WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE (Episode 4)

[booger]

I didn't think it was as good as episode 3, but Jeremy is a funny man and I do like his style - I especially like his views on political correct thinking. Wouldn't it have been funny if one of his ancestors had been a Victorian eco-warrior!

A little more nitty-gritty would have been splendid - too much Kilner stuff; got a little bored with glass blowing and vast amounts of wealth. I would like to have seen him do some research into his Ag. Lab. ancestors - something more human. Also, he didn't cry...why?

I think the BBC should run a second series after this. Maybe they should get some input from regular family historians, like us, before they start filming. Perhaps the BBC should get rid of Eastenders, sport, chat shows and childrens' programs, and show two, three or even four hour episodes on BBC1 next time - heck, let's have a family history day at least once a week, and really indulge ourselves. How about concentrating on one ordinary individual and following him as he researches his tree from the beginning? Maybe the BBC can encourage people to begin researching by offering prizes (free help from a professional, 24-hrs in a records office, of your choice, with no restrictions)?

Family Ties at 10:00. I'm glad I'm not French! What a hastle it would be to find a simple birth certificate.

Kris.

[BenB]

Its TV............
Light and entertaining?
All so far have included the element of the chase.
 
I just wonder how many man hours the programmes have taken to produce, particularly how many researchers were used? As we know it can take many months just to find a certificate or will.

Our expertise has us saying -  well Jeremy! get along to the probate and you will see where your mothers families money went, yours is still down the pit.

If only the last bit actually was expanded with some real tips and advice
BenB

[Welsh Jen]

I personally didn't find last nights episode as interesting as the others, but having said that I still enjoyed it and it was a good compromise with my husband! as he too could watch someone he could tollerate!
 

[suey]

Now I know why some of my family yawn while I'm rattling off the lastest info on someone who dropped off the twig over 100 years ago  - my least favorite of the programs so far.

I agree with Kris, a little too much on the Kilners, but the programe did show that even if you do have a professional researcher to do the 'bare bones' at least you can still 'put the flesh on' yourself..

[Fitty]

As i have quite a few Glass Blowers in my tree last nights episode was particularly fasinating to me.  It was'nt pretentious in anyway, we were told right at the begining of the programme that a profesional had wrote up his Tree.  I would liked to have known just how his GGGGrandfather had squandered the fortune though. 

Kazza, I spotted the HOLE too and wondered about him!   lol

Although i'll never be able to look at my Coffee Container again without thinking about Mr Clarkson! 

[Boongie Pam]

Hmmm, not as good as episode 3 but I love Clarkson - I think he is hilarious.  I know I'm a minority!

There was a lovely little touch which I would like to do but I guess you need the wealth in the family.  At the end of the programme they flicked through generations of photos of the generations.

I know it isn't an in depth study, but I like the focus on resource type.

Pam
 

[GreySquirrel]

Well, I thought it was the weakest show of the four so far from a genealogy point of view, largely because Mr Clarkson (in his own words) thinks genealogy "too boring to bother with" and seemed to be driven only by the possibilities of discovering evidence of fame, power and money in his tree.

Personally, also, I don't like class snobs or anti-environmentalists. The court case may have been brought becuase of factory smoke damaging the trees in the adjacent park; but you can be sure that if local beech trees were dying, the same smoke was not exactly an elixir for the workers and neighbours of the glass factory.

[Little Nell]

I  think the mystery here was not about who do you think you are, but how did all that loot disappear!  I think we all have these sorts of mysteries and possibly we all try to sort them out, starting with the "who" part.  If you get past that, then "how" comes naturally.  From a genealogical point of view, it was not that satisfying, but I think it showed very well how much more there can be to a family history story than just names and dates.  It also showed how caught up with events (even past events)we can get, so that sometimes we don't "do" good genealogy.

And Kazza, I spotted the Hole family and thought of you.  Amazing that you knew some of them!

Nell

[Spotty]

I quite liked it - I cried laughing when he found out about the court case on environmental grounds, you could tell Clarkson did not like that one bit.

I'd love to have a professional helping me, I think all the celebs have been lucky in that respect.