American and British Families Swap Lives (Culture Clash Documentary) | Real Stories

ever since they kicked us out of their country Britain is enjoyed a famously special relationship with the USA to be honest book hey-ho we've embraced each other's culture rights for supporting each other's foreign policies and scoffed each other's cuisine but do we actually speak the same language in the series families from across the UK and America will swap lives for a week this is never ending this and discover what really goes on in their twin towns it's got some time when you've got to raise the black flag and you start slitting throats today's that day welcome to Chicago the Windy City is the third largest in the USA and it's got the well-endowed CV to match the birthplace of the skyscraper it stands on the shores of Lake Michigan and boasts the two tallest buildings in America for major league sports teams several top universities world-class theaters museums and galleries its own cuisine and the Owen family Maria Purcell junior and a self-sealing who believes in upholding traditional family values my job is to bring home the bacon her job is to slice it up at the parent and she spends the money very well I couldn't ask for a better steward the finances in my wife in order to bring home the bacon FLC Mia works three community-focused jobs offering small business advice to Chicago's disadvantaged residents that I work with are going through tremendous turmoil I'm here to serve and service and the way a family service in the way of community I'm doing God's will Maria also has a hands full of running an online fashion accessories business and managing a tell juniors acting career he's appear in short films and commercials and thankfully is a better actor than years basketball player she cuts the back oh he takes a load off the top but just the letter like many Americans the aliens have a somewhat romantic view of the UK when I think of the the UK the first thing I think of is the queen of course I think of the fabulous 16-ounce tights so I'm looking forward to a 16 ounce pint of ale but if annamaria also have a more serious motive visiting their twin town we support diversity support and in the multicultural background Chicago is a segregated City it's got pockets I don't like that about Chicago and we want to expose him to every ethnicity on this planet as as we can the Aryans are heading to the right place Chicago's twin town Birmingham is one of them is culturally diverse in the UK and even though the Queen doesn't live here there are plenty of quintessentially British crown jewels for visitors to admire the Stevenson family have lived in the West Midlands all their lives although Greg and Vicki never made it beyond the 1980s they run and perform in a theatre company paying tribute to the decade that understatement for God direct casting director you name it we do it we dress up stupid in silly costume Cyndi Lauper Madonna Adam Ant you play with a white stripe Greg and Vicki may be living the retro dream but their unsociable working hours leave different room in their lives for friends and family if someone says to me would you like to come to my wedding and I've got a gig booked I'll have to say no sorry one year my man Greg got a job in India and over Christmas time I heard I didn't have a Christmas at Christmastime so part of Christmas in January said Brad is so tuned into the way we are that he'll get up in the morning and he'll get himself dress and I make himself breakfast and he will just tap the door say mom I'm off to school now and I jump to the window and I wave him off and he's gone around the corner and I get back into bed America itself to me I see Botox women up to the nines with false bits on their bodies hair extensions manicures louder than others more brash than us confident very confident yeah I'm expecting it to be quite unknown hot and rough in places they may think the u.s. is full of rough loud people with fake boobs but the Stevenson's head to Chicago anyway whilst the Owens head for bra [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] here we are we're in Birmingham the adventure of a lifetime now son I want you to do me a big favor I want you to watch everything pay attention to every little detail the way the air smells the way that people talk the way they walk the way they act it's gonna give us another look at life we can see things through someone else's eyes [Music] arriving at their home for the next seven days the alien soon discovered the Stevenson's punctual for dressing up where a cell gets his freak on the Stevenson's are driving through Chicago all route to their entry [Music] but as the enter the Owens neighborhood their journey is brought to an abrupt halt by a real-life Secret Service agent excuse me so secret his face can't be sure it's okay to come in we're new to the area which is come on holiday and what's going on it should be would be alarm do anything no all the roads are blocked off do you know why yeah oh why why you're good what they're gonna tell us you're not gonna tell us but there's been no accident or anything off safe leaving the scene none the wiser the Stevenson's press on to the Owen family's three-bedroom home where the neighbors have laid on a little Welcome Party we found ourselves living in it you know black community although we live in Birmingham and there's a big black community in Birmingham we've never actually lived in one so it's going to be a great experience well they wait for their obligatory Chicago dogs to cook the Stevenson's tried to get the bottom of the mystery roadblock when we saw all the policemen [Music] before he upsized for the White House Barack Obama lived just down the road in a house he still uses whenever he's in town living next door to brocco bomber amazing well they're staying in Birmingham the Owen family will be managing the Stevenson's in 1980s Theatre Company and auditioning talent for a new show but first they're the guest of honor at a welcome party of their own I don't know what I was thinking I didn't expect this the energy the excitement and it's for us for us that's huge that's that's really huge [Music] and thus even better to turn these premies may not have a president living in their neighborhood but they can boast a blip with a massive hat I hope that you'll find us the bergen people as friendly as I know they are everything has been beyond my wildest dreams the friendship the kindness and the sentiments have been shown to my family from this first city yeah she's overwhelming we are pleasure and honored to be here with all of you my husband is always emotional when he's happy and he he'll cry you know he's very expressive it like that would you like to feel my link top dog if you will of the city bringing us greetings and welcomes it doesn't get any better than that Wow I'm stoked I I don't know how much more I could handle the Owen family from Chicago or in Birmingham living the lives of the Stevenson family who run their own theater company this morning it's down to the Americans to audition talent for an upcoming production of Cinderella [Music] thank you thank you she had good stage presence her moves are real fluid great execution of the whole pop she's the one that stood out to me when they were together thought yeah I was looking at her yeah I kind of can I see the difference yeah yeah yeah the babes are cute they're fine they're gorgeous however it is hard for me to say as cute as you are you're not the right babe for the part that's an oxymoron in my world what cute maid wouldn't be right for any part back in Chicago FL junior works as a child actor so he and his family know all about castings I think it gives them a greater understanding now of what happens is you kind of have to you know you see people are talented everybody has their strengths but you have to boil it down to the person that just spits that you know fits the role I think this is really gonna help him understand actually his craft a little better [Music] I gotta give them a lot of courage a lot of hoo stuff even you know attempting to do that Oh incredible he's really not a singer I just can't imagine doing this all day long I'd shoot myself you know I've stepped into the life of some professionals in their County on me to make the best decisions for this production so this this is this is tough this is tough you all brilliant however some of you just don't have what we're looking for Abigail Nikolas and Chloe wish you the best have a good day it's kind of sad to see people that didn't get it but this experience will make me more confident at an audition so if I don't get it I don't get it I'm not what they're looking for in Chicago a seller in has links with many projects aimed at helping the local community while he's living in a felf shoes Greg Stevenson from Birmingham has a chance to experience one of these firsthand and has come to the North Lawndale area of Chicago to learn more why is the unemployment rate so high in Northland the other yeah it's because there's a very high high rate of people who have been formerly incarcerated oh hello do you work or live around communities that have high rates of incarceration issue no not particularly well I suppose Birmingham does it have its own communities like this not particularly twin with religion philosophy and malice me sweet beginnings is an innovative scheme designed to get ex-offenders back to work alongside some small but very industrious colleagues these former criminals care for a colony of urban bees producing honey and cosmetics that are sold around the city it's productive for us you know it's something different when I was released from prison that has made this is that I won't do something that's cure otherwise what I used to do so the Easter Day you commit a lot of crime this yeah at this point in my life I'm different yeah and I'm 39 now so I'm given two I've given away a lot of my life to schools yeah and I got kids I got a 24 year old son a 17 you're doing and watching your face mr. lot of that life for a mystery trying yeah right and you know actually this last a conservation idea wit my saw so I got a bed and had that feel yeah to wake up one morning and look at the next monk and see your child yeah so that's not me this is not gonna do something different you don't wanna keep passing it out there that this Resource Center works with people that are ex-offenders and I didn't quite know how I felt about that I mean everyone's makes a mistake in their life you know it just happens that these people probably got caught for it so you know they're not all bad are they they're just normal guys and they want to make a change they're looking forward not back I've been to prison four times and I just somewhere along that line I just lost hope yeah I never I never been employed never been employed this is my first real job crazy you know so and I feel good about myself yeah like I see this yeah you know let's get like a citizen this program helped me a lot that's great know I learned a lot myself so it's a really good place though it's really good to watch that their hands that's much that they you got it you're right this shows that a lot of people give back to the community that they live in and Vicky myself don't particularly give back to the community that we live in I mean perhaps we should perhaps we need to think about something like that meanwhile back in fermium hard-working mom Maria Earl in house for once got some time on her hands so she's taking them to a nail bar for spot of TLC I know there's gotta be work because I haven't had any pampering in a long long long time and why is that so many kids nice life in family and mom had been ill for the last couple of years and take care of my grandmother and my dad is the old my father-in-law liz is ill so mm-hmm that along with an 8 year old little boy who no Wow as a budding acting career it's a really full time job you really have got your hands full everything yes ma'am she's just a really nice warm genuine woman you don't really be that many genuine people yeah you meet a few and when you do you know give back it's very very important that you take care of yourself right time for you that's something know that I will have to try to incorporate this yeah it's kind of a little foreign to me because I'm so used to taking care of my yeah yes you know it's been the family and friend we'll look at it another way okay if you're not fit and healthy then you can't look after your family right and if you don't take care of yourself you can't do that right so you have to take care yourself yes yes okay I'm just gonna have to learn to take that advice have some major lessons to learn and I'm gonna try to incorporate them on my trip back home unsurprisingly Maria has a close-knit group of friends back in Chicago eager to learn more about the British Way of life they've invited career-driven Brummie Vicky Stephenson to one of their regular girls nights in before I came to Chicago my perception of people were were gonna be mainly Botox nose jobs cosmetic surgery perfect boobs bum lips but I've got to say I've been proven wrong in Chicago it's not like that at all in fact I feel like the blonde bimbo there has to be your perception of America you guys have like Jerry Springer and I dunno TV I don't read newspapers and I don't watch the news what do you do I work you worry so what are you very fun work so like if you work so much how much time do you get the spoon mature sign when Brad Sisko will go out to work when he comes home from school we're not there okay who's there with them babysitter okay unless we have a tour and then it's like two weeks at a time and then a Sunday it's always a day of family I was really surprised when the key was talking about not being able to spend time with her son I'm not judging or anything but it's just a bit odd to me that a mother only spent time with her son one day a week described Maria's life it's very fortunate she can spend time with Junior Seau and she can entertain guests when she feels like it hang out house yeah and that's really nice I've always thought in the back of my mind in an ideal world I'd love to be a housewife I'm fed up for juggling that with that trying to find a babysitter trying to be so nice to just wake up in the morning I think everything sorted and I'm gonna deal with Bradley the wash in the iron in and just the day-to-day running of the house a fellow in came to Birmingham determined to absorb as much English culture as possible and culture doesn't get much more English than the sound of leather on willow today we're going to teach you about the quintessential English game of cricket okay so hopefully I have some fun and realize that you know it's a bit different for baseball and watched a little bit on TV and it looks very interesting and then wow I'm will alone local cricketers Gavin and Stuart will begin by giving the American an important lesson in ball control the first and most important piece of equipment the box when you're facing someone can hit you at 90 miles an hour in their private regions you need this I hope it's big enough for you it's English size and make it look easy the considerate twins still seem to be concerned about themselves crown jewels so begin with some gentle underarms keep watching that ball but it's exciting I'm finding a tad bit of a challenge I'm not used to holding up he said would in that manner now they're gonna get into a a little more of a real-life situation way out there a little bit of pace up we've stepped up a little bit okay got a gap right sure so for come on Kaveri doing knock him over that's it I can't have a young getting away with it yeah I know you're coming within there and I'm coming for you baby I know you are come on with gaff yeah boom it's both strike I'm really getting into me yeah yeah yeah cuz I'm gonna go back and show the boys how it's done Fairplay he showed some bottle didn't get him out so plaudits to him I've discussed it it's been a humbling experience for the Brits and their misery is only brought to an end when the American novice picks up an injury got a little war injury there that was pretty nasty it's part of the game it's party to sport so now I feel uh official I can go back to Chicago and have my buds over and we can watch the game and I can be a bit of a show-off and tell them about the game and how the game is played and maybe who knows encouraged them to play so you bust my cherry I was a virgin not more yeah in Birmingham a fellow in from Chicago is about to get his first experience of the NHS he introduced thump playing cricket yesterday so these are route to the Good Hope hospital to see if it's life-threatening I don't know a lot about the medical system here but back home you pay for it if you have insurance you're fortunate and insurance cost a lot and you pay for and if you don't have insurance then you're in big trouble if I were back home right now injured myself and didn't have insurance I would more likely not go to seek out medical treatment just because of the fact that I know I can't pay for what I know I'll be all day I don't think it's broken we'll do this we'll do an x-ray come with me sure it's always a pleasure to follow a pretty lady moments later the silver-tongued American is lighting up the x-ray department hi how are you okay you're quite a pretty lady I must say is that okay to say that you all girls are just so beautiful my goodness yes yes yes as I'm looking around the x-ray room I noticed these things called up don't add shields and hadn't seen those stateside maybe there's a reason why I haven't seen them and as I read further on they protect the gonads doing x-ray so that's interesting I'll keep that in mind when I get back that part right there okay yeah I see so it's broken experience has been wonderful this health care system is wonderful it has a lot and maybe we over in America could emulate how things have done here Chicago yes and I'm here visiting and unfortunately I had a nasty little injury playing cricket yesterday and the health care here has been phenomenal right so thank you so much take care good day now both and there you have it all women like me young old doesn't matter all women like while ourselves winning hearts and minds at the hospital his son is doing much the same at another British institution [Music] for child actor Ethel jr. a UK classroom offers an ideal opportunity to practice his received pronunciation what who thinks they've got an interesting phrase they can come and help teach yourself to say in our English accent : brat I like chips and fish also I like chips and fish also having mastered the English accent itself Junius sets his sights on the national game and his mom Maria is cheering him on the eight-year-old has played soccer back in Chicago but his touch is a little rusty as good as you guys he's been sure for his age he's used to being around adults all the time so it's really really good right now to see him out there just relaxing and having fun and playing with the other kids I love it I've got one two three four five six seven eight nine ten boys as the team's are being picked Chicago his answer to Freddie Flintoff makes his heroic return from hospital but my thought yeah well when you're a authentic cricket player you get hurt he's doing [Music] my little boy is having the time of his life he's doing right before my very eyes and this trip is thanks so much for [Music] [Applause] was a little disappointed that I didn't get one on my own but I still did score in another way if you come and play with us it's been an honor for us and you've done really really well you tried your hardest and that's what we asked for so you now get one of these we'll look at one - his medals did you put a fire with us well done mate in Chicago the Stevenson family have taken a leaf out of the aliens book and rather than constantly working are actually being a family for a change from worship their day begins with a ship that a friend of a Phil's pizzeria where all they need to think about is a new Birmingham themed pizza recipe that's it no pattern in the middle next on the itinerary a guided tour of the city's spectacular architecture now the name Chicago is the French derivation of a Native American word meaning stinky onion swamp now we're here it's it's close to telling ya which is quite relaxing oh yeah we are actually relaxed in it are you relaxing yeah is it nice spending time with us oh boy we got a big Anan the right folks that is the Sears Tower because we're spending more quality time with Brad like I didn't know that Brad knew that the biggest skyscraper was in Dubois you know you know that and he just came out with that I'm like wow he's great at school I thought it's really nice that he interacts with us about things and and historical events in them you know architecture and places of interest he knows quite a lot of stuff proud of you it's virtually impossible to to compare Chicago with Birmingham because Birmingham we've got a few big buildings here and there a few nice hotels but to go on that tour we've just been on it really outlines a complete difference between the two cities this is magnificent back in the UK a fella Maria are being treated to a Birmingham tradition two of the Stevenson's colleagues from the theatre company have brought them to the legendary Bolton belt home to over fifty curry houses but before they get stuck in FL asked that they observe a traditional reserve Heavenly Father thank you for this opportunity to be here with new friends on a new adventure grace isn't something I've done since I was a school and it's made me sort of when he asked if we could all hold hands I was a bit like oh my god this is weird thank you for the opportunity to grow and to learn in his name we say amen thank you not coming from a mega religious background it's not something that we do you know on a Sunday lunch they sit around the table and say grace but yeah it was really nice really nice it's good I'm very glad that we're here for had come on my own I wouldn't have found this place I wouldn't have even made it to this part of town so this has been a big ups for me big ups I ain't stepping into and like Nahanni Populi station community and comparisons what it's like in Chicago as a black man you know in Chicago when I go about I am always curious to how I will be treated yeah you know I have this internal radar you know is the food gonna be laid are they gonna delay my order is they gonna feed everyone else before they serve me because you're back and I gotta tell you since I've been here I didn't know what I'm black no and I'm treated as a man as opposed to as a black man and it feels good yeah the whole time you've been here in Birmingham we've seen so many different types of cultures but everybody blends in even though there's might be in different neighborhoods or whatever but everybody seems to fit really well it's bringing out so many emotions that my son would actually be in the world.we is not judged by its color but the content of his character you know to be out of that fishbone to another fish bowl is quite refreshing then right I drink to that yeah it's getting really emotional when we're talking about how welcoming we all are over here and to me it sort of seems odd that he feels segregated in his own mind when we sort of welcome people with open open arms over here I mean I'm waiting for that moment you know gay I know it's coming wait for it wait for it where is it and it's not here my husband is a very emotional man and he feels real deeply about a lot of things and I guess he's learned a lot about himself and it's a wonderful experience for my child to see because right now he sees the world colourless and I want him to continue to see life that way and this this has been a wonderful experience for all of us to um you know to kind of come here and see things outside of our little box so in my own self-discovery you know maybe it's my prejudice I'm growing I'm being exposed to a much bigger part of the world and at the part of the world that I know is just quite small the Catholic faith plays an important role in the lives of the elect family from Chicago in an attempt to understand why the agnostic Stephenson's from Birmingham are attending Mass at the Owens local church this time we go to churches funerals weddings when its own Christmas christened maybe a done today I need to I need to see something to make you believe and if I get touched today I'll come out and say I've been touched by the Lord's that's great but I've never seen Jesus Vicky shouldn't feel too hard done by Jesus Christ doesn't often do personal appearances but in this church at least he's still back in them in [Music] Oh No we arrived and they give you the leaflet and I had to look through and suddenly I saw a prayer which was dedicated to fathers not fathers past and he just just got me I didn't think for one minute that I would cry about my dad because you think you're over things but it was the it was the prayer now the Lord hasn't touched me but I think that the fact that I'm still grieving for my father did [Music] the singing and the atmosphere the community spirit in here she's amazing and you just had to get into it like in the UK you know you come in you have the service which is quite dreary and then you leave but here is so community driven and after the service you sit around and have a chat and get to know each other church is definitely better over here better over here in the UK definitely the Owen family came to Birmingham determined to soak up as much culture as possible today they're visiting nearby Tamworth castle where the staff immediately make a third senior feel very welcome things that were thrown at them when they were in these stocks done urine and poop thrown at them can you imagine it all dripping off your face Wow Wow this is new to me I believe this might be the first Castle I've ever been in beside Disneyland but uh this is my first real careful would you like a norman helmet to put on top you bet I would yeah I feel like all I need is a horse it's nice to see him have fun and wear the costume when he wears a costume he gets into character may I try the other helmet on my dad likes Thundercats he-man adventure is Star Trek he's a little bit of a big kid Wow this has got some weight to it on this day forward milady I suddenly pledged my life to thee to protect it to honor and to serve if you'll have me I indeed do thank you man I wish I could have kept that sport plays a big part in the cultural identity of both Birmingham and Chicago over in the Windy City young Brad steals and he's learning the finer points of a sport for which Chicago is famed first the fake I'm gonna get that fake come all the way up come all the way up all the way over your head there you go there you go I Brack you ready back home his parents busy work schedules mean Brad can't always count on their support at his sporting endeavors I think my mom would like spend more time with me but but she really can't because the work is like 24/7 but Vicki's not working this week so she's finally getting a chance to see Brad in action I'm here because sometimes on this Saturday when he's actually playing football practice I've just got back from my gig so I can always make it there really well by the looks of it yeah Vicky's not seen anything yet Brad is about to unleash his new signature move you see the fate [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] me as I am always but yeah that was really good that you got in there and really got in and had a go yeah he looked like he was a bit of a natural if I say so myself Yorkers you this looks a good job today all right coach woods and I want to give you a ball and say thanks for coming out and playing with us and uh you know hope you were picking up as a sports my experience here in Chicago has made me actually think you know what I'd love six months off and just do full-time mum and that's it it's the Stevenson's last evening in Chicago so they're taking one final family outing to the top of America's tallest building the Willis Tower we want you to come to Chicago on this opportunity mainly in in my mind to bring Brad to America because it's it's it's okay sitting at home reading about America but there's nothing better than coming here and seen it for yourself I didn't think it was gonna be as pretty as it is it's really nice and then we got you know submerged in an African American community the people are great Brad's growing up from he's going from the boy to a man and I've been finding that quite difficult working at the same time but this week I have got to know him more yeah I've enjoyed spending a lot more time with mom this week but because we never really get to do it at home because it's always like working quite a lot I think with everybody thumb is important you know my family Greg me and Brad as a unit that's that's all I live for and that's what I have to work I mean we do spend a lot of time together but it's always not quality time I think you know my I love my job and it's my passion but at the end of the day the family unit has to be a successful and happy one [Music] with the owens final evening in Birmingham the Stevenson staffer company are throwing a leaving party in their honor and they've got two school uniforms going spare I'm normally a giver and this trip has taught me how to receive it's allowed me to slow down my husband says he thinks he found his old wife back again because I've been able to you know let my hair down and relax and laugh now I just need to make sure that when I go home that I take this back with me that I find some kind of way to have some me time and so that could be good to myself and also be even better to my family next it's a town's time to murder a classic from the ages [Music] today's present was amazing it was a keep it on stage on his life he just went mental perhaps would be crazy things going forward every time I think of you who I know we had to meet and I just can't get enough and I just can't get enough what a rush what I'm drilling rush I mean I was nervous going out once the music started the fans are there people are waving and making noise Wow [Applause] [Music] [Applause] I couldn't fathom in my wildest dreams that it would be like this this has been a phenomenal life-changing experience we are not the same people that we were when we got off the plane we can't and we won't be this ship has been amazing I've learned an English accent I've learned a little bit more about my family and myself and I just really really want to come back so it feels like I'm already at home my home away from home and so all of these folks that I've met to be putting the category of Fred says the whole Lots [Music] you

Channel: Real Stories

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Rating: 4.8588362 out of 5

Keywords: Real Stories, culture clash documentary, home swap documentary, documentary home swap, life swap, families swap places, Real Stories Full Documentary, swap documentary, america swap, britain swap, culture clash, family documentary, Real Stories Documentary, Full length Documentaries, Documentary, TV Shows - Topic, Documentary Movies - Topic, 2018 documentary, 2019 documentaries

Id: HkT9WtJ5X3g

Length: 43min 33sec (2613 seconds)

Published: Tue May 14 2019