FYI gets Seven Year Switch

A+E Networks’ US lifestyle cablenet FYI has greenlit an eight-part reality show from the producers of Married at First Sight.

Chris Coelen

The Seven Year Switch is being produced by Kinetic Content, with Chris Coelen, Karrie Wolfe and Cat Rodriguez exec producing alongside Gena McCarthy, senior VP of programming and development at FYI, and Liz Fine.

The 8×60′ series, which has been slated to premiere this summer, follows four couples who split up to live with a different person for two weeks to determine the strength of their current marriage.

Two relationship experts will help guide the couples through the process, as they adjust to living with their experimental spouse.

“FYI is continuing to pioneer social experiments with this innovative new series that follows the journey of couples who have hit a breaking point in their marriage,” said Gena

McCarthy said the show was part of FYI’s attempts to “pioneer social experiments” and comes after it greenlit a documentary series on arranged marriages last month.

That followed the success of FYI’s reality series Married at First Sight, where couples had to get married at their first meeting and then decide whether to stay together after several months living as husband and wife. The ratings success of the show quickly spawned spin-off Married at First Sight: The First Year.