"Who Do You Think You Are", Series 14: #7 Fearne Cotton

[DavidG02]

I have previously had the complaint about the '' 1 hour left on the cutting room floor'' and still find it frustrating at times.

I wonder in these times they cant have a secondary addition on the BBC website that does show all the ins and outs of how they found the families etc. Those that have or want an interest in FH research can then see how '' the professionals' do it.

Just an idea

[Rosinish]

They obviously thought that showing Fearne looking up censuses was not as important as the research they did show.

More important/interesting than watching her driving, walking, sitting on a bench reading etc. & it is a big part of research 

Annie

[carlineric]

I feel they did a great disservice to William Gilmour by suggesting that he was not a qualified doctor as he had not been to university and gained his MD and that he was just making it up as he went along. He was actually a qualified doctor, he had received his licence to practice from the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow in 1854. This was before the Medical Act of 1858 which required a medical degree or licence before you could practice medicine. He would have served an apprenticeship of around three to five years learning from a "master" and maybe also attending lectures at a  medical school or university. He was registered as doctor on 1 January 1859 when the 1858 Act came into force. He also gained his Double Qualification in Medicine and Surgery in 1860 by becoming a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh in 1860. The 1854 newspaper report contained the clue to his being a qualified doctor as he is shown as Member of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, and Licentiate in Midwifery of Glasgow. So we had a young newly qualified doctor looking for adventure.

[magnacarta]

I hope this information gets to Fearne Cotton,how on earth did the researchers miss it.

[aghadowey]

William's wife didn't re-marry and the surviving children didn't get a great start in life.

I can assure you that the 'researchers' were given all the census records, William's medical details, a family tree and much, much more!

There was another aspect of the Crimea period of his life which wasn't mentioned which was quite interesting and revealing but not sure why it was left out. Two of the newspaper clippings they did film had quite interesting bits of information which could easily have been included without taking up much time.

They were also told where he lived in Garvagh, details of his parents & siblings, etc. They were also sent copy of an 1830s lease for his father in which he and 2 brothers were mentioned but the programme seemed to ignore it completely (as far as I know they never even filmed it although earlier it was shown to production team in pre-filming visit to N.I.). Ironically the lease was in a box not far from where Fearne Cotton was standing when they showed her looking at the Chronicle 

I would hope that the celebrity is given ALL the information that was found in researching the programme.

[AntonyMMM]

The celebrities are given a full report on everything that has been found - and a vast amount of information will have been obtained and sifted through and then distilled down to make an interesting story. I'd agree though that this episode hinted that William was somehow faking his training as a doctor, which wasn't really fair.

A WDYTYA director I worked with acknowledged that occasionally documents seem to magically appear, and some things get skipped over but then explained "we are making a prime time entertainment programme that is based on family history - not a genealogy training video".

The extra section showing how things were found was tried in the first series, but didn't prove very popular.

Unused sections of filming have previously been posted online by the producers, but not for every episode.

[Caw1]

Thanks AntonyMMM and aghasowet for some insight into what goes in and out of making this programme.

It was good to hear that William did have some qualifications and shame that it was rather glossed over making it look like he was a bit of a chancer!

Like others commented she didn't seem to be very interested in finding out about the wife and children of William and what happened to them.

Regarding her Welsh connection, surely her gt. Uncle would have been able to impart some what happened to his father before any research was done!

I found it interesting in parts but felt she seemed a little detached despite her wanting to have some heritage for her children.

Not one of my most favourites I'm afraid.

Pity the BBC can't put another few programmes on after the series with 'best left out bits' from the series! Or something like David Attenborough's where they have a short bit at the end of each programme.

Ah well, it's for the masses not how to research as someone else said, pity though!

 Caroline

[Mowsehowse]

Woah!!
Thanks for all the information.

I must say I feel quite outraged that William was portrayed as a charlatan when the programme makers had been given proof of his extensive medical training.

Surely there must be other descendants who will have been embarrassed by this calumny?.....
And how tragic that due to class issues he became bankrupt and his family suffered.

[jillruss]

They obviously thought that showing Fearne looking up censuses was not as important as the research they did show.

More important/interesting than watching her driving, walking, sitting on a bench reading etc. & it is a big part of research 

Annie

My thoughts exactly. Far too much wandering through fields and posing on fallen tree stumps, for me. Could have done without the kids and cakes bit at the start as well. She's always struck me as a very 'appearances' kind of girl.

Her mother Linda's face looked very familiar - does anyone know if she's an actress or some other media figure?

Jill