AN UPTIGHT MOTHER WHO RUNS HER FAMILY BASED
ON THE BIBLE
SWAPS WITH A HEAVILY TATTOOED BUSINESSWOMAN
WHO LETS
HER CHILDREN BE INDIVIDUALS, ON ABC'S "WIFE SWAP"

This week in "Lawrence/Caddel," a career-focused mom with an
alternative lifestyle swaps with a religious fundamentalist mom who places
religion and family before everything else, on "Wife Swap," airing
MONDAY, JUNE 25 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
(Rebroadcast. OAD 1/8/07)

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.
For Karen "Big Mama" Lawrence (41), her husband, Derryl (45), and their
three children, Jessica (14), Amber (9) and Derryl, Jr. (8) of North
Carolina, life revolves around their Christian beliefs and the word of the
Gospel. Although Big Mama works full-time as a bank teller, she always
makes sure to get home in time to cook dinner for the family and take care
of all the household chores. Derryl and Derryl, Jr. refuse to do housework
on the grounds of the "Man Law," which states that chores are for women,
while men should lie back and relax. The Lawrence kids live their lives
under the watchful eyes of their parents. Only thirty minutes of
pre-approved television per day can be watched, and surfing the web and
watching music videos is forbidden. Big Mama and Derryl have even told
their kids that, if they watch music videos, demons will come out of the
television to corrupt them -- and the kids do what they're told because their
parents and the Bible tell them so.

Karen heads to California, where Marlo "Jinxi" Caddel (35) and her
husband, Steve (34), live as proud atheists with alternative values, yet Jinxi
is compulsive about her career. Jinxi is constantly on her computer, selling
items online for her home business. Steve gave up a career in law to
assist Jinxi in her business and to wait on her hand and foot. However the
Caddels are not your typical business people; they are both covered up to
their necks and above in tattoos and hang out with a unique crowd they
describe as "lesbians, strippers and freaks." They are encouraging their
three children - Taylor "Brynn" (11), Aidan (9) and Shea (9) -- to find their
individuality, and do not shelter them from adult themes like nude artwork
and even a stripper pole - both of which are prominent in their living room.

In the first week of the swap, Big Mama is asked to put her bible away and
put on a pair of tattoo sleeves to participate in a party complete with
drinking and stripper pole dancing. Horrified by Steve and Jinxi's hands-off
style, Big Mama confronts Steve on the inappropriateness of his lax
parenting and insists on spreading the word of the Gospel, even though
she knows it will offend their atheist beliefs. Meanwhile, Jinxi attends a
Christian fellowship meeting and believes that the Lawrence kids live
under a reign of control where they are not allowed to ask questions or
have opinions of their own.

In the second week of the swap, when the wives change the rules and turn
the tables, the Lawrences are forced to take down their religious
iconography, causing a flood of tears from the girls, who don't understand
why Jinxi is taking God away from them. "Man's Law" is replaced by
"Woman's Law" and the two Derryls get to work while the girls relax.
Meanwhile, the Caddel kids put their musical talents to good use by
forming a Christian rock band, and Steve gets pushed to the limit by Big
Mama's preaching and tosses the beloved Book in the trash.


At the end of the swap, when the couples are reunited, will the Lawrences
learn to let their children think and make decisions for themselves? Will the
Caddel family learn that there is something to be said for traditional
values?

"Wife Swap" is an RDF USA production. It was created by Stephen
Lambert and is executive-produced by Wendy Roth and Stephen Lambert
of RDF Media ("Faking It" and "Junkyard Wars") and Michael Davies of
Embassy Row ("Who Wants to be a Millionaire"). Cristin Cricco,
Stephanie Schwam Adams and Mike Gamson are the co-executive
producers.