Same Name is an American reality television series in which an average person swaps lives with a celebrity from the entertainment or sports world who shares the same name, after which they resume their original lives and comment on how much they enjoyed the experience and how they didn't.
The series aired in the USA on CBS from 24 July to 14 August, 2011. There are four hour-long episodes in the series.
Same Name premiered in South Africa on DStv's Sony Entertainment Television (SONY) channel on Sunday 16 December 2012, at 19h35. New episodes broadcast weekly.
Synopsis
Ever meet a person who has your exact same name? What if you had a chance to meet them face to face... and they just happened to be a celebrity?
Same Name is a reality series in which well-known celebrities David Hassellhoff, Mike Tyson, Kathy Griffin and Reggie Bush trade places with complete strangers who have the same name as them.
The celebrity will take care of the average citizen's kids, sleep next to his wife, work his job, meet his friends and ultimately take on all of his responsibilities.
From working on a high-wattage transformer to changing diapers at 3am, the celebrity will get a first-hand look at what life is like as a regular Joe... who just happens to share his same name.
Meanwhile, our regular Joe heads to Hollywood to take over his Same Named celebrity's life. From mansions and parties to VIP seating, he'll take advantage of this newfound "fame".
But sometimes life in the fast lane has its own set of problems... and dealing with agents, gruelling workouts and pushy reporters could have our regular Joe homesick in no time.
This means that there are a lot of moments of comedy and emotion, all at the same time.
The first episode kicks off with the universally celebrated David Hasselhoff trading places with David Hasselhoff, an electrical technician who leads an "ordinary" life. They'll work each other's jobs, interact with each other's families and basically, take over every aspect of their namesake's life.
Other well-known celebrities that are part of the show and have signed up to give up their luxurious lifestyles are former boxing heavyweight champion "Iron" Mike Tyson, who trades places with Mike Tyson, a nurse from Zeeland, Michigan; comedienne Kathy Griffin, who trades places with Kathy Griffin, a fiberglass saleswoman from Fayetteville, Georgia; and NFL Superbowl winner Reggie Bush, who trades places with Reggie Bush, a general contractor from Danville, Illinois.
This series gives an inside look into what it's really like to walk in another man's shoes.
Same Name is produced by Cris Abrego Productions, LLC. Cris Abrego, Ben Samek, Christian Sarabia, Fax Bahr, Eugene Young are executive producers.