- Title: Wifeswap
- Date: 14th 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: Ben Anthony (Episode two) Barry and Michelle Seaborne have been a couple for 15 years although only married for two,Barry is a professional gambler and has never had a job,he leaves everything else to his wife Michelle,even though she works 60 hours a week in a betting shop. Barry hasn't made Michelle a cup of tea in 15 years and her son Steven from a previous marriage stays out of their way. Michelle says she has a lot of love for Barry and is a real romantic whereas to Barry love doesn't mean a thing. Carol and Peter Goby have been married for 25 years they run a business together,a casting agents,Carol also runs her own drama workshop. Carol is a workaholic and doesn't want to waste any of her time on domestic chores so Peter does most of them. On top of this he is the accountant for their business and builds sets for her drama workshop. Peter considers himself lucky to be with Carol as it took him a long time to get in her good books. They also have two teenage daughters,Tony and Leanne. Michelle cannot believe her luck when she moves in at the Goby's to discover there is hardly anything to do and takeaways five times a week. At first she finds the lack of jobs difficult but Peter takes her to the pub which she is not allowed to do at home and she starts to feel that maybe her life is wrong with Barry. They meet up halfway through the swap for their wedding anniversary and Michelle starts off telling Barry he needs to change. By the end of the conversation,however,Barry says that he loves Michelle and she is so pleased that she forgets everything. Back at the Goby's she starts to see Peter as boring and cannot wait to get back to her Barry. Carol is lulled into a false sense of security on the first day as Barry employs his 'introductory offer' of being pleasant and helpful but this doesn't last long and Carol grows tired of his constant shouting and demands. By the end of the swap Carol cannot wait to leave and says she has realised how lucky she is. Michelle is pleased to get back to waiting hand-on-foot for her Barry but cannot resist telling Carol her housework was sloppy.
- Broadcaster:Channel 4
- Collection: Channel 4
- Genre:Entertainment
- Producer:RDF Media Ltd.
- Programme Episode:Episode 8
- Transmission Date:14/01/2003
- Rights:UK and Eire
- Decade: 2000s