Finding Your Roots

I just watched a really interesting new genealogy TV show called Finding Your Roots. It's broadcast on Sunday nights at 8pm on the PBS channel. (Sky channel 166, Virgin Media 243). 

Finding Your Roots draws some comparisons to Who Do You Think You Are? in that it deals with the family trees of celebrity guests each week, however the two shows are different in their approaches. Finding Your Roots deals with two, or sometimes three, subjects each week, and presents them with their genealogy records in a "book of life" rather than them doing the research for themselves. 

This is a clever way to progress through a family history, and in the episode I watched last night it was also quite moving at times. The two subjects were American (it is an American show) politicians Cory Booker and John Lewis. Both men are African-American, which is only relevant in that it allowed the show to include  interesting social history in the context of the ancestry of these two men. Specifically, there was information relating to slavery, the Jim Crow laws, and the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The mixture of genealogy and social history, also done very well in Who Do You Think You Are?, is an aspect on which I am very keen.

Finding Your Roots starts with a short biography of each subject, which sets up the genealogical research nicely. At this point they can state if there are any family mysteries that they would like to be investigated. Throughout the rest of the show the results of the research are shown to the participants in their "book of life," a scrapbook that contains photographs and copies of records and other documents. We also get to see interviews with the researchers to see how they found their information. 

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Finding Your Roots is that they use DNA testing to help to unravel some genealogical problems. In fact, the show states that their methods involve "public records, personal family histories, and DNA analysis." In the episode I watched DNA testing was used to confirm that Cory Booker's maternal great-grandfather was a white doctor, and that his grandfather, as the family suspected, was illegitimate. DNA analysis is a fascinating new aspect of family history research, and it promises much for the future.

Finding Your Roots is hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. Throughout the run of the show the celebrities to be featured will be:

S1 EP1 - Harry Connick Jr and Branford Marsalis

S1 EP2 - Cory Booker and John Lewis

S1 EP3 - Barbara Walters and Geoffrey Canada

S1 EP4 - Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick 

S1 EP5 - Angela Buchdahl, Rick Warren, and Yasir Qadhi

S1 EP6 - Robert Downey Jr and Maggie Gyllenhaal

S1 EP7 - Samuel L. Jackson, Condoleezza Rice, and Ruth Simmons

S1 EP8 - Sanjay Gupta, Margaret Cho, and Martha Stewart

S1 EP9 - John Legend, Wanda Sykes, and Margarett Cooper

S1 EP10 - Michelle Rodriguez, Adrian Grenier, and Linda Chavez

I really liked the first episode of Finding Your Roots, and I recommend it to anybody who enjoys watching programmes about genealogy and social history. You can find out more at the official website. 

Find My Past TV Show

I wrote a previous post about Genealogy TV Shows, and in that post mentioned a new show call Find My Past, with obvious ties to the website. Well, I quite liked it, and I'm pleased to report that it's coming back for a second series. 

The format is the same: each week of the ten part series three people investigate how their ancestors were linked to famous historical events. The finale of each episode involves the three participants learning about how their ancestors' lives intertwined. Series Two promises episodes dealing with the great fire of London, the gunpowder plot, and the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. 

Presented by Chris Hollins, Find My Past series two will begin on Tuesday 30th October 2012. It will be shown on the Yesterday channel, on Freeview channel 19, Sky channel 537, and Virgin Media channel 203.

War Hero In My Family

I wanted to write a quick post about the new UK Channel 5 show War Hero In My Family. On first impressions it appears to be very similar in style to Who Do You Think You Are?, but with a particular focus on military records. This is no bad thing. As with WDYTYA, War Hero In My Family involves celebrities travelling to various locations to learn more about their ancestors. 

To be precise, each story relates to one particular ancestor. This means that there is naturally not such an emphasis on genealogical research, although the nature of the show is highlighted in the fact that it is sponsored by the well known genealogy website Ancestry.

In the first episode in the series the celebrities who were researching their military ancestors were Chris Tarrant and Lisa Faulkner. Whilst it was good to hear two different stories, I would have preferred them to be split into the first and second halves of the show. The fact that the makers elected to play out both stories simultaneously meant that I couldn't really concentrate on either.

As with  WDYTYA, the stories develop over the course of an hour, with the celebrities learning more about their ancestors each step of the way. Chris Tarrant spoke to a military expert, as well as somebody who had served with his father. Lisa Faulkner learnt about what her grandfather's role in the RAF was in World War Two, and visits the concentration camp at Belsen. A narration provided context and greater historical detail.

All in all, War Hero In My Family looks very promising. I don't think that it will provide many tips in terms of carrying out genealogical research, but it will give a clear idea of what people experienced during times of war. This will no doubt help anybody who is tracing their military ancestors. Ultimately, the show looks to be enlightening and entertaining. I will watch the rest of the series with interest.

Family History TV Shows

I have to be honest here - it was watching the BBC's "Who Do You Think You Are?" that first got me interested in genealogy. Watching celebrities uncover stories about their ancestors made me want to do the same. The programme was, and still is, very entertaining, however I soon discovered when I started my own research that it doesn't really portray how difficult genealogy can be.

The celebrities who have been featured on the show tend to have professional genealogists carry out the work on their behalf, rather than experiencing the joys of researching their own family tree. Of course, they still benefit from learning all about their ancestors and how they lived. From a viewer's perspective this is the heart of the show. Some of the stories told have been very powerful. For example, Stephen Fry, David Baddiel, and Esther Rantzen all researched stories relating to Jewish persecution in Europe before the Second World War.

Since WDYTYA? first started several other genealogy shows have aired, including an American version. This follows the same format as the British version. Celebrities who have featured include Spike Lee, Brooke Shields, Sarah Jessica Parker, and her husband, Matthew Broderick. His story, in particular, was very interesting, as he researched an ancestor who had fought and died in the American Civil War. Matthew had previously known nothing about his great-grandfather, but came to feel extremely proud of him once he learnt of his military achievements.

Other television shows featuring family history research to be aware of include Heir Hunters and Find My Past. They differ in format to WDYTYA?, and are not as focused on the process of genealogical research. Nevertheless, they can be useful in learning how to develop the skills needed to successfully expand your family tree back through the generations.

I thoroughly recommend watching family history programmes as a way of learning about genealogy. They can inspire you to begin research into your own ancestry, as they did for me. They are also a valuable resource for helpful hints and tips, and they are extremely educational in terms of learning about social history, and important historical landmarks. Last, but not least, they can just be entertaining to watch.