WDYTYA

Post by **joette** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:15 pm

Oh yes I wish they would do a follow up to show what if anything the participants have learned since the programme.Wonder if any of them have become addicted to this fascinating pastime.
I think maybe Emma & Edward would make splendid Dickens characters.
I may do a little delving myself

can't help it I'm a nosey one.

sheilajim · Post by **sheilajim** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:55 pm

Hi All

How I wish that the TV Show "Who do you think you are? " was shown in North America. I would love to see such a program.

I am sitting here, green with envy, as I read your posts.

Regards

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:59 pm

Hi Sheila
If you are dead keen (sorry

!) then I think you can buy DVDs of earlier series....
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_d_ ... nk+you+are

Best wishes
Lesley

Montrose Budie · Post by **Montrose Budie** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 6:06 am

joette wrote:Oh yes I wish they would do a follow up to show what if anything the participants have learned since the programme.Wonder if any of them have become addicted to this fascinating pastime.
I think maybe Emma & Edward would make splendid Dickens characters.
I may do a little delving myself can't help it I'm a nosey one.

In general such follow ups aren't liked by programme producers as they mean nothing to those watching who didn't see the earlier episode, and it becomes time consuming to do a sufficiently detailed reprise ... which, of course, bores those who did watch the original episode....

mb

trish1 · Post by **trish1** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 6:44 am

sheilajim wrote:Hi All

How I wish that the TV Show "Who do you think you are? " was shown in North America. I would love to see such a program.
I am sitting here, green with envy, as I read your posts.

Regards

Being in Australia, I get envious too - but seeing mention of NSW, rather like Annette, I had to check it out. I found a Herbert Stafford, baptised 1855, St Pauls, Redfern (suburb of Sydney) C of E, son of Charles and Mary G. If this is the correct Herbert (age is about right) he must have returned as he died in NSW 1940.

In 1851 Charles Stafford married Mary G Robbards at Sydney St Lawrences C of E. They have 8 children listed from 1851 - 1863.
Charles appears to have died 1865 aged 41, parents unknown. There is a Mr Chas Stafford, unassisted immigrant arrived NSW 1845 from London.

There is a Charles Lewis Stafford baptised 1825 at Saint John the Baptist, Croyden, Surrey but parents are given as Samuel Stafford and Temperance.

Was any of this in the program? Is it in any way relevant. I've been a John Hurt fan for years - it this family is related, I'll check a little more - would love to find a distant connection between my folks and his

(My family lived at Redfern in early 20th century - I wonder if that counts?)

Trish

sheilajim · Post by **sheilajim** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:24 pm

Hi Leslie

I didn't know that they were put on DVDs.

Thank you for that info.

Regards

Sheila

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 9:02 pm

Montrose Budie wrote:What I felt was particularly good about the production was the way in which it started out on the basis that there was at least some truth in the connection to the Irish aristocracy, but instead of going direct to the two trees that were produced near the end, - in which case the programme would have lasted all of 10 minutes maximum, - it took us down all the byways chasing up connections that turned out to be false that is so typical of such a search, but which still produced info and experiences of value.

And that includes the meeting with his aunt where there was a brilliant example of how information can be distorted over just two generations especially when it's transmitted via several people (WWI trenches example, - message received "Send 3/6d, we're going to a dance", - message transmitted "Send reinforcements, we're going to advance" !!)

I actually think that this is the very reason why the programme was such a poor offering.

Now granted, the programme plays to two different audiences - those who do genealogical research or at least in some way interested or involved; and those who want to watch a passive hour's television, with feet firmly tucked up on the sofa.

For those who have an interest, one of the golden rules is "always start by asking your relatives what they know" - don't necessarily trust what they say, but at least ask! In this respect, a simple phone call up front to the cousin would have negated the need for what was an unbelievably contrived sequence up top. You get the feeling that the production team wanted a quick jolly to Ireland. And as for the moment when they abandoned the search for Emma's parents when it turned out she wasn't linked to the nobility...! To my mind, unforgivable. Didn't it matter any more who her real parents were?

The story of the fraudulent ancestor was interesting, but if we had come to this quicker, we could have gone further with other branches - something done on many other WDYTYA programmes.

I found this offering very weak, certainly when held up agaisnt last week's.

And can I just say, as a former BBC TV documentary producer, to any nice directors out there working on future editions, PLEASE stop moving the camera sideways along tracks when people are being interviewed - it makes me seasick watching it...! lol

Chris