BBC TV "WDYTYA?" Series 10 Episode #1: Samantha Womack

[Nick29]

And, of course Sam Womack didn't really have to travel to the USA to find out what she needed to know - it could all have been done by email,

You're quite right - but how many episodes of WDYTYA have you watched when the subject hasn't gone off on a trip somewhere 

It wouldn't have been so bad if Ms Womack had been allowed to look around the house where her ancestor lived, but a six-hour plane journey just to stand on the steps ? 

When she travelled all that way, I was sure that she was going to be linked up with a descendant over there, but alas, another damp squib 

[baggygenes]

I think the thing is that they are visually tying the viewer to the celebs roots ... if they were just getting shots of people in front of their computers emailing and saying " they lived in New York" or wherever the viewer wouldn't be particularly entertained or drawn into their stories - as much as I am completely jealous they have the opportunities to go wherever and get experts to sit down with them and explain stuff if it was just an hour of someone sitting at their pc on Ancestry, googling and emailing it wouldn't be particularly thrilling - jetting off to somewhere in their search makes the whole thing seem more of an adventure (even if in reality people who do FH know it wasn't necessary)

One of my fav episodes was Gryff Rhys Jones - apart from the humour in it, it was good to see someone sending off for certificates that weren't the right ones straight away for a change!

[Parmesan]

the link to the unseen footage about The Greatest Show On Earth, further up this thread was interesting, can't imagine why it was excluded.

One of my favourite episodes, which I didn't expect to enjoy, was Jason Donovan.  Those men building a road up the mountain in a few months was amazing.

[Finley 1]

Yes I like it when they link up with a rellie, they never knew they had.

 

xin

[susieroe]

And, of course Sam Womack didn't really have to travel to the USA to find out what she needed to know - it could all have been done by email,

You're quite right - but how many episodes of WDYTYA have you watched when the subject hasn't gone off on a trip somewhere 

Indeed.  Obviously, its an entertainment show as much as anything else but even if they insist on flying folk around the globe to search records, it would be helpful if they informed the viewer that its not absolutely necessary and that many records can be found online.  Maybe it tells you that on their website?

i found him as an Assistant at a school in one census, and a Professor of Music in another. But no, nothing in 1891 and at the time couldn't find his death. The 'judge' reference set me off looking for him, perhaps his father was still in France?

[stonechat]

Gregg Wallace on Wednesday BBC1 9PM

[Archivos]

I think it's horses for courses - if you find this sort of thing irritating, then don't watch. 

However, I think dealing with history, taking us back to different times and showing how people (whether famous or not) are affected by finding out how their ancestors lived (which is something which has happened to all of us, here, am I right?) is very interesting.

It's not a programme about how to do genealogical research, in my view, it's a programme about discovering things and then seeing the effects of family history on a particular person.

And having been first of all intrigued, then hooked, then fascinated and then, honestly, totally affected in my day to day life by my own genealogical researches, I find it very interesting to watch.

Thanks to Archivos for explaining how it's set up.  If you've been involved in previous Who Do You Think You Are programmes, Archivos, (it sounds as if you may have been) then thank you.  They're always on my "must watch" list.

Yes, I've been involved in both the research side and the filming side (as one of the 'experts', though my bit didn't make the final cut  ).  It's always interesting to see how the production company whittles down the footage to make the final version, but one thing I'm not sure of is how much narration they give to Mark Strong (that is who it is, isn't it?!) before they edit, which is why he may say some things which haven't been fully covered in the final version.

[mrs.tenacious]

Gregg Wallace on Wednesday BBC1 9PM

Genealogy doesn't get much tougher than this! 

[Nick29]

It will be interesting to see if any of Gregg Wallace's ancestors had 'a sweet tooth'