The Swan (TV Series)

The Swan (TV series)

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 during a three-month process. 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.

Both the first and second seasons debuted in 2004. A third season was tipped to happen, but the show was cancelled in early 2005 after continued ratings drops.

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.