BBC "Who Do You Think You Are?" Paul Hollywood (WDYTYA Series 12 Episode 1)

[Skoosh]

Mackenzie country, so folk used their patronymic, he wouldn't be known as Donald Mackenzie, there would be dozens.

Skoosh.

[Rena]

Coincidentally as I was surfing for background information on my several Donald Mackenzie(s) I came across an article about the early postal service including post boys which I found most interesting.

It didn't do to separate the Post Office from its charges:-

"On the early morning of the 1st of August 1802 the mail from Glasgow for Edinburgh was robbed by two men at a place near Linlithgow, when a[Pg 39] sum of £1300 or £1400 was stolen. The robbers had previously been soldiers. They hurried into Edinburgh with their booty, got drunk, were discovered, and, when subsequently tried, were sentenced to be executed. The law was severe in those days; and the Post Office has the distinction of having obtained judgment against a robber who was the last criminal hung in chains in Scotland."

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/27688/27688-h/27688-h.htm

[scotmum]

Some further interesting reading re the 'post runner' :

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01fwk/

so it may only have been the 'full run' for five or so months of the year.

For those commenting on the name difference, see link in my earlier post above.

[StanleysChesterton]

I was VERY disappointed in the Paul Hollywood episode.  It's nice that he found out about his granddad, who he knew, but it was a programme that didn't give the viewers much/new.  They spent far too long on this one person (who wasn't a mystery and who had lived a long life) - and I find the war stuff 'boring' as there's so much of it about in recent years and it's "quite easy" to find out more yourself if you're interested. 

The show was something that he should've paid for/had done (it's not like he's on national minimum wage).

As for the rest, they skimped and rushed and achieved nothing.

A very poor show.  It's not often I find a WDYTYA that is a waste of an hour of my life that I'll never get back, but this episode would be one of the first in the hat!

Yes it's nice, for Paul, that they took him on a jolly .... but it wasn't film-worthy.

If I'd been The Boss of WDYTYA I'd have pulled that episode and shoved it to the back of the cupboard.... I guess they were trying to capitalise on the Great British Bake Off audience pull.  They'll not keep many (if any) of those new viewers it pulled in on the back of PH's name.

[ScouseBoy]

I cannot believe  that more than a few thousand watch "the Great British Bake off"         It is totally bland, just like their cakes.       

[StanleysChesterton]

I cannot believe  that more than a few thousand watch "the Great British Bake off"         It is totally bland, just like their cakes.       

It's about wanting to be a twee Yummy Mummy - and middle-class - before dashing off to Amazon to buy a Kitchen Aid mixer (that won't get used).  It's a tight demographic + those who follow like sheep on social media

And a few people who like looking at nice cakes and dreaming of scoffing them.

[locksmith]

I cannot believe  that more than a few thousand watch "the Great British Bake off"         It is totally bland, just like their cakes.       

Some people like sports programmes, some like reality shows, some like game shows, others like watching the ability of others to bake cakes good or bad.

We are all different, we all like watching or doing different things, and I say thank goodness for that.

Simon

[Gillg]

The Observer TV critic calls WDYTYA a "tired formula".  After an episode like this I'm inclined to agree.

[jillruss]

The Observer TV critic calls WDYTYA a "tired formula".  After an episode like this I'm inclined to agree.

Me too. Perhaps they should go back to some of the earlier series when there was actually some genealogy on show. I seem to remember even being able to press the red button and get Adrian Chiles and that chap who used to pop up on any genealogy related programme (can't remember his name now) explaining how to start your family history and which documents to look for. They need to get the balance right between social history and actual genealogy (going back a good bit earlier than 70 years ago).

Above all, they need to stop opting for 'popular celebrities' (No, Scouseboy, I don't get the attraction of watching people bake cakes either but - hey - each to their own). They need to hire better researchers who are prepared to slog it out at the Records Offices to come up with interesting stories - even if the so called celebrity isn't actually very celebrated!! I don't care as long as they have an interesting ancestry to offer.

I'm hoping Jerry Hall might be the exception to all this WW2 stuff. I live in hope!

Jill