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The other people hanging around seemed to be emotional extras who were just there to express shock or wipe their eyes to help you with what you should be feeling. Tacky!
I was embarrassed for the lady who was told she wasn't related to the Pointer sisters, but that her ancestor was a servant in the house of someone who was related to Amy Grant, and wasn't she happy about that? I don't think I would have been so gracious about finding that out!
The format tried to imitate Antiques Roadshow too much, and for me that didn't really work. I think they succeeded in showing the different kinds of things that genealogists can do, even if they were the very basics like looking at fairly recent censuses. For the young man who had the DNA test, I was waiting for them to say the name of the company they used and to add, "and anybody can order this test themselves." They made it look like you need to consult a professional genealogist to get that information.
I'll keep watching, maybe it will grow on me...? But so far I find it kind of slap-dash and corny. I like that ordinary people are the subjects, but don't they deserve the full treatment like the celebrities get?
I was okay with the number of people profiled and the speed, because I watch Antiques Roadshow. I compare this show to Antiques Roadshow and not to Who Do You Think You Are. I'm used to people lining up to learn from experts about their antique item and its history. A few minutes on each one is a nice little history lesson. similarly, the people on this new show are lining up to have experts answer an ancestry-related question or mystery, and again, a few minutes on each is a nice little history lesson. they aren't trying to be WDYTYA which lately spend a whole episode on one ancestor while the subject flies back & forth all over the world.
Although I don't quite understand the crowds, since it's clear the people chosen as subjects were chosen well ahead of time. Maybe the rest of the people in the crowds are getting questions answered on the spot, with researchers doing quick lookups, but they just don't get onto the show. A few of the subjects were quick like this, like the young man & his mom who had done DNA testing. They could have just walked in with their 23andme results and asked the woman what they meant. So they could have been walk-ins.
I didn't need the whole background story on the Hatfields & McCoys (that was another pee break for me). Most of us watching are history buffs, and saw the miniseries on History channel last year.
If they do this like Antiques Roadshow, you submit an application when they will be in the area. They choose a lot of people. A friend of mine went to this recently. Then only a few get on the broadcast show. If there are a lot of people there, they are seeing experts, they just don't make the final edit.
I missed it and hope my station is showing it. Otherwise I'll check pbs.
I completely agree with Aries - well said. I watched the whole show just cringing.
Overly simplified, smarmy, drek.
I can just see the people appearing in genealogy departments now, saying "Tell me my family history just like on Genealogy Roadshow", and expecting the results in 10 minutes. It's already bad enough with many people expecting to find their entire family history on-line.
All the TV genealogy shows make it seem easy, like you can walk into a library or archive and get one-on-one expert time and have it handed to you. Oh well...
I have a question on the case on episode one where the African-American woman had a family oral history of being connected to a Tennessee governor. The moderator hyped up the final "documentation", the letter that said her Black ancestor was son of the governor but did they ever say WHO wrote the letter? If they did, I didn't hear it. Kind of important in evaluating how seriously to take statements in the letter, right.
They didn't say who donated it, but they said it had been donated to the Montgomery County Historical Society. And while who wrote it does factor into it, the fact that it's still just hearsay doesn't depend much on who wrote it.
The show is not designed to be a primer on how to do genealogy. It's purpose and strength is to whet people's interest in searching their own ancestry. Just like Antiques Roadshow is unrealistic (kind of a joke) to anyone who deals in antiques. It gives people unrealistic expectations on what someone is likely to pay for their treasures. Which is different from what it's worth.
I like that it is set up like Antiques Roadshow, with lots of brief, yet pithy stories. I loved the stories!
Okay, I'll be watching as long as it's on.
The only thing I didn't like was the creepy host guy with the disturbing hairline...
COMPLETELY agree . He was a bit much for me too. He kind of reminded me of a game show host that couldn't get a gig until this one came along...shudder...
That said...I actually enjoyed the show. I like that they are showing 'average' people that even though 'most' people want to believe (or have been told) that they are related to somebody famous, you still have to follow the evidence to its logical conclusion. "Sorry...you're NOT related to George Washington." Loved it .
I enjoyed the show, but I don't like the fact that they make the work look easier than it is. At least with WDYTYA and other previous shows you got the sense that it took a lot of work to do the research, slog through old records, run into major roadblock, start over from a different point, etc. I'd like a little more transparency about how they work. Obviously the guests don't just show up and get instant results, so I'm guessing they submitted their queries to the producers in advance, and they selected who they wanted to do the full meal deal with after some preliminary research.
I'd also like more disclosure of how they make the family connections they do, with the same birth records and church records and tax records and so on that we all use. Too much of the first show seemed like guessing to me.
Since the people chosen for the show were chosen in advance so they could do the research, what were all the other people doing there? Do they have other researchers helping them off-camera?
I wondered about that too. Seemed like maybe they are with that person, extended family, at least some of them? Or are they just gawkers?
Quote:
Originally Posted by TribalCat
I didn't realize there are only 4 episodes of Genealogy Roadshow. The final will be aired on October 14. That's too bad. I hope they come back again next year.
Anyone, let PBS know so they'll make more and what you want to see changed at: Contact Us : PBS
Also contact your local station to let them know you liked.
Yeah, the focus on being related to someone famous got on my nerves. I'm not much into celebrities in general. I find my non-famous ancestors interesting enough; I don't need some connection to someone famous to validate my existence.
Yep, we'll see how they handle that moving forward.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nightbird47
If they do this like Antiques Roadshow, you submit an application when they will be in the area. They choose a lot of people. A friend of mine went to this recently. Then only a few get on the broadcast show. If there are a lot of people there, they are seeing experts, they just don't make the final edit.
I missed it and hope my station is showing it. Otherwise I'll check pbs.
That explains the "extras" and seems like the most plausible answer.
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Tacky!
. He was a bit much for me too. He kind of reminded me of a game show host that couldn't get a gig until this one came along...shudder...
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