A Medieval Mom and a 21st Century Mom Featured on the next "Wife Swap"  3/7/06

A MEDIEVAL MOM LIVING IN THE PAST SWAPS PLACES WITH A 21st-CENTURY MOM JUGGLING WORK, FAMILY AND MORE WORK, ON ABC'S "WIFE SWAP"

This week in "Stamper/Haggerty," a mom whose heart is in the medieval past and whose head is in the clouds swaps places with 21st-Century wife and mother who juggles family life and working two jobs, on "Wife Swap," MONDAY, MARCH 13 (8:00-9:00 p.m.,, ET) on ABC.

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 often ends up changing their lives forever.

Stephanie Stamper (40) and her husband, Greg (42), of Ohio, are obsessed with re-creating the Middle Ages at home. The 21st Century is not where they want to live. They are more at home functioning in a world that existed centuries ago. Greg leaves the family home to earn a living, and returns to a king's welcome. Stephanie home-schools the children in medieval arts and crafts. For physical education the two teenagers do Scottish highland dancing. Stephanie also runs the house, cooks for her family and waits on her valiant man hand and foot. The kids have little contact with the outside world beyond weekend re-enactments. They don't even have cell phones. The family spend all their time together making Viking-style furniture, drumming, playing the harp, belly-dancing and fantasy role-playing games.

Stephanie travels to the modern 21st-Century Floridian home of Lisa (34) and Julice (34) Haggerty, parents of Justin (16), Victoria (12) and Alexandria (3). The Haggertys are a modern, dual-income, blended family. Mom Lisa holds down two jobs, rushing from substitute teaching at public schools to running a ribs restaurant. Husband Julice works the night-shift as a corrections officer, and spends his days cooking, cleaning and looking after the kids while Lisa is at work. Lisa runs a strict house where her kids follow a chore chart and are not allowed to talk back to adults under any circumstances.

During the first week, Stephanie struggles to keep up with the break neck pace of the modern world. She teaches Lisa's public school class and quickly finds out that it is very different home schooling her own children: There's no highland dancing in public school. Meanwhile in Ohio, Lisa finds herself cooking a feast of meat and turnip while wearing a medieval gown. She becomes disturbed by the seclusion the Stampers have created for themselves and repeatedly butts heads with 15-year-old Damon, as he argues with her at every turn.

In the second week the rules change: Stephanie orders that the entire Haggerty family dress in medieval clothes for the rest of the week, takes the kids out of public school and gives them a medieval education at home, making leather shoes for hours. Julice can't see the educational value in shoe-making and he breaks the rules by sending the kids back to school. In the Stamper house, Lisa mandates that the family get rid of everything medieval and forces them to interact with the modern world by enrolling the kids in school and enlisting the entire family in a self-defense class to give them the confidence to go out into the modern world. The swap ends emotionally as Tara makes a new

school friend and shows how little experience she has of simple everyday activities -- like talking on the phone. Greg is shocked and admits to Lisa that he feels he and Stephanie may have overlooked some life lessons for their kids.

At the end of the swap, when the couples are reunited, will they find common ground, or will they discover their differences run too deep?

"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 Embasy Row ("Who Wants to be a Millionaire"). Stef Wagstaffe andStephanie Schwam are the co-executive producers.

"Wife Swap" is broadcast with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. A TV parental guideline will be assigned closer to airdate.

Source: ABC Press Release