A Husband Dials 911 During a Fight With His New Wife on the Next "Wife Swap"  12/12/06

AN OBSESSIVELY EFFICIENT, CLEAN-FREAK MOTHER WHO CONTROLS HER FAMILY WITH AN IRON FIST SWAPS LIVES WITH A CONSTRUCTION WORKER MOM WHOSE FAMILY LIKES BURPING CONTESTS AND PARTYING, ON ABC'S "WIFE SWAP"

In One of the Most Explosive Moments Ever, a Husband Dials 9-1-1 During an Altercation with His New Wife

This week in "Roy/Maness," a clean-freak mother who runs her family with an iron fist swaps lives with a mother who lives in a rundown house with six animals and no rules, on ABC's "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 -- MONDAY, DECEMBER 18 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (Rebroadcast. OAD 1/9/06)

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 live a very different life. It's a mind-blowing experiment that often ends up changing their lives forever.

Texan Angel Maness (33) is a stay-at-home mom who controls every aspect of the lives of her husband, Blake Sr. (35), and her two sons, Blake Jr. (11) and Bryce (1). Angel makes her husband sit in the back seat of the family car and doesn't allow him to dress himself -- Angel chooses his clothes every night. From their color-coded closets to the strict exercise and snack portion-control, order and efficiency is everything in this home. 

At night Angel calls her son on his cell phone in his bedroom, since it saves the time of walking up the stairs! Believing that appearance is everything, Angel cleans from dawn till dusk. Blake Jr. must stick to Mom's regimented schedule of school, music and sports, training for success. "Failure is not an option" is the family motto, and everyone, including young Bryce, must wear a bracelet that says it. In this house Angel's word is the law.

Angels travels to the California mountains where the Roys, along with their two sons, Eric (20) and John Paul (15), daughter, Heather (16), and six pets live in a rundown, very messy house. Mom Frankie is a third generation construction worker who works alongside husband John and son Eric. She's loud, boisterous and one of the guys. 

The Roys work hard and play even harder. Fun loving Frankie goes to the store in pajamas, yells for the family over the store announcement system and hoses people down with the water spray at the vegetable counter. The family don't care what anybody thinks of them and often hold burping and farting contests in public. There's no portion control here - the Roys eat what they want, when they want. Frankie readily admits that she's not Suzie homemaker: "Dirty dishes don't bother me, dirty laundry doesn't bother me; in fact, with six animals running loose, the house is filthy."

In the first week of the swap, Angel dons a hard hat and works construction all day while forced to stand by as the Roy's burp, fart and eat their way through the week and Angel's patience. Meanwhile, in Texas, Frankie is on a rigid regime of cleaning, keeping young Blake to his strenuous schedule and being the food police. She is shocked at the Maness' strict, no-fun schedule of all work and no play, and by the lack of say that Blake Sr. has in his own home.

In week two of the swap, when the wives change the rules and turn the tables, Angel brings structure and discipline to the house and enforces "punishment by toothbrush," declaring that if anyone cusses or disobeys, they must clean the toilet with a toothbrush. Meanwhile, Frankie introduces "Frankie Fun" in the Maness home, giving Blake Jr. more freedom and allowing Blake Sr. to pick out his own clothes. But unexpectedly during dinner, in one of "Wife Swap's" most explosive moments ever, Frankie and Blake Sr. are suddenly at each other's throats and Blake Sr. dials 9-1-1 for help. Will the swap continue?

"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 Michel 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