A&E's infamous "Married at First Sight" reality series has earned a lot of flak from the public because of its controversial concept of pairing two strangers and having them get married as soon as they meet each other for the first time. Now, another reality show with an intriguing concept called "Seven Year Switch" will debut on the network this summer.
The premise of the new show that will be launched by A&E Network's FYI channel early next month involves swapping married couples with other participants for a two-week period, to do whatever typical husbands and wives do, including sleeping together in the same room.
The eight-episode series was announced by the network in April, saying that "Seven Year Switch" aims to help four married couples who are feeling dissatisfied with their seven-year marriage to assess if their union with their respective partners is still worth fighting for.
According to the network's press release for the show, "Seven Year Switch" is a study that is developed to "help determine if different traits and characteristics in a mate could make their marriage stronger." It may help a couple decide if they want to continue their marriage or not.
But while the two-hour series premiere will not be aired until early July, a petition to prevent the network from airing was already launched online by American Family Association's One Million Moms. According to the online petition, the network is assuming that married couples will become restless and unsatisfied with their partners after seven years, and the show would prove that missing their partners could really determine if they want to stay together or move on from their dwindling marriage.
"This immoral show belittles and makes a mockery of marriage," the online petition says, and prompts supporters to "strongly encourage the network to drop all plans to air the program."
"Seven Year Switch" will air starting Tuesday, July 7, on FYI.
