Wife Swap is a British reality television programme produced by RDF Media in which two families, usually from vastly different social classes and lifestyles, swap wives/mothers for two weeks.
The series originally premiered in the UK in Channel 4 on 1 January, 2003. Since 2004 an American version has also aired on the ABC network.
Wife Swap originally premiered in South Africa on DStv's BBC Prime channel, on Thursday 12 February 2004.
It currently airs in South Africa on DStv's M-Net Series channel. Season 7 premiered on Friday 8 February 2008, at 23h00.
Season 8 premiered on M-Net Series on Friday 14 March 2008, at 23h00.
Synopsis
Wife Swap takes a fun look at how couples run their lives. The series lifts the lid on the choices different people make: how they divide up parenting, shopping and house work, spending priorities and what they want from their social life.
Here is a rare opportunity to witness what it is like to live someone else's life and experiences.
The two women of each family trade places for 10 days to see what it is like to live in another family's home. It doesn't interfere with their normal everyday work life, but instead of returning to their own home, they return to their new family's home.
What is it like to live with a different spouse? How do they cope being a mother to a stranger's children?
For the first five days of the challenge, they fit into their new family's lifestyle, and adopt their daily routine – which may be far removed from their own.
For the remaining five days, they have the opportunity to bring their own ideas into the running of the new household.
Once the 10-day challenge is complete, both families meet up and talk about their experiences. They discuss how the 10 days has affected their own relationship.