ABC Announces Wife Swap Premiere September 12th  4/11/06

A CONSERVATIVE, SOUTHERN MOM WHO TEACHES ETIQUETTE SWAPS PLACES WITH A RAUCOUS STAY-AT-HOME MOM WHO LETS HER KIDS RUN WILD, ON ABC'S "WIFE SWAP"

In "Allison/Hagerty," a conservative teacher from Mississippi who firmly believes in structure and discipline swaps lives with a raucous stay-at-home mom who doesn't believe in manners or any kind of rules or household duties, when "Wife Swap" -- the critically-acclaimed unscripted reality show that takes us into the intimate heart of the American family home to reveal the extraordinarily different ways families live their lives - airing MONDAY, APRIL 17 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (Rebroadcast. OAD 9/12/05)

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 what it's like to walk a mile in another mother's pumps. It's a mind-blowing experiment that often ends up changing their lives forever.

Lydia Allison (46) is an etiquette teacher from a small town in Mississippi. She and husband Tim (46) have three very prim and proper kids, Drew (16), Ann Elizabeth (14) and Margaret (11). Lydia uses hand puppets named Madame Elegante and Dear Princess to teach her students how to use napkins properly and to instruct them to use "wonderful words" like please and thank you. Lydia and husband Tim believe in having a structured and serious household. The Allison children are expected to behave to a certain standard, have strict curfews and many household chores and, of course, only use "wonderful words." Every weekend the family gets out its best china, silver and table linens and has a formal dinner together. Lydia and Tim have a great relationship and value their quality time together, often having romantic nights out.

Lydia travels to the messy Massachusetts home of Maureen Hagerty (41), a not-so-proper mom who spends her entire day with her three rowdy boys, Danny Jr. (8), Jason (6) and Matthew (5), while her husband, Danny Sr. (44), works as a postal worker. Maureen encourages her boys to behave as they please - no matter how rude. She does little kitchen cleaning and sometimes leaves the groceries out so the kids can just dive right into the bags and take whatever they want. If the kids want to wear pajamas and cowboy boots and have burping contests, they can! Maureen's motto: "It's the Hagerty way or the highway." Unlike the Allisons' fancy table settings and family dinners, the Hagertys use paper plates and can not even FIND their kitchen table - it's always stacked with laundry.

In the first week of the swap, uptight Lydia is shocked to find herself in a chaotic household and faces her biggest etiquette challenge yet with the three young out-of-control Hagerty boys, while Maureen must get dressed up for dinner, keep her elbows off the table and sit up straight.

In the second week of the swap, when the wives change the rules and turn the tables, Lydia faces the toughest challenge of her life trying to teach etiquette 101 to the unruly Hagertys, who are made to dress properly and behave like proper little gentlemen. Meanwhile, when Maureen bans formal dining and dressing up, she and new husband Tim clash when Maureen allows the kids to let loose and have burping contests. At the end of the swap, when the couples are reunited, will the Allisons and the Hagertys find common ground, or are their differences too great to overcome?

"Wife Swap" is an RDF Media production. It was created by Stephen Lambert and is executive-produced by Lambert, Jenny Crowther, Wendy Roth of RDF Media ("Faking It" and "Junkyard Wars") and Michael Davies of Embassy Row ("Who Wants to be a Millionaire"). Stef Wagstaffe is the co-executive producer.

"Wife Swap" is broadcast with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. This program carries a TV-PG,L parental guideline.

Source: ABC Press Release