Cool News
Herc’s Seen NBC’s Wacky New Genealogy Exploration Series WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!!
I am – Hercules!!
A reality series about celebrities who look into their family trees, “Who Do You Think You Are” was shepherded to NBC by Lisa Kudrow, who also serves as one of the delving famous.
On one hand I found myself sighing “oh brother” a lot; like too many newer “reality” enterprises, this one seems to swim in artifice, with everybody apparently feigning shock and surprise over and over. (The series also often comes off as an hour-long commercial for ancestry.com.) On the other hand I did find myself devouring all seven hourlong episodes in short order. It IS fascinating how we all seem to be part of one big family tree, and how radically our ways of life have changed over the generations.
Did you know that Barack Obama and George W. Bush are both great great great great great great great great great great grandsons of Samuel Hinkley, this fellow who lived in Massachusetts about 20 years after the landing of the Mayflower? Did you know Obama is a direct descendant of England’s Edward I and is also related to Queen Elizabeth, Price Charles, James Madison, Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, Dick Cheney, Harry S. Truman, Winston Churchill, Robert E. Lee, Elvis Presley, Wild Bill Hickok, Robert Duvall, Brad Pitt and John McCain? Sounds like a joke. Not a joke.
Sarah Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick are featured in separate episodes (episodes which should be of great interest to their shared progeny one day). Nobody in this series seems to have a family tree as jam-packed with celebrity as our president’s, though Brooke Shields – whose blood has ties to European aristocracy – comes close. The other branch-climbers are filmmaker Spike Lee, actress Susan Sarandon and athlete Emmitt Smith.
Entertainment Weekly says:
… While it may be fascinating for Parker to learn that she also had a relative who was part of the gold rush, for viewers, sitting through an hour of centuries-old genealogical minutiae feels more like fool's gold.
The New York Times says:
… It’s great stuff for the historically curious, full of musty libraries, faded documents and the occasional DNA swab. …
The Los Angeles Times says:
… as is so often the case with "reality television," there's nothing TV producers hate so much as actual reality (bo-ring!), and so everything is tarted up with superfluous soundtracks and staging, with breathless voice-overs, mood lighting and lots of half-baked psychology. … That so many of these celebrities, with their wiki-pages and Us Weekly montages, appear to know so little of their almost immediate heritage is astonishing, proof that nothing is more democratic than the past.
The Washington Post says:
… Parker has been seduced by the narcissistic narrative that transfixes most genealogy nuts: "It's my people," she declares. "I have stock in this country . . . real roots . . . I belong." (Where did she think she came from? The moon?) "It's changed everything about who I thought I was," our movie star says. It's changed what I thought Sarah Jessica Parker was, too. I thought she was too busy for this sort of thing.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
… Much of the show is made up of either Ms. Parker's unscripted exclamations ("Wow, that's so crazy!" and "Un-be-lievable!") or declarations that sound completely scripted ("It's changed everything about who I thought I was!" and "I never felt I was really American"). The best moments are the little glimpses into Ms. Parker's personality and familial relationships. These are few and far between … Ultimately, the real question is not "Who Do You Think You Are?" but Why Should Viewers Care? This series does not offer a persuasive response.
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… To a degree, surprise is a natural reaction. However, it can be overdone, as in the premiere episode when Sarah Jessica Parker learns relatives on her mother's side briefly looked for gold in California and before that barely survived the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. … If one dispenses with the seemingly coaxed melodrama, the well-rehearsed family scenes and the endlessly repetitive bumpers, an occasional nugget of helpful information on tracing family roots is discovered. …
Variety says:
… Each week a different celebrity delves into his or her ancestry, yielding hours that manage to be interesting and infuriating all at once …
8 p.m. Friday. NBC.
The Blu-ray Amok-Babel-Tribble-enhanced second season of “Star Trek,” $67.99 just a couple days ago, just fell to an all-time low of $39.99!! (69% Off!!)
The Best Superman Stories In Decades!!
-
+ Expand All
-
so no mention this is a british show that we've had running for years
-
Lisa Kudrow is such a genius.
-
I, for one, do not care about that at all.
-
Must not care that Jay Leno steals bits and jokes also. All is fair eh?
-
That was television gold! A more awkward show with a worst host I could not imagine. It seemed like Tina Fey had to power through that one. Douche chill!
-
I meant "who cares" as in "the information is irrelevant".
-
It's just that some people are making money off of other peoples ideas, and it gets me worked up.
-
I think the US show is being produced by the same people as the UK show. So their making money from their own idea.
-
that the UK show producers are teaming up with Lisa Kudrow to produce the NBC show.
-
This show was a bit of a throwaway at first in the UK. It was there primarily to show people how to uncover their family tree and what resources were available to the public. It very quickly took on a life of it's own because the story was more interesting than the process. Yes there have been some dull shows, but some have been as raw and emotional as any great work of fiction. I would imagine the US version will hit some of the common themes; Jewish Holocaust; Black slavery etc. But as pieces of social history, the best should be shown in schools to show today's children what it was really like. In the end, a good story is a good story and nobody knows until they start digging.
-
And yes, the USA is unoriginal, and AICN neglects to mention this.. yeah yeah yeah.
However, from the write up, it seems the American version misses a very key point.
If you go back FAR enough, every one is a descendent of someone famous.
The shows premise only works if you hold it to 5 or so generations. If you start going back further than the 1600's, it's irrelevant to say Obama is a descendent of some King. Something like 50% of the population can trace their ancestry back to that same king. -
I am a fan of Who Do you think You are, the series that investigates the relations of Famous People. In the UK version on celeb found out he was related to William the Concorer thus Jesus and God, I kid you not. A couple of UK Celebs that you in the USA might know are David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Stephen Fry (QI, Bones). Both were great tales with Dark chapters.
I must Warn all of you thow that I sometimes think this series should be labled as "There will be tears by bedtime", As every ancester is dead and many lived n hard times and died in awful ways. -
Mar 05, 2010 6:07:44 AM CST
...did you just call Spike Lee a "branch climber"?
by kateobviouslydidntgoblack
...awesome.
-
Both unintended, obviously. I can't be the only one who saw that and thought, "Huh."
-
... can also be very important. One (Bill Oddie) wanted to discover information about the mother he never knew - she had been hospitalised due to mental problems after the death of a daughter Oddie knew nothing about. Another (Rory Bremmner) simply wanted to know what his father had done in WW2 - he was involved in the liberation of Holland. Others just want to see what they can find and have no agenda. If you can, track down Stephen Fry's or Jerry Springer's. Both involve the Holocaust.
-
At least that's what a cousin of DOOM claims, having had the same Mayflower-era immigrants.DOOM much prefers the BBC version of this show. The German version, which also plays in Latveria, is also more down-to-earth with little gush.
-
We got rating news every week when Leno was getting low numbers, why aren't ratings being reported now?
-
That was an interesting one (she was born in Liverpool and emigrated when young), where it turned out her grandfather, who disappeared, was a bigamist. Or Moira Stewart, one of the UK's first black newsreaders, when she realised one of her male ancestors had owned the corresponding female ancestor as a slave in the Caribbean. Thing about the UK version is that the records are generally pretty good, go back a long way, and overall movement of people is pretty limited. I imagine a lot of US ones might just hit a brick wall at some point prior to immigration, or with americanising name changes, or moving about in the early days of the US. But very enjoyable program.
-
The show would have more appeal to me if it were just everyday people they research genealogies for. Believe it or not, I think Americans are growing tired of celebrities being thrown in our face all the time. Show us a genealogy of some normal Joe. What I think is the funniest is how they say they are related to all these different people...20th cousins, etc. There are good odds a lot of people are related when it comes down to 14th cousins and lengthy branches like that.
-
I can't wait to see what she says when she finds out she was once on Square Pegs!
-
The BBC series and related books and DVDs all have information on how ordinary people can also find out about their ancesters, But to be honest not many of us have the money to chase family connections around the world or deal with Historians as they do in the series. But I am sure we all have pretty dramatic stories some where in the Past but that may be out of reach, one UK celeb Michael Parkinson a well know talk show host had episode cancelled as his family was too boring. that may be the outcome for many of you. I am the decendant of Servants who helped introduce Norman Technology and Tmethods into Scotland after the Norman Invasion of England. And every other Generation a member of the Family Joined the army. All this adds to my story plus my relations who emigrated to The USA, Canada, Australia and Germany. If you can find the information, everyone has a good story or two bur please remember many records have been lost over the years and dead ends are all too common.
-
an old racist white man, finds out he's related to a black then flips out.
-
...JettL somehow?
-
Because on adultery and adoption any tracking of ancestry is kind of suspect. Genetic tracking would be the only valid method.
-
looking into their family history. But that's not always a good idea. I found out my great-grandfather murdered his wife, for example. I didn't need to know that.
-
I just wanted to say that.
-
...this is Henry Louis Gates' recently-wrapped PBS series "Faces of America," minus all the intelligence and genuineness. Well done as always, NBC.
-
and no one makes a "sired by Secratariat" joke? I don't even know who you people are anymore.
-
"That so many of these celebrities, with their wiki-pages and Us Weekly montages, appear to know so little of their almost immediate heritage is astonishing,""Parker has been seduced by the narcissistic narrative that transfixes most genealogy nuts: "It's my people," she declares. "I have stock in this country . . . real roots . . . I belong." (Where did she think she came from? The moon?) "It's changed everything about who I thought I was," our movie star says.
-
it's true.
what can i say: the guy got around... -
and despite her hook nose, long chin and face wart, she acts surprised.
-
Mar 05, 2010 2:22:20 PM CST
What about Stewie Griffin's show: "Who the Hell Do You Think You
by mrmysteryguest
-
The Mormons.
-
Mar 05, 2010 5:07:39 PM CST
PBS & Henry Louis Gates, Jr. did it first, and far better.
by robogeek.com
And with 100% more Stephen Colbert! Check it out, Herc: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/
-
...Everyone is related to everyone else. That is, as long as you're not a leftover Neanderthal or something.
-
They're really just the nicest people you'd ever want to meet. They really are exactly like they're depicted on South Park... goofy innocents, albeit pretty boring. However, that religion is only surpassed by the Scientologists in whackadoo dogma. Plus they have that polygamist/child molester wing the mainstream ones never acknowledge. And it pisses me off they have that thing about baptizing their ancestors and other long dead people. 200 years from now, if some FutureMormon tries it with me, he/she is in for some serious haunting from yours truly. I'm gonna get all "murderously terrifying Japanese-style ghost" on their asses! I'll be popping out of old DVDs (or whatever they're using in the future) about the life of Brigham Young to pluck their freaking eyeballs out. Promise!
-
...Seabiscuit. It's a fact.
-
Mar 05, 2010 5:27:46 PM CST
I'm descended from a long line of murderous ne'erdowells...
by jaylenotookmyjob
...Fact. However, English ancestors gave the Romans a good fight for half a millenium or so. My drunken savage Irish ancestors, in turn, gave the Brits a handfull and built up the USA. My maurauding Danish ancestors established the first legal system in England. And lastly, my bloodthirsty Polish ancestors helped save Europe from being overrun by Turks. Bastards all, but I'm proud of them!
-
Mar 05, 2010 5:42:31 PM CST
One of Sarah Jessica Parkers ancestors ran in the Kentucky derby
by johnwaynewasgay
-
Because the very similar show that just ended on PBS was quite incredible. It totally sucked me in; very engrossing. Ahh, here it is..."...this is Henry Louis Gates' recently-wrapped PBS series "Faces of America," minus all the intelligence and genuineness. Well done as always, NBC." Thanks Garbage Man. That was a great show.
-
Jus' sayin'.
-
is faker than hell, once you get earlier than the 19th century. Especially when you pay someone quite a bit of money to do it. Then they'll use any bit they can find to tie you to a celebrity or celebrities to each other. Thats what people pay the big bucks for. In reality, you are lucky if you find a single celebrity in a family tree, and more often its finding one person, or two who is noteworthy.
-
Mar 05, 2010 10:55:51 PM CST
Big shock Sarah Jessica Parker's related to a witch!!!!!
by backrivercatfish
-
Reality television is "cool" news.
-
Perhaps Mel Gibson should run for president.
-
Uh oh, don't piss off Obama or he'll toss you out a window (or if not you, your gay lover).
-
I really like the BBC version of this show, and find it quite moving at times - like where David Baddiel found out that his German Jewish grandfather had been interned in the UK during WW2 in case he was an enemy (never mind that he was Jewish - he was a German and thus suss). From reviews of the NBC version, it sounds like they've souped it up and lost the soul of the programme. That's a great shame.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 419 total posts 209 posts
- WTF HOLLYWOOD: SOLARBABIES -- 131 total posts 129 posts
- Herc’s Seen Tonight’s Return Of THE WALKING DEAD!! Discuss Also DOWNTON ABBEY, FEAR FACTOR, PAN AM, ONCE, SIMPSONS, DYNAMITE, LUCK, SHAMELESS, BAIT CAR, THE GRAMMYS And More!! Sunday Is Sweeps Day 11!! -- 123 total posts 122 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 124 total posts 58 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 191 total posts 47 posts
- Avid Comic Reader Hercules Does Battle With Tedium During Kevin Smith’s COMIC BOOK MEN! -- 43 total posts 43 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 60 total posts 42 posts
- I am The Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day! No, I’m the Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day! -- 27 total posts 27 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 506 total posts 26 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 77 total posts 24 posts