Swapping mates pays off for Fox

The battle of the wife-swappers has begun.

Fox boosted its summer fortunes Tuesday night with “Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy,” a 10-episode reality series about two families whose moms swap places. The premiere won the 8 p.m. hour among the young-adult viewers advertisers covet, according to Nielsen Media Research. “Spouses” lured 7.5 million total viewers, beating ABC’s “Extreme Makeover” (7.4 million).

It’s unclear what sort of effect, if any, the “Spouses” ratings will have on ABC’s “Wife Swap,” a similarly themed reality series slated to start Sept. 29. ABC executives have sharply criticized “Spouses” as a rip-off of their show.

Scott Collins