Preview for Next Week's Episode of "Wife Swap"

Preview for Next Week's Episode of "Wife Swap" 3/6/08

MARCH 12

THE WIFE OF AN EX-BODYBUILDER WHO CATERS TO HER KIDS' EVERY NEED SWAPS LIVES WITH A WIFE WHO RUNS AN OKTOBERFEST-STYLE HOTEL WITH THE HELP OF HER CHILDREN, ON ABC's "WIFE SWAP"

This week in "Graf/ Medici," a wife who sacrifices her own wants and does everything for her children swaps lives with a demanding innkeeper wife who works her kids to the bone, on "Wife Swap," WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Editors note: This episode replaces "Figaratto/Martinez."

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.

In New York, Lisa Medici (46) and husband John (46) dedicate their lives to fulfilling their children's dreams. They spend thousands dollars a year on their muscular son Nick's (16) dream to follow in his dad's footsteps and be a bodybuilder. Lisa and John shower attention on him while rebellious Giuseppe (12) spends most of his time doing graffiti in his bedroom, lounging around the house and talking back to his parents. Ex-bodybuilding champ John wants nothing more than for his eldest son to follow in his footsteps; he coaches him, watches bodybuilding videos with him and even spray-tans Nick for his competitions. Meanwhile Lisa waits on youngest son Guiseppe hand and foot for little thanks. With little discipline and control in the Medici household, Guiseppe is routinely late for school, but here what the kids want always come first.

Lisa travels to New Hampshire, where Alexandra Graf (45) and her husband, Robert (54), own an Oktoberfest-style bed and breakfast. In this German B&B, the whole family works hard together. Forced to wear lederhosen and dirndls, Meagan (15), Zacchaeus "Bubba" (13) and Daphny (10) are expected to pull their own weight at the B&B, working hard and giving up vacations and sleepovers at friends' houses. The children don't have extracurricular activities and do not do much else but school and work. The children clean toilets and wait on customers, while their mother shelters them from bad influences. Robert supports Alexandra's ethics and takes pride in the fact that his children work hard, even if they don't want to.

In the first week of the swap, Lisa has to don a dirndl and work as a Bavarian innkeeper. She's concerned by how much the children work both at the inn and the household chores. Meanwhile in New York, Alexandra has to wait on the boys hand and foot and has to endure Giuseppe's shouting out orders from his bedroom. When she tries to get him up for school, she has to deal with his bad attitude. Alexandra has to take care of all the domestics and is appalled that the Medici family revolves around eldest son Nick's dream of becoming a champion bodybuilder.

In the second week of the swap, when the wives change the rules and turn the tables, Lisa bans the Bavarian clothing and chores, as the kids get to take a vacation by staying as guests at the inn. Lisa and Robert do all the chores, including serving the kids as they relax. Lisa rules that Robert sell the inn for the sake of his family, but he refuses and tears down the for sale sign.

Meanwhile, Alexandra bans Nick's bodybuilding workouts and gets him a job giving out flyers so he can earn his keep. She tells John that he has been neglecting Giuseppe while he showers all his attention on Nick, and they get into a shouting match when Alexandra calls him out on his lack of discipline for his sons.

At the end of the swap, when the families are reunited, will Lisa pull some muscle and ask for more help around the house from her sons and husband? Will Alexandra scale back on work at the inn and allow her kids to stop working and be kids?

"Wife Swap" is an RDF USA production. It was created by Stephen Lambert and is executive-produced by Stef Wagstaffe and Michael Davies of Embassy Row ("Who Wants to be a Millionaire"). Stephanie Schwam Adams, Mike Gamson and Mitchell Rosenbaum are the co-executive producers.

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

Source: ABC Press Release