith with Wynonna Judd guest starring.
The shows aren't "stolen" but the rights to the concept are sold. RDFMedia also produces the American versions.
Legal issues
In November of 2005, Jeffrey Bedford, a participant on the show, sued ABC network for trading his wife for a gay man. He accused ABC of being dishonest, not allowing him contact with his wife, and making him miss college classes. He claims that when he ceased participating with the production of the show, 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 USD $10,000,000.00. [1]
On March 23, 2005, 50-year-old former Wife Swap participant Edward Heiss, Jr., of Warwick, Rhode Island, was arrested for identity theft and for obtaining money under false pretenses. He allegedly used his father's identity to obtain a luxury automobile, loans, and goods with a value of US$100,000. Heiss appeared in Wife Swap in the autumn of 2005. His wife Susan said that he is impulsive with money. [2]
"Reality TV" vs. Reality
Regardless of the popularity and pedestrian appeal of the show, there are critics who feel that it exploits participants, at the expense of other family members involved, or provides an environment in which some participants may exploit others to their own ends, playing up the more diabolical and self-serving aspects of human nature. Still others contend that the show, on some level, at least, exploits socioeconomic distinctions in order to achieve tension and exacerbate conflict, while still providing a degree of drama compelling enough to maintain viewer interest.
External links
- Wife Swap UK
- Wife Swap USA
- Boss Swap UK
- RDF Media
- Ron Kaufman's Turn Off Your TV page critical of the show
- popmatters critical of the show