Wife Swap: Maine Lobsterwoman Swaps Lives With California Princess Tomorrow on ABC 10/16/08

This week in "Kinsman/Thompson," a rugged lobsterwoman who wears clothes till they fall apart swaps lives with a fashion obsessed Cali-girl who shops every day and bought her biggest assets from a plastic surgeon, on "Wife Swap," Friday October 17th (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Each week from across the country, two very different families take part in a two-week long challenge: The wives exchanges husbands, children, and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover just what it's like to live in another woman's shoes. It's a mind-blowing experiment that changes lives forever.

The Kinsman family lives a simple, frugal life in Maine. Captain Bob (54), a lobsterman, and wife Barbara (49) live in a rustic log cabin with Barbara's daughter, Casey (13). Lobstering is financially insecure so the Kinsmans pinch pennies wherever they can, heating their cabin with wood from the forest, drying their old clothes on the line and picking up treasures from the local dump.

Casey has to make do with her mom's hand me downs and out of date fashions-it's been a year since Barbara bought her any clothes. Life for Casey is strict, structured and full of chores. Captain Bob tries to support his step-daughter in sports, but he treats her more like a crewmate than the sensitive 13-year-old she is.

In California Michelle Thompson (35) brings new meaning to the phrase "shop til you drop" - she shops in stores or online every day, filling her and her family's closets with up to date labeled fashions in the pursuit of looking great. Husband Carey (37) has spent thousands of dollars on Michelle's plastic surgeries and high-end wardrobe and loves people noticing his "hot" family.

The three Thompson kids -- Brandon (9), Megan (6) and Noah (4) -- have to be bribed to behave, and even then the bribery doesn't work for long. Brandon is Carey's stepson and their relationship is difficult - Carey can't decide whether to be a parent or a friend, so the two tend to ignore each other.

In the first week of the swap, Barbara scrubs up well with Michelle's hour-and-half-hair and make-up routine and is appalled at the money pouring out of Carey's wallet and the lack of structure and discipline in the house.

Meanwhile, Michelle sees the fishy side of the Kinsmans as she puts on her waders and starts scooping dead fish on Captain Bob's lobster boat. At home she rebels against the number of chores Casey has to do and becomes upset about the lack of connection between Bob and his step-daughter.

In week two the wives change the rules. Barbara and Carey clash as she tries to introduce structure, discipline and a budget in the Thompson home. In Maine Michelle begins the mission of building Casey's confidence and showing Captain Bob that his rough, tough lobstering ways are ruining his relationship with his sensitive step-daughter.

At the end of the week, will Captain Bob show his softer side? And can Barbara show Carey that money is not the way to a happy family?  

Source:  ABC Press Release