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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: jillruss on Tuesday 13 March 18 12:51 GMT (UK)

Title: WDYTYA USA
Post by: jillruss on Tuesday 13 March 18 12:51 GMT (UK)
In case anyone is interested, there's a new series of the US version of WDYTYA starting next Tuesday (20th) at 9pm on W Channel. The first episode is on Courteney Cox of Friends fame.

I know a lot of people don't like the US versions but I think they produced some really good ones: e.g. Kelsey Grammar (Frasier) and Jim Parsons (Big Bang). It does help if you've actually heard of them!
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: hilarykellis on Tuesday 13 March 18 17:56 GMT (UK)
Thank you, I will tune in! I love all of the genealogy programs, even if some are better than others.
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: Milliepede on Tuesday 13 March 18 21:52 GMT (UK)
Oh I would love to see that - do we get W Channel in England? 

I have seen some US episodes before but don't remember what channel they were on.
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: jillruss on Wednesday 14 March 18 11:46 GMT (UK)
I'm on Sky and W is available on there. I don't know if its on Freeview or Freesat - hopefully, someone else will tell us.
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: mgeneas on Wednesday 14 March 18 20:03 GMT (UK)
I have rarely heard of the people on uk WDYTHYA, that doesn't make me enjoy it less. It is the ancestors and research that I am interested in.
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: Alan b on Wednesday 14 March 18 20:34 GMT (UK)
I'm on Sky and W is available on there. I don't know if its on Freeview or Freesat - hopefully, someone else will tell us.

It isn't on freeview or freesat as it is a pay channel but is on the likes of Talk Talk, Virgin Media and Sky.
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: jfchaly on Wednesday 14 March 18 20:42 GMT (UK)
Thank you for giving details of Wdytya. I will record and use series link on Sky.

Jfch
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: Milliepede on Wednesday 14 March 18 22:05 GMT (UK)
I've found the channel on Virgin so have set up to record the series thank you  :)
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: Berlin-Bob on Wednesday 21 March 18 07:29 GMT (UK)
A review of the Courtney Cox ("Friends") episode:

Quote
Courteney Cox hoped her forebears hadn’t murdered anyone, but found that real life is often more gruesome than Game of Thrones
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/mar/20/who-do-you-think-you-are-usa-review-monica-courteney-cox-ancestors

Bob
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: sleepybarb on Wednesday 21 March 18 12:20 GMT (UK)
Recorded it so we still have it to watch,it’s on BT tv as well
Barb
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: Alan b on Wednesday 21 March 18 20:39 GMT (UK)

Quote
Courteney Cox hoped her forebears hadn’t murdered anyone, but found that real life is often more gruesome than Game of Thrones
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/mar/20/who-do-you-think-you-are-usa-review-monica-courteney-cox-ancestors

Bob

I do like the last line:

And the only downside is that it also means ... she’s Danny Dyer’s cousin.
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: jillruss on Thursday 22 March 18 12:18 GMT (UK)

I do like the last line:

And the only downside is that it also means ... she’s Danny Dyer’s cousin.

Hopefully, she'll never know!

I recorded it and watched it last night. I'm not usually very keen on these episodes which purport to prove the subject is related to royalty nor to those that concentrate on one ancestor but, strangely, I quite enjoyed this. She's was obviously interested in the history and proved to be an intelligent lady.

Did anyone else notice that they'd brought in the 'big guns' (so not short of funding then! Lo! there was a sighting of the elusive Nick Barrett who used to pop up on any programme vaguely to do with genealogy - and then went missing for years. Perhaps the BBC can no longer afford him! We also had quite a few top teaching professors rather than the local amateurs that the British version usually trots out.

Never heard of the lady who is next week's subject - Julie Bowen - but will probably still record it.
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: Finley 1 on Monday 26 March 18 18:26 BST (UK)
interesting episode

nice


xin
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: jfchaly on Wednesday 04 April 18 08:45 BST (UK)
Jennifer Grey concentrated efforts on her maternal Great Grandfather who travelled from Russia to USA in 1907 with his siblings. Mother was deceased and father was in Brooklyn already.
I liked that she requested printouts of what was found on her ancestors.

Jennifer featured in film Dirty Dancing over 20 years ago.

Jfch
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: Milliepede on Friday 13 April 18 11:57 BST (UK)
Anyone still watching these US episodes?

I find some of the participants very demanding for information and consequently can't warm to them or their stories.  They get told something amazing you or I would have a hard time finding out and immediately bark out more and more demands for information.

Can understand the thirst for knowledge so maybe it's just the way they say it!  I like to think I would be more polite about it. 

Have just watched Sean Hayes and enjoyed that one but wish he had gone a little further at the end and discovered some Irish records like baptism, marriage for his ancestor whist he was actually there in person. 
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: Regorian on Friday 13 April 18 12:15 BST (UK)
Some WDYTYA's. are on Youtube. Very few UK ones. Watched one the other day, Ainslee Harriott, chef, writer and TV personality. Marvellous, being from Jamaica he was prepared for slave history. That came up but as it went back, he is descended from slave owners and white slave owners! 
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: jillruss on Friday 13 April 18 13:09 BST (UK)
I watched the one the other week on Jane somebody or other (never heard of her) and she was just as Milliepede described. I think its the American way - they always seem to have so much self confidence and just barge their way through. So, if they haven't got any charm as well (and this lady didn't have much) they come across as very strident and demanding. Courtenay Cox and Jennifer Grey were both okay.

The latest one was one of my favourites - Noah Wyle - I've liked him ever since his ER days. It wasn't particularly exciting but it chugged along nicely and he was very interested in it all. I liked his intelligent but laid back approach.
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: Jomot on Friday 13 April 18 21:13 BST (UK)
I enjoyed the Jennifer Grey one just for the discovery that she was Joel Grey's daughter.

A few from past series have been really good, I particularly enjoyed the Cynthia Nixon one, and also Kelsey Grammer.
Title: Re: WDYTYA USA
Post by: Margarett on Friday 27 April 18 18:35 BST (UK)
I really enjoyed the Smokey Robinson episode. What a lovely man. He was so interested in the research, and he reacted positively to everything he was told. Much better than some of the actors episodes!!