The Swan — Season 1, Episode 7: Marnie & Dawn
Reality • 60 min • 2 seasons, 21 episodes • ★ 3.3/10
Episode synopsis
Meet Tanya, 31, data processor from Olympia, Washington. Tanya has spent her life hiding. All she sees when she looks in the mirror is her large nose. Merline N., 29, mother of three, from Victorville, California. Merline's never had the chance to put herself first. She's been responsible for others since she was a child and had to interpret for her two deaf parents. She's lived with crooked teeth all her life and dreams of one day having a smile she can be proud of.
About The Swan
The Swan is a 2004 American reality television program broadcast on Fox in which women who were judged to be ugly were given "extreme makeovers" that included several forms of plastic surgery. The title of the series refers to the fairy tale The Ugly Duckling, in which a homely bird matures into a swan. Each contestant was assigned a panel of specialists – a coach, therapist, trainer, cosmetic surgeons, and a dentist – who together designed a program of total transformation. The contestants' work ethic, growth, and achievement was monitored over the course of three months. Each week, two women were featured, and at the episode's conclusion, one went home while another was selected to move to compete in the Swan pageant at the end of the season for a chance to be deemed The Swan. The first two seasons both aired in 2004. A third season was tipped to happen, but the show was cancelled in early 2005 after ratings continued to drop. The plastic surgeons on the team were chosen for their ability to perform often startling transformations. Drs. Terry Dubrow and Randal Haworth, both board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, were selected by the producers of the show to perform the multiple plastic surgical operations for each of the two aired seasons.