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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: LizzieW on Monday 16 April 18 18:13 BST (UK)
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I couldn't see any mention on here, but a new series of Heir Hunters started this morning on BBC1. I've recorded the first programme so not watched it yet.
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It had Michael Buerk as the narrator. Not a good move in my opinion and if he continues I will give up on the programme.
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Yes it is a programme I really liked, but not impressed at the new format at all
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I wasn't happy that Lisa Faulkner had become Michael Buerk.
BUT..... it's a slightly different format and Michael keeps showing up and asking questions.
Seen today with Neil Fraser in the office,something Lisa never did.
Possibly more suited to newcomers,rather than us oldies ;D
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I enjoyed this first part of the new series.
At least he pronounces 'drawing' correctly :P
Kooky
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I enjoyed this first part of the new series.
At least he pronounces 'drawing' correctly :P
Kooky
Me too, is there a different producer, the programme seemed slicker to me giving enough information for people new to genealogy whilst not being too simple for the rest of us.
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"Heir Hunters" has never been aimed at serious FH researchers ;D
It's always been aimed at Joe Public, who may not have any idea how to research even basic stuff.
After all, there are millions more of them, than there are of us! ;D
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I've always found this programme rather tasteless.
Its all about the money and rushing to deprive the heir of a percentage of his/her inheritance before the other firm gets in there. The research is not exactly rocket science.
I suppose that's what we've come to expect from our capitalist society? I wonder how 'Joe Public' would feel about it if e.g. they had funeral directors ringing them and knocking on their doors vying to bury their dead?
Just my opinion.
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uhm
and
uhm
we shall see.
Why do I hate change so much
xin
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Its all about the money and rushing to deprive the heir of a percentage of his/her inheritance before the other firm gets in there. The research is not exactly rocket science.
On the other hand the people inheriting the money wouldn't have got anything but for the Heir Hunters.
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Just posted on the wrong thread. Please disregard this
Thanks
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I quite agree it`s well suited to beginners in that it shows more clearly how the research is done. Not sure about Michael Buerk, sorry.
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Absolutely and totally saddened by the changes... in this once MOST favourite programme.
Terrible... etc etc..
to ALL taking part.. one word -- eeeek....
xin
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I record it and watch it during the evening. To me it's just a relaxing programme after a busy day - plus I'm quite nosy so I'm interested in what the heir hunters find. :)
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I quite like it being a 45-minute format rather than a full hour of which annoyingly a quarter is recaps of things shown earlier in the programme.
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I'm not sure about this series either!
What has annoyed me is they have referred to the 1939 as a Census. Surely the professionals who work in the offices of the various companies know that is not correct.
Wouldn't be a bad idea if they explained what the 1939 survey was, and its purpose. I understand it was used for the issue of ration books at the start of WW2, and later for the issue of National Health numbers when the NHS was set up. (1947?)
FS
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What has annoyed me is they have referred to the 1939 as a Census. Surely the professionals who work in the offices of the various companies know that is not correct.
So far I've only heard Michael Buerk refer to it that way. The workers seem to be consistent in saying Register, or just "in 1939".
Maybe someone will take him to one side and lecture him. ;D
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No, I won't be watching any more. Really don't like the new format, sometimes seems like every sentence is being repeated.
I really did enjoy watching the Fraser and Fraser staff and other companies in the earlier series of a few years back.
Lisa
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I`ve just watched today`s episode; I was a bit disappointed to hear them mention the word value about 6 times in the first couple of minutes, although both cases were really interesting.
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The captions and outlines of trees have an orange flame effect background the small white font does not show very well, people with sight defect would prefer a lighter background.
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I seem to remember a comment after a previous series, that some of the travelling Heir Hunters were fed up with the intrusiveness of being followed by the film team. Perhaps that is the reason for the change of format.
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HANG ON
I have seen this episode.. I remember so much of it....
The chap having two properties and relatives from Scotland...
?????
I will watch it through... but almost convinced it is a repeat..
How can that be so --- in a new series, with a new '''narrator''''
The dead person --- eeek the Deceased surely is a better term.
They say it is a sign of A/oldtimers / De-ja-vu.. SO please someone agree with me.. that they have seen it..
I remember her with the 'tatty hair' going now..
maybe a similar prog......
::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
xin
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OK
So watched it through and it was --- NOT an exact repeat.. but maybe its because the 'NEW' format is so dull that it just seemed that way..
I think I just saw so many similarities == it proves its lost its spark.
xin
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I was unable to watch it last week as I was away for the week, so I was interested when I saw it on today. Initially, I thought I was watching the wrong programme when Michael came up, but I still found it an interesting watch - although I'm not sure which format I prefer. I will have to catch up on last week's episodes.
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I watched the first programme of this series. One of the two cases mentioned during the programme was out of date, the death being over thirty years before the day the programme was shown. Otherwise quite interesting.
Andy
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I am puzzled as to how Andrew Fraser is authorised to go to empty properties and search for any Wills/Papers/bank statements. Are other competitors allowed to do this?
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Andrew is only allowed to enter the property after we have found the heirs and got authorisation. I am afraid there is a bit of artistic license used to distort time to make a bit more of a story.
read the next post for more info on making the programs.
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Sorry I forgot to post a message telling everyone here the program was to be shown, it took me a little by surprise as I was expecting it in the summer, The other 10 programs will probably be shown early August the same as Series 11 was.
I was also sworn not to mention Michael Buerk joining the program. He may not be to all of your tastes but he was a pleasure to work with, the most professional person I have dealt with in the TV industry.
Everyone here will prefer series 1-4 of the program not only because it was new (and featured me a lot more!) but because it was more about research than social history. The stories were all filmed "live" it was Series 5 where we introduced "retro" stories.
Retro stories are a lot easier to film and importantly cheaper, there is a script for most of it as the story is already know, all the heirs have been found and the social history discovered before they first camera is picked up.
Live cases have a lot more research but several are filmed before a good one is found and taken further.
Fraser and Fraser were the only firm doing live case from series 4-10, we then stopped doing so many because it is so much harder to film and really slowed us down, the program was shifting more to Social history and less on research so there was nothing to gain. You must remember that series 1-4 we were at the Family Record Center or in the office and doing manual research without computers, a birth search could take 20 man hours so there was a lot to film, even in this time some of our searches were on computer and we would have to recreate the image on microfilm so as not to tell everyone we had computerised records. Now it takes 20 seconds to do a search and a person sitting at a PC doing one search is very similar to the next person doing something different. Hence there is more social history. When we were working on them last the production company liked showing all our work where we had taken a gamble as a mistake, or where were were 2nd to an heir as a lost case, forgetting that we had signed the other 95% of heirs or by taking a gamble we were a day ahead of the competition, Spec research should never be shown as a mistake only a way to get a shortcut that doesn't always pay off, or some time we will work 2 or 3 families knowing that only one will be correct, again hardley a mistake. I had arguments about this and it was one of the main reasons we stopped them, I just had nothing to gain.
Finders currently try some live case and for those who watched the first 10 programs you will have seen them look at some cases that are less than £10k just to make it look like they are busy. F&F wont do this if we start a case and find no value we drop it, for me I just have too much other work that is not filmed and too many staff to waste time on a story just to make the firm look good on tv. I have removed the other things I could say about finders! but to me a £3,000 live case and I think there were 3 in the first part of the series didn't make good stories, there is little research and poor social history.
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Thanks for the long explanation Neil ;D
I must say I did not like Michael Buerk replacing Lisa at first,but he did grow on me as the episodes went by.
I don't like the way he seems to ask about the value of the estate so many times though.
Carol
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He just doesnt fit -- sorry (not for me anyway)
Needless to say he is a professional extremely likeable chap - yes.
but not for that job. He is too used to telling / without explaining... he doesn't come over as really telling a story, just reading a script. Not a natural actor and to be a .... whatsit
--- narrator ? I think that is needed.
going now
way past afternoon nap time :)
xin
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I don't like the way he seems to ask about the value of the estate so many times though.
Seems to be more with Finders than Fraser and Fraser, but you'll note he doesn't make clear that the heir hunters take a cut of the estate.
Sorry I forgot to post a message telling everyone here the program was to be shown, it took me a little by surprise as I was expecting it in the summer, The other 10 programs will probably be shown early August the same as Series 11 was.
Neil (Fraser) I wondered why it had suddenly stopped, I always record it and watch it during the evening. By the way there have been comments that the 1939 register had been called 1939 census. I said it couldn't possibly be F & F - but, unfortunately, it was one of your staff in the last episode I watched. :'(
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Thanks Neil for your explanation, it makes things a lot clearer. Unfortunately still would like another presenter !!
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I will make sure we call the 1939 National Identity Register by its correct name! we generally call it the "39" but when we are asked to do VO several times it sometimes gets miss named
What is a shame, several years ago I did a huge piece to camera to explain about different records in particular the 1939 register, it was going to replace a whole story so take up 15 minutes of the program, but as it was mainly Fraser's staff doing the talking the BBC thought it may be too much of a promotional piece rather than informative so cut it.
It is good the register is now available on Ancestry.
Did you know
- You can get extracts from the Scottish part of the register? <a href="https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/nhs-central-register/about-the-register/1939-national-identity-register-and-how-to-order-an-official-extract">Scottish 1939 </a>
- The register used to be housed in the ballroom <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smedley_Hydro">Smedley Hydro </a> on 10 foot tall steel shelves
- Smedley Hydro was requisitioned for WW2 to accommodate the National Identity Card project using data from the 1939 Register
- The 1939 records were moved from Southport to the National archive in 2009 and the ballroom was returned to its former glory
- Prior to the release of the index on Find My Past you used to be able to access the details through <a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100210183913/http://www.ic.nhs.uk/news-and-events/news/nhs-ic-launches-the-1939-register-service">The National Archive</a>
- If any one remembers Traceline a service offered by the Governments Department of National Statistics to find living relatives, they used the 39 and current NHS records to locate addresses
- in the early 2000's Frasers had a lookup service with traceline staff and they would check the 39 for additional family members on hard to solve deceased cases, it was great for a few years until access was removed when the NHS took control of the records. Now it is easy for anyone to access the register
I could go on about this for hours as it is something I have an interest in having been shown the ballroom on my first visit to Southport GRO in 2000
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'Ghosts of the Ballroom'
How exciting to imagine :)
in the early 2000's Frasers had a lookup service with traceline staff and they would check the 39 for additional family members on hard to solve deceased cases, it was great for a few years until access was removed when the NHS took control of the records. Now it is easy for anyone to access the register
Is it easy -- Something I must attempt....
xin
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any one remembers Traceline a service offered by the Governments Department of National Statistics to find living relatives, they used the 39 and current NHS records to locate addresses
I remember paying a large sum of money to trace my aunt and uncle even though I already knew their address in Coventry, just because I wanted his date of birth - I didn't know his surname as he and my aunt were never married and they took her middle name as their surname. Now, of course, the records are available on FindMyPast and Ancestry - although today I had an email from FindMyPast explaining why their records are superior to ones on any other site!
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'Ghosts of the Ballroom'
How exciting to imagine :)
in the early 2000's Frasers had a lookup service with traceline staff and they would check the 39 for additional family members on hard to solve deceased cases, it was great for a few years until access was removed when the NHS took control of the records. Now it is easy for anyone to access the register
Is it easy -- Something I must attempt....
xin
1939 Register is now on both Ancestry and Find My Past which are available free in many libraries on PC so it is easy to access now. You can search at home by name or address and see free search results without subscribing.
Blue
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The series resumes next Monday 16th July at 11am
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Thank you very much for letting us know. I'll set the record button right now!
Chris
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The series resumes next Monday 16th July at 11pm.
Ooo goody- thanks for letting us know. But I think you probably mean 11 AM ?
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Oops yes I meant 11am.
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Hope it's not Buerke.... he makes me want to punch the screen.
I stopped bothering after a couple of episodes with him in it .... even when I had those on I wandered off and did other things... anything ... rather than watch it and listen to the dire script... utterly annoying it was. Dumbed down to being unwatchable.
Heirhunters is no longer on my "must watch" list ....
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I think it is Buerke...
oh dear.
xin
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I think it is Buerke...
oh dear.
xin
It's the other half (12-20) of the new series that they started earlier in the year.
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Maybe it is a learning curve --- and he is a really nice fella.. So (google translate!!)
Non Videbunt.. ha ha
xin
I am learning Italian at the moment.. so looking up Latin to assist.. if it does or will who knows..
just all for mental occupation
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Snap Xinia! I too am learning Italian at the moment, and I would recommend 'Duolingo' to you. (A free computer language learning app).
Having got that out of the way, - I will make a note of the new 'HeirHunters' times, etc
Romilly.
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"It's the other half (12-20) of the new series that they started earlier in the year."
That's what I thought too but my TV guide indicates it is a repeat.
Perhaps they are starting this latest series at the beginning again?
Pheno
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I suppose we'll find out when it resumes next Monday 16th July at 11am?
Romilly.
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The Radio Times says it's number 12 of 20.
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Snap Xinia! I too am learning Italian at the moment, and I would recommend 'Duolingo' to you. (A free computer language learning app).
Having got that out of the way, - I will make a note of the new 'HeirHunters' times, etc
Romilly.
Yea -- thats great.. Duolingo :) thank you
xin
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Snap Xinia! I too am learning Italian at the moment, and I would recommend 'Duolingo' to you. (A free computer language learning app).
Having got that out of the way, - I will make a note of the new 'HeirHunters' times, etc
Romilly.
Yea -- thats great.. Duolingo :) thank you
xin
PM me if you have any problems getting it :-)
Romilly.
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"It's the other half (12-20) of the new series that they started earlier in the year."
That's what I thought too but my TV guide indicates it is a repeat.
I'm prety sure it will not be a repeat going by what my Sky TV Guide says as I don't recall this one plus it wouldn't make sense of the BBC to repeat the first 10 again not long after they were first shown.
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My guide says its new and its Michael Buerk so presumably the start of the remains of the series.
For those who can't get 11am, its repeated on bbc2 tomorrow, Tuesday morning at 7.15am and every other morning this week at 7.15am.
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Michael Buerk is better at ambulance chasing than a heir hunting show. I remember him when he presented 999.
I do quite like the show, and how the researchers reach dead ends, and some like that as it gives them a challenge.
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I caught the tail end of the one about the lady in Twickenham, who used to be a Spy, and how the police raided her house for her arms cache after she died! (Apparently she kept a machine gun in her bedroom:-)
Michael Buerk brings more animation to the voice over than Lisa Faulkner did, in my opinion.
Romilly.
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Love this show. Today's episode showed how you cannot just assume the father named on a marriage certificate is the real father. Michael Buerk said "Surely that is good enough?". You have a lot to learn Mike lol. As the researcher said, illegitimacy and the mother later married a man different to the father.
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Loved the bit in the end. £270,000.00 estate, last minute after all the research and several beneficiaries signed up, will found, money went to charities.
Some they win, some they loose.
Malky
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sadly cannot take that droning voice.. sorry
:(
xin
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And lots of Scottish and Irish sounding names in the families. Shows the extent of English people of Scottish and Irish ancestry. Very interesting.
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that big case from today, F&F also worked signed a lot of heirs that is why they didn't show the pat side of the family. I think we found out earlier than Finders that there was a will hence why we stopped.
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sadly cannot take that droning voice.. sorry
:(
xin
Today, the music in parts was like an orchestra trying to outdo the voices we were straining to hear.
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Loved Wednesday's episode. The company spent days (and presumably money) finding heirs - with quite some difficulty - for the estate in question. Handed over everything to the solicitors in charge who then went to the bank to ascertain there were no more unknown bank accounts...only for the bank to find an old (but valid) will which left EVERYTHING (around 300,000.00 pounds) to the RSPCA!
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I'm sure we've had one of those before,where they found a will at the 11th hour and the lady had left something like £300K to the cats protection! Lucky cats ;D
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.... Michael Buerk said "Surely that is good enough?". You have a lot to learn Mike lol. ...
He should know better, being the illegitimate son of a bigamist!
It's all so fake sounding the way he says it ... and the excitement he has about money that smacks too much of gluttony and greed.
What really gets my goat is when he announces the two "it could be you" names - and does a really irritating thing by pointing with his boney hand and thumb obscured.... *shivers*.
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whoops
xin