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The Famigliettis of Peabody have stretched their proverbial 15 minutes of fame into three hours.

Richard and Diane Famiglietti and their four children appeared last year on Fox's "Trading Spouses," then again Monday on Fox's "Renovate My Family."

Their double dip into prime-time "reality" TV earned them $50,000 the first time, then a new 3,600-square-foot home with all-season outdoor hockey rink and hot tub on the second go-round.

"We're still kind of flying high," Diane Famiglietti said yesterday. "It's been an incredible year. We don't know why, but we're not going to question it."

Some viewers did just that overnight on the show's online message boards, wondering why one family would get two televised makeover opportunities. "What about all the other people out there that need help?" wrote AngieRusso.

Others defended the Peabody family.

"Do you watch `Trading Spouses'?" wrote bugmaster. "I saw the episode (Diane) was on and she was the reason I kept watching."

Rocket Science Laboratories, which produces both shows, had no reservations casting the family again. "As we went deeper into their story, we just really felt they were deserving for `Renovate,' " said production executive Matt Laviano.

In the meantime, the family is heading for Disneyland with some of the money from "Trading Spouses" before Richard Famiglietti heads back to work teaching biology at Lynn Classical High School and theirchildren - Marc, Arianna, Justin and Cody - also return to school.

But thanks to that show, Marc and Arianna have new cars, Justin and Cody got braces, and the bathroom that needed fixing - well, that didn't need fixing because the "Renovate" crew showed up in November before they got their $50,000.

The Thibodeauxs, the Georgia family that swapped spouses with them last summer, were among many supporters who called Monday night after the show aired.

Diane Famiglietti, who survived a massive heart attack and triple- bypass surgery, said her only disappointment with the show was seeing no footage from her speech at a Heart Association dinner.

"But we're just thankful and grateful," she said. "To be picked for one show, let alone two shows, is unheard of."

Any other shows in the offing?

"Back to reality," she joked.

Caption: `TRADING' UP: Diane and Richard Famiglietti, with sons Cody, left, and Justin, also at top with friend A. J. Lupo, are two- time reality TV stars. Staff photo by Tara Bricking

Copyright 2005
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.

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