- Title: Wifeswap
- Date: 21st January 2003
- Description:First series in which two women who have never met agree to swap homes,children and husbands for two weeks to see what they can learn about their own lives. The women have to cope with a new spouse,be mother to other people's children and then meet up with the other couple at the end of the two weeks to tell each other how it all went. During the first week the new wife is expected to do everything that the real wife does at home and to the same standard whether they agree with it or not. The second week then brings about the opportunity for the new wives to show these families how they do things and how they think they can improve the family's lives. The families,usually coming from very opposite worlds,inevitably clash on issues such as child rearing,house keeping and life style choices Narrator: Ken Lorimer Produced and Directed by: Sidra Khan (Episode three) Mark and Tracy Bennett have been married for five years they have one child,four-year-old Charlotte (Lottie) and do not plan to have any more children. Tracy and Mark both work fulltime but they say that that means they have the financial security of giving Charlotte everything she wants. Tracy works as a law secretary and is passionate about her job which is in Manchester so requires an early start for her every morning. As Tracy's job is two hours away,Mark works locally so he can pick Charlotte up from nursery. Tracy says she doesn't want to lose Mark or Charlotte so doesn't think she would have enough love for another child. Kate and Trevor Thomas have been married for ten years and have five children and a foster child. They are 14-year-old Sian,8-year-old Josie,7-year-old Lucy,4-year-old Zach and 2-year-old Daniela. Trevor Thomas works in family support,is a bouncer at night and is studying to become a social worker,which his children give him plenty of practice for. Kate is a stay at home mum and is passionate about her children,she cooks for all six and her husband who is a fussy eater. The Thomas's think that children are more important than money or anything else. Tracy is quite upset when she discovers she will be looking after six children and doesn't think she can do it. Trevor also works so much that he is hardly ever there and Tracy accuses him of not supporting her enough. Trevor cannot see the problem as Tracy struggles to control his unruly kids but when the rules change Tracy begins to relax and after a cake making session with the children and a chat with Kate's mum,she begins to question her own style of parenting. Kate struggles to cope with her new job working long hours with a two hour commute,she is upset that she cannot spend as much time as she would like with Charlotte. When the rules are changed Kate and Mark have a heated argument which seems to be more about who is control then the issue of a dummy. By the end of the swap Mark and Kate sort out their differences and Mark admits to having learned something from Kate. No lessons seemed to have been learned however,when the couples meet up to discuss the week. Kate and Tracy both go for attack and both get defensive as they disagree on how to bring up children.
- Broadcaster:Channel 4
- Collection: Channel 4
- Genre:Entertainment
- Producer:RDF Media Ltd.
- Programme Episode:Episode 9
- Transmission Date:21/01/2003
- Rights:UK and Eire
- Decade: 2000s