Gene Detectives

[joette]

So it's the Commisioning Editor for the Pillory at Glasgow X or Princes St or a location of your choice-maybe we should vote on it??

[emanday]

So it's the Commisioning Editor for the Pillory at Glasgow X or Princes St or a location of your choice-maybe we should vote on it??

On the basis that he should be pilloried, I vote for Glasgow Cross

[karenc]

i would agree with everything thats been said.

i saw it in the tv guide last week and thought great something decent to watch how wrong i was

as you all say they must know before they do all their silly tests which of the three is the long lost rellie, so why bother with the other 2?

the person looking for their relative is being put through all that stuff when there is no need for them to be. it just seemed like a bit of a half hearted attempt at a genealogy programme.

karen

[Chris Paton]

Sadly, this is a show that was probably doomed to happen...

Until last year, I worked at the BBC as a producer/director of history programmes in the factual department, but left on a voluntary redundancy after becoming completely disillusioned at the rubbish we were continually being expected to make. At every development meeting, a show that had done well would be discussed, and some bright spark would want to know how we could go one step further - ie. what is the next gimmick? I fear that this is what has happened here, and is just the latest in an increasing line of genealogy series which are becoming increasingly desperate for the "next big thing".

Prior to WDYTYA first coming out, there was a Nations and Regions drive at the BBC to come up with a format involving genealogy that would involve the whole of the UK, with production input from all four countries. We had all sorts of ideas that would look at real people's stories, but it was never to happen, as we suddenly all learned that Wall to Wall had inexplicably gained the contract. The BBC did not feel comfortable enough with a format that did not feature celebrities - after all, every show today has to be about celebrities. It's part of the lazy approach to programme making these days. Ironically, the BBC did commission another show for BBC4 - "Family Ties" - in conjunction with the OU, which dealt with the stories of ordinary people, often on extremely emotional topics, such as the British man who was stunned to find that his father had been in the SS. But it was hidden away on BBC4, a minority channel that most people did not watch at that time. The BBC no longer has faith in ordinary people being able to explore their own stories on mainstream channels, and now has to "sex up" any remotely interesting idea with a gimmick.

So what is next - well, along comes ITV. They want their own WDYTYA - they have just bought GR after all. So they take the equally lazy approach of cloning WDYTYA, and adding one new gimmick, getting the celebrities to do the job of their ancestors. Unfortunately, they don't actually do anything of the sort, they do modern jobs in nothing like the original conditions, diluting the premise, and getting in the way of the interesting bits, i.e. the story. And it's also made by Wall to Wall!

So back to the BBC ideas room. You can see them at their wee meeting. What's the next big thing? DNA! Great, sounds very sciencey, no one else has done it - give me ten by next month...! No doubt once it had been commissioned, the actual production team suddenly realised just how dull as dishwater it was going to be to sustain a show for 45 minutes on DNA!!! So the only option was to go for more gimmicks, but having run out of relevant gimmicks they tried to sex it up to the point of ridiculousness and utter irrelevance. Now they have Jerry Springer meets WDYTYA, but they have become so desperate to better the last effort that they are now twisting the genre to the point of dishonesty.

Fundamentally, genealogy programming should be about the stories revealed in the ancestry of ordinary people. We don't need gimmicks, celebrities, we just need honest programme makers to believe that the ordinary public hold the most incredible stories locked away in their history. We've heard enough about Bonnie Prince Charlie, Barbara Windsor and this current team of Vulcans with their DNA kits.

I doubt it will happen though. I fear the next big genealogy series is going to be "Contact the Dead" - a six part series where a psychic medium communicates with spirits beyond the grave to solve untold stories from the past.... with celebrities, an army of DNA doctors, and a man standing ready with an 18th C horse drawn plough to re-enact how the spook died in the first place...!

Chris
[rant over]

[Russell]

Chris

That's not a rant

It's a very informative, if somewhat disheartening real life story.

Everything seems to be being dumbed down to the point where there is no point.
We are heading toward the position American TV has been at for years -Wall to Wall, 24 hour garbage with absolutely no intellectual content interspersed with adverts, trailers and explanatory voice overs every 30 seconds.
My TV has a computer attached, with real people at the other end of the line.
Think positive. there are some thinking people in the world still.
As was said earlier - exercise your right to choice as well as your brain. Switch off the darned thing

Russell

[marilyn morning]

We are heading toward the position American TV has been at for years -Wall to Wall, 24 hour garbage with absolutely no intellectual content interspersed with adverts,

Hi Russell,

I'm not the great defender of American TV, but

Quit picking on us.

Regards
Marilyn

[Russell]

Hi Marilyn

I'm not picking on anyone except the media moguls who appear to think that we are all morons.
I have never been across the Pond but my daughter was somewhat unflattering about the programmes she was receiving.
So its hearsay - which would not stand in a Scottish court of law.
I presume some channels are better than others, but where she is all she gets is wall to wall chat shows.

Sorry

Russell

[marilyn morning]

Hello Russell,

No need to be sorry, your daughter is telling the truth. There are plenty of trash programs on TV. Does she get the PBS (Public Broadcasting System) station in her neck of the woods? She could watch, Are you being served, Keeping Up Apperances or Monark in the Glen. Just the other evening they showed a portrait of Scotland. The station also offers, Masterpiece Theater and Sherlock Homes.

I'll sign off now, so this thread can drift back to its original topic.

Regards
Marilyn

[Chris Paton]

Hi Russell,

I did exercise my right to choice - I left the industry!!! lol

I've been working as a family history researcher since for the last year, precisely because I am so fascinated by real stories. Only two months ago I had a client who asked me to work out her mother's tree. The first record I looked up, her mum's wedding cert, showed that my client's supposed grandad was not in fact her grandad. After some of digging, I finally worked out that her real grandfather was in fact her great uncle. That result has had a fundamental impact for the client, one I am happy to say was positive as it cleared up a lot of mystery she had experienced throughout her life about who her grandparents really were (her mum is now deceased). Her real granny had had a disability and when her husband had died in the First World War, she had been unable to cope, and so her daughter had been handed to her brother in law and wife to raise. Basically, an example of how family history reserach can actually make a difference for someone, and I now get more out of helping one person than I did in making a programme watched by millions, as the BBC's public service remit has been deserted in favour of competing with Sky etc. ITV used to be the main rival, but by sinking to ITV's level of programming, the BBC won that battle against its competitor, but duly lost its soul in the process...

Rant now REALLY over...!!!!

Chris

[Russell]

Thanks Chris

Satisfaction at the expense of security

I worked in the care sector (nursing then social care) and never considered the security (and pay) as there was adequate reward in other ways for the joy of actually helping people.
As a person I felt both contented and fulfilled.

Russell