WDYTYA

Andrew C. · Post by **Andrew C.** » Tue May 27, 2008 5:05 pm

The BBC has announced who are going to be on series 5. Doesn't look on the face of it to be anyone with a particularly Scottish connection however I would have said that about Jeremy Paxman and Colin Jackson.

http://www.bbcwhodoyouthinkyouare.com/news.php?id=41314

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Tue May 27, 2008 8:54 pm

I think the line up for this series has me really underwhelmed. I suppose Boris should be good value though...!

Chris

Andrew C. · Post by **Andrew C.** » Tue May 27, 2008 9:21 pm

My thoughts as well, what is Jerry Springer all about?

Post by **Tracey** » Tue May 27, 2008 10:36 pm

Andrew C. wrote:My thoughts as well, what is Jerry Springer all about?

Jerry Springer i think was born in Hampstead or near abouts in North London to Jewish refugees - but dont quote me on that ! in which case could make for a interesting /sad one like Stephen Fry's

No reason why this lots past sould be less interesting than ours

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Tue May 27, 2008 10:42 pm

I don't doubt that their pasts will be interesting - it's them that I find so underwhelming!

Mind you, they'd probably say the same about me...! lol

Chris

Post by **paddyscar** » Tue May 27, 2008 10:56 pm

I suppose they are looking for 'celebrities' whose entire life stories aren't in the public realm. With 60+ million Britons to choose from, Frank the corner butcher might spark some interest

Post by **paddyscar** » Tue May 27, 2008 11:04 pm

Tracey's right - Jerry Springer was born in England, based on both these biographies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Springer
http://www.jerryspringertv.com/posse/jerry.htm

Who would you be overwhelmed with as a subject? Apart from MY grandmother?

Frances

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Tue May 27, 2008 11:24 pm

I used to work as a BBC producer, so I have something of a natural aversion to celebrities...!

I think WDYTYA's saving grace is that the stories really aren't about the celebrities featured, they are just the conduit. The ones that I think worked best were those programmes on Bill Oddie and David Dickinson. I absolutely could not stand either of them as so called TV personalities, but both films were so genuine with their emotional content that they won me over. Contrast those editions with the programmes on Nigella Lawson and John Hurt...!

I still much preferred the BBC4 series 'Family Ties' though - the programme where the guy discovered his father was an SS guard was one of the best half hour's of genealogy programming ever made, imo, as it really got to the heart of the whole issue of identity, which I think hits us all really, once we get stuck into our own trees.

Hopefully a gem or two will pop up in this series, where we least expect it...!

At a push, if I had to name a celebrity to be commissioned for a programme, perhaps John Humphreys or John Barrowman?

And the Queen apparently has an interesting past...!

Chris

Post by **Ina** » Wed May 28, 2008 2:16 am

I'm surprised that they are researching Jerry Springer's ancestors on WDYTYA.

Jerry has a real sleezy TV show here in the states. He used to be the mayor of Cincinnati and lost his position because he was caught with prostitutes.......and was dumb enough to have written a check to pay for their services.

Let's hope his ancestors had a little more class that he does.

Regards,

Ina

Post by **marilyn morning** » Wed May 28, 2008 2:58 am

Ina wrote

Let's hope his ancestors had a little more class that he does.

If nothing else, I hope they were smart enough to pay cash for their off hour entertainment.