Wife Swap

Fridays from 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET

"Wife Swap," the critically-acclaimed unscripted reality show that takes us into the intimate heart of the American family home, revealing the extraordinarily different ways families live their lives, returns for a sixth season on FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2010 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

During the 2008-2009 season, airing against CBS veteran hit drama "Ghost Whisperer," "Wife Swap" held second place in its time period with Women 18-49 (2.1/7), Adults 25-54 (1.8/5) and Women 25-54 (2.4/7). Despite the stiff demographic competition, "Wife Swap" improved ABC's delivery in Friday's 8:00 o'clock hour by 33% in Adults 18-49 (1.6/5 vs 1.2/4) and by 44% in Adults 18-34 (1.3/5 vs. 0.9/3) over the corresponding nights last year.

Each week from across the country, two families with very different values are chosen to take part in a two-week long challenge. The wives from these two families exchange husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover just what it's like to live another woman's life. It's a mind-blowing experiment that can end up changing their lives forever.

In the first week of the swap, the wives move in and adopt their new family's lifestyle, no matter how different it may be. They agree to follow a manual written by the departing wife that sets out the rules of their new household - how they parent, shop, do the house work, manage their budgets and their social life. In the second week, everything changes. The new wives take charge. They introduce their own set of rules and get to run the new household their way. It's a radical shock to both families. The results are explosive, enlightening, emotional and often very funny. This is a show about the things that really matter to families across America.

At the end of the show, the two couples meet for the first time. In a highly-charged exchange of views, both couples make a frank assessment of each other and talk about what they've learned from the experience.

This season's highlights include a family who indulge their three real children and whose mother has a collection of 14 plastic dolls -- called reborn babies -- who swap with a strict family who are trying to instill a strong work ethic in their three boys; an artistic Goth family that encourages the kids to talk to the dead swaps with a family of hockey fanatics that doesn't hesitate to call kids losers; and a family who believe the Mayan prophesy that the world will end in 2012 swap with a family dedicated to ensuring a bright and successful future for their kids, especially their daughter, a golf prodigy.

When "Wife Swap" premiered in 2003 in the United Kingdom, it was an instant television phenomenon. The program has won numerous awards, most recently the prestigious BAFTA (British Academy of Film & Television Arts) Award for Best Reality Show and the Golden Rose for Best Reality Program at the International Rose D'Or Festival, Europe's top entertainment television awards. "Wife Swap" currently airs from France to Australia and Germany to New Zealand. It has been sold as an acquisition or a format in more than 20 international territories.

"Wife Swap" is an RDF Media production. It was created by Stephen Lambert ("Faking It" and "Undercover Boss") and is executive-produced by Mike Gamson and Michael Davies ("Who Wants to be a Millionaire"). Stephen Pettinger, Neil Regan, Julie Cooper, Will Nothacker and Ed Simpson are co-executive producers.