Genealogy on TV - new approach needed

[davidpinkney]

I think that moving WDYTYA to BBC1 was good in some sense. The more people who have viewed it, the more become interested in FH, the more sources will become readily available. Surely that can't be a bad thing. If a multicultural angle is the way they are playing it then i can't see the harm, there's plenty of other TV about to keep the simple Family Historian happy.

David

[Highweek]

I must admit I agree with a lot of you saying that the last series seemed more about who could travel the furthest!

I really loved the first series because it told you how to find out the information via the red button or you could follow up with another programme with Adrian Childs. 

Now everyone just walks around collecting a brown envelope or looks like they are taking their dogs into the PRO

IMHO the BBC have trivialized the hard work needed to find out the research material and they no longer show you how to find it.  There have been a couple of shots of people looking at census's online but that's it.  I think it just makes people think they can pop in and pick up their family tree from a library or record office and make it look easy.

OK, I hear you say so what could a tv programme do to make it better?

How about a six part series tracing a family's ancestors and yes our Ag Labs and mill workers who are reality for most of us, but each programme concentrating on say week 1 - births, marriages and deaths, 2 - census's, 3 - parish records, 4 - wills and probate, 5 - military history and 6 - making the best use of the resources available, i.e records offices, local history societies, libraries etc.

Just a thought for any of you budding tv producers out there 

[kerryb]

A good idea Highweek!

But sadly nearly 40,000 Rootschat viewers isn't what the BBC are after.  They want to make programmes that appeal to the masses who aren't mad keen on genealogy.  So sadly I doubt we will get our wish. 

Kerry

[Highweek]

Kerry

What I forgot to put in my post was that each programme should have a celebs doing the research - maybe getting some of those back who were hooked after a previous series....

Well I suppose we can dream !!

Julie

[kerryb]

Now that sounds like a good idea   Get some celebs doing some hard work!!!!!   The producers could write to Rootschat and we could give them our brickwalls!!!!!

Kerry

[Highweek]

Hey Kerry, maybe we should patent this idea 

We'd all have enough brick walls to build a castle!! lol 

[patrish]

I had forgotten about the House Detectives, I really loved that show, I wish they would do another series or several    and I loved the Green Valley also.

[ozlady]

I get SOOOOO jealous when I read about all these great programmes you have. Despite the fact that the vast majority of Aussies have British heritage and there has been an upsurge in the number of people interested in their family trees, it seems most unlikely that any of our channels would produce shows like these. I really envy all those folk who can pop into the local records offices, GRO, access archives etc. We did get "Time Team" but that's just about our lot!

[patrish]

Another t.v. show which I thought was very good that involved a fair bit of history , not exactly genealogy
 was "Off the  Beaten Track" narrated by Nigel Farrell.