r/wifeswaptv

In 1980, BBC1's Nationwide program aired "Life Swap", which was a one-off four-episode miniseries that followed a similar format as the modern reality show "Wife Swap".

In the show, a teacher from Newcastle named Myra Robinson swapped lives with wealthy London aristocrat Julia Stonor. Just as in Wife Swap, the two wives lived with the other wives' families and followed each others' daily routines, and then came together at the end to talk about their experience. The main difference appears to be that here, the wives didn't get to impose their rules on the other families.

Surprisingly I haven't been able to find any clips of this and barely any 21st-century media coverage except this article which described it as the UK's "first ever reality TV show". This despite the fact that it is a notable part of UK and global TV history, and Robinson in particular became somewhat of a celebrity after the show aired.

LMW article: https://lostmediawiki.com/Life_Swap_(lost_BBC_Nationwide_mini-series;_1980)