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WIFE SWAP
Air Date: Friday, March 20, 2009
Time Slot: 8:00 PM-9:00 PM EST on ABC
Episode Title: (#517) "Henstein/Toulou"
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

A REAL ESTATE POWER COUPLE WHO ARE WORKING OVERTIME TO FIGHT THE FAILING ECONOMY SWAP LIVES WITH A FAMILY OF LAID-BACK PRANKSTERS, ON ABC'S "WIFE SWAP"

"Henstein/Toulou" � A hard-working real estate couple who never take a day off swap with a fun-loving family of jokesters, on "Wife Swap," FRIDAY, MARCH 20 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. Each week two very contradictory families from across the country participate in a two-week-long challenge: The wives exchange husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover daily life in another woman's shoes. This astonishing experiment repeatedly changes lives and redefines families.

The Toulou family from Washington are doing their best to keep up with today's faltering economy. As real estate agents, Lisa (40) and Troy (39) are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In order to cut down on expenses, the Toulous recruit their two children, Lauren (14) and Connor (10), to help them clean their office. Lisa has high expectations for the kids at home as well: Both Lauren and Connor have an extensive chore list, as Lisa aims for her house to look like a model home. They even have "by invitation only" rooms which the children cannot enter unless their parents give them approval. With so many chores and little time to relax, the Toulou children have no social life, leaving Connor to play with his only friend�a stick.

Further south in Oregon, anything goes in the Henstein home! Fun-loving Eric (43) and Joyce (41) like being "cool parents" to teenagers Josh (18), Jake (16) and Erica (14). They have an open door policy in their house allowing the kids and their friends the freedom to flow in and out. To ensure she is able to spend as much time as possible catering to her kids' every whim, Joyce runs a daycare out of their home. Eric admits he will never strike it rich installing cabinets, but life is too short to worry about money. He'd much rather spend time with his kids playing practical jokes. In the happy Henstein home, it's hard to tell who the parents are and who the kids are, but they wouldn't have it any other way.

In the first week, real estate agent Lisa leaves behind her model home for the no holds barred Henstein house. Upon arrival, she admits the unkempt house would need plenty of work if she were taking it on as listing. She also has trouble keeping her cool when the Henstein boys place a fake toy rodent in the kitchen cabinet. Though she tries to confront Eric, she sees that his antics are just as juvenile, and she compares the Henstein home to a fraternity house or a zoo. Meanwhile, in Washington, joyful Joyce finds the Toulou home to be prim, proper and a bit stuffy. When 10-year-old Connor tells her he helps out with his parents' business so that he doesn't have to live on the street, she understands how cheerless the Toulou kids' childhood really is.

In the second week of the swap, when the wives change the rules and turn the tables, Lisa bans all pranks. Since the Hensteins refuse to grow up, Lisa decides to treat them as children; every time they disobey one of her rules, they're sent to the "naughty chair." As the only adult in the house, Lisa expects Eric to lead by example, but to her dismay he continues to encourage the kids to break all the rules. Meanwhile, in Oregon, Joyce transfers all the kids' chores to Troy. She also turns the "by invitation only" rooms into a kid zone, complete with toys and an indoor basketball net. Joyce hopes a little fun and goofing around will bring Eric closer to his lonely children. After two weeks in another home, can Lisa Toulou help the Hensteins grow up and take life more seriously? And can Joyce Henstein show the Toulous that they need to put the focus on their kids rather than work?

"Wife Swap" is an RDF USA production. It was created by Stephen Lambert and is executive-produced by Mike Gamson, Stef Wagstaffe and Michael Davies of Embassy Row ("Who Wants to be a Millionaire"). Stephen Pettinger, Neil Regan, Julie Cooper and Will Nothacker are co-executive producers. "Wife Swap" is broadcast with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. This program carries a TV-PG,L parental guideline.

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