Abstract
The popularity of family history research as a national pastime has been successfully adopted by British television over the last five years, with Who Do You Think You Are? (WDYTYA), produced by Wall to Wall Media Ltd, pioneering the employment of family history and memory as a televisual narrative strategy. The first series aired in Autumn 2004 to popular and critical acclaim, becoming one of the highest rated shows on BBC2. It was promoted to BBC1 in 2006 and is currently in its seventh series. The success of the format, which follows the genealogical investigations of various television personalities as they track down the stories behind their family trees, may indeed have convinced commissioners that, according to WDYTYA alumni Ian Hislop, ‘family history is not dull, but a surprisingly watchable commodity’ (in Rowan, 2005, p. 12). Indeed, the format has found international success, selling to broadcasters across Western Europe and beyond, and has been followed by a glut of programming that uses family history research as an investigative narrative structure, including other Wall to Wall productions including Not Forgotten (Channel 4, 2005), Empire’s Children (Channel 4, 2007) and You Don’t Know You’re Born (ITV1, 2007).
The British now love family history research as much as they love gardening or DIY.
(Vanessa Thorpe, The Observer, 10 October 2004)
We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.
Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.
We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.
Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
References
Anon. (2006) ‘Review: Who Do You Think You Are?’ Daily Mirror TV Guide, 11 January, 19.
Aslama, M. and Pantti, M. (2006) ‘Talking alone: Reality TV, emotions and authenticity’, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 9.2, 167–84.
Biressi, A. and Nunn, H. (2005) Reality TV: Realism and Revelation (London: Wallflower).
Bondebjerg, I. (2000 [1996]) ‘Public discourse/private fascination: hybridization in “true-life-story” genres’, in Newcomb, H. (ed.), Television: The Critical View, 6th edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Brown, M. (2004) ‘Television goes back to its roots’, The Guardian, 13 December. Available at: http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,7558,1372234,00.html. Accessed 25 October 2005.
Brunsdon, C., Johnson C, Moseley, R. and Wheatley, H. (2001) ‘Factual entertainment on British television: The Midlands Television Research Group’s “8–9 project”’, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 4.1, 29–62.
Byrne, C. (2005) ‘Paxman reduced to tears by journey into his past’, The Independent, 8 December, 5.
Champion, J. (2003) ‘Seeing the past: Simon Schama’s A History of Britain and public history’, History Workshop Journal, 56, 153–74.
Deans, J. (2004) ‘Oddie found sister through BBC genealogy show’, The Guardian, 28 July. Available at: http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,1270988,00.html. Accessed 25 October 2005.
Dowell, B. (2007) ‘Genealogy show has lost its roots, says expert’, The Guardian, 8 June. Available at: http://media.guardian.co.uk/bbc/story/0,2098823,00.html. Accessed 27 June 2007.
Ebbrecht, T. (2007) ‘Docudramatizing history on TV: German and British docudrama and historical event television in the memorial year 2005’, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 10.1, 35–53.
Gilroy, P. (2004) After Empire: Melancholia or Convivial Culture? (London: Routledge).
Hunt, T. (2005) ‘Whose story?’ The Observer, 19 June. Available at: http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,1509770,00.html. Accessed 25 November 2005.
Hunt, T. (2007) ‘The time bandits’, The Guardian, 10 September. Available at: http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,,2165609,00/html. Accessed 17 September 2007.
Klein, K. (2000) ‘On the emergence of memory in historical discourse’, Representations, 69, 127–50.
Kuhn, A. (1995) Family Secrets: Acts of Memory and Imagination (London: Verso).
Macdonald, M. (2006) ‘Performing memory on television: documentary and the 1960s’, Screen, 47.3, 327–45.
Pantti, M. and Van Zoonen, L. (2006) ‘Do crying citizens make good citizens?’ Social Semiotics, 16.2, 205–24.
Paxman, J. (2006) ‘Jeremy Paxman’, Radio Times, 7–13 January, 18–19.
Roberts, G. and Taylo, P.M. (eds) (2001) The Historian, Television and Television History (Luton: University of Luton Press).
Rowan, D. (2005) ‘Interview: Ian Hislop, Private Eye’, Evening Standard, 16 November. Available at: http://www.davidrowan.com/2005/11/interview-ian-hislop-private-eye.html. Accessed 10 September 2007.
Shattuc, J. (1997) The Talking Cure: TV, Talk Shows and Women (London: Routledge).
Sumpner, C., Roberts , Armitage, R.U. and Cross, J. (2005) Who Do You Think You Are? 360 Audience Feedback (MC&A: Audience and Consumer Research for the BBC).
Taylor, P.M. (2001) ‘Television and the future historian’, in G. Roberts and P.M. Taylor (eds.), The Historian, Television and Television History (Luton: University of Luton Press).
Willis, J. (2005) ‘John Willis’ speech in full’, Broadcast Now 21 March. Available at: http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/multi-platform/news/john-willis-speech-in-full/1021625.article. Accessed 15 October 2005.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2010 Amy Holdsworth
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Holdsworth, A. (2010). Who Do You Think You Are?. In: Bell, E., Gray, A. (eds) Televising History. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230277205_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230277205_17
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-30760-9
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-27720-5
eBook Packages: Palgrave Media & Culture CollectionLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)