''Frauentausch'' is a German

docu-soap Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

with the same premise as the British television show '' Wife Swap''. The concept involves temporarily swapping one family member between two families. The docu-soap premiered on 14 July 2003. The show runs every Thursday at 9:15 p.m. as part of the evening lineup of commercial broadcast channel

RTL II RTL Zwei (stylised as RTLZWEI), formerly spelled RTL 2 and RTL II, is a German-language television channel that is operated by ''RTL2 Television GmbH & Co. KG''. RTL2 is a private television broadcaster with a full program ''(Vollprogramm)'' ...

. It is produced by

Constantin Entertainment GmbH Constantin is an Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian and Romanian male given name. It can also be a surname. For a list of notable people called Constantin, see Constantine (name). See also * Constantine (name) * Konstantin The first name Konst ...

. Reruns are shown on weekday mornings.

Content

Each episode of the Docu-soap shows two women—as well as, alternatively, one or two (homosexual) men—who swap households and live with another family for 10 days. The 90-minute program depicts how the participants struggle with, among other things, homesickness, a longing for their families and problems adapting to the environment. In order to increase the tension and potential for conflict, the producers of the show often tend to choose women who come from different backgrounds and have strongly contrasting ways of life such as, for example, rural and suburban families or pious and atheist families. This program is similar to other '' Wife Swap'' programs, when, for ten days, wives exchange homes and families. They are allowed to advise each other through a video and information cards. They meet blindfolded, half-way en route to their new homes. They are allowed to greet each other, then are later asked for their impression of the meeting. On the tenth and last day of the swap the wives prepare for their trip home, and say goodbye to their substitute families. At the half-way point en route to their apartments, the women or men meet each other again. They might give each other advice on what they can change or talk about problems encountered, etc. Sometimes the discussions end in insults or even in violence. Finally their arrival at their own home and how their families receive them are shown. On 18 May 2006 the hundredth episode was shown with a big anniversary special. It was shown whether the lives of the families who have taken part in ''Frauentausch'' have changed or whether there are new friendships between some families. ''Prisma Film'' produces with '' Tausche Familie'' a similarly successful format for

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n television.

References

External links

Official website of the docu-soap ''Frauentausch''

''Frauentausch'' at the website of Constantin Entertainment GmbH
* {{IMDb title, id=0880583, title=Frauentausch 2003 German television series debuts Dating and relationship reality television series German reality television series German music television series RTL Zwei original programming 2010s German television series German television series based on British television series German-language television shows