Comments on: Who Do You Think You Are? – Lisa Kudrow’s distressing tale http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/2010/09/20/who-do-you-think-you-are-lisa-kudrow/ The official Ancestry.co.uk blog Sun, 02 Jun 2013 01:35:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Graham Barrow http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/2010/09/20/who-do-you-think-you-are-lisa-kudrow/#comment-538 Graham Barrow Mon, 04 Oct 2010 09:18:20 +0000 http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/?p=1129#comment-538 I've been watching the American WDYTYA as well and have also found the constant "wows!" quite annoying. I'm also getting to the point where the artifice is starting to impact on the enjoyment. As the previous writer has alluded to, it is becoming more and more apparent how much of the "action" is set up in advance. I was watching Matthew Broderick's episode last night and, while his reactions seemed genuine, there were times when it was so obvious how much some of the experts were, putting it politely, prevaricating during the show. There was a point when he asked one of the experts if he knew where his ancestor might be buried and received the reply "I don't but I know a man who does" which just seemed a bit false. The other thing that fascinates me, having been doing my own family tree for some time now, is the incidence of remarkable or noteworthy ancestors these celebrities seem to have. They make my family seem positively mundane by comparison. You don't suppose they do initial research before approaching the celebrity to ensure something of interest will emerge do you (and, by extrapolation, reject any celebrity who has no-one of note in their past)? Or am I just being cynical? I’ve been watching the American WDYTYA as well and have also found the constant “wows!” quite annoying.

I’m also getting to the point where the artifice is starting to impact on the enjoyment. As the previous writer has alluded to, it is becoming more and more apparent how much of the “action” is set up in advance. I was watching Matthew Broderick’s episode last night and, while his reactions seemed genuine, there were times when it was so obvious how much some of the experts were, putting it politely, prevaricating during the show. There was a point when he asked one of the experts if he knew where his ancestor might be buried and received the reply “I don’t but I know a man who does” which just seemed a bit false.

The other thing that fascinates me, having been doing my own family tree for some time now, is the incidence of remarkable or noteworthy ancestors these celebrities seem to have. They make my family seem positively mundane by comparison.

You don’t suppose they do initial research before approaching the celebrity to ensure something of interest will emerge do you (and, by extrapolation, reject any celebrity who has no-one of note in their past)? Or am I just being cynical?

]]> By: Other Paul http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/2010/09/20/who-do-you-think-you-are-lisa-kudrow/#comment-522 Other Paul Tue, 21 Sep 2010 21:10:07 +0000 http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/?p=1129#comment-522 I do struggle with a certain amount of disbelief over that use of the phone book. Do the program makers really expect us to believe that the phone call was as 'cold' as it was filmed and that this truly was the first encounter with the long lost cousin, and that they had not already ascertained that some kind of reunion would be acceptable? What are they trying to prove with these little bits of play-acting? I do struggle with a certain amount of disbelief over that use of the phone book. Do the program makers really expect us to believe that the phone call was as ‘cold’ as it was filmed and that this truly was the first encounter with the long lost cousin, and that they had not already ascertained that some kind of reunion would be acceptable? What are they trying to prove with these little bits of play-acting?

]]> By: Chris Paton http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/2010/09/20/who-do-you-think-you-are-lisa-kudrow/#comment-517 Chris Paton Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:34:37 +0000 http://blogs.ancestry.com/uk/?p=1129#comment-517 I saw this shortly after its first transmission in the States, hadn't realised it was on last night in the UK. Definitely one of the better episodes (she was one of the execs on it, I suspect heads would have rolled if that hadn't been the case). Sadly it's major problem is its length - as with many US progs, usually as many ad breaks as actual content, so makes for a much shorter version in the UK when they are all removed. This would definitely have made a good hour. Top tip for all US based celebs - see if the Brits are interested in you first! :) Chris I saw this shortly after its first transmission in the States, hadn’t realised it was on last night in the UK. Definitely one of the better episodes (she was one of the execs on it, I suspect heads would have rolled if that hadn’t been the case). Sadly it’s major problem is its length – as with many US progs, usually as many ad breaks as actual content, so makes for a much shorter version in the UK when they are all removed. This would definitely have made a good hour. Top tip for all US based celebs – see if the Brits are interested in you first! :)

Chris

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