New series next week on the Beeb of Who Do You Think You Are?

[dowdstree]

I enjoyed last weeks episode with Josh Widdicombe.

Tonight's episode with Judi Dench was brilliant. Fascinating and tearful at time with the connection to Denmark and Hamlet.

Turning out to be a great series this time.

Dorrie

[roopat]

Well Josh Widdicombe's is still my favourite ever - but Judi Dench's tonight came a very close second. The history took a totally unexpected turn and actually the 'coincidences' (I wonder?) gave me goosebumps!





Pat

[Jebber]

Another good one tonight, I knew Judi Dench would be interesting. A good series so far, dare we hope the rest will be as good?

[loobylooayr]

Another fabulous episode. Judi got quite emotional and, if I'm being honest,  so did I - the Hamlet connection was one of those 'wow' moments.
Her dad sounded am interesting character too.
Loved that she still had his surgery desk, chair & brass plaque !

Looby 

[Caw1]

I agree with all that has been said… what a wonderful start to this latest series…
Josh Widdicombe was just so overwhelmed by his lineage which was hardly surprising given the stock he’s come from…
So refreshing to have firstly someone who was taking it all in without playing to the cameras and whose ancestors were interesting people and more than the usual..

Last nights one with Judi Dench was so fascinating too… when it started off with her father in WWI my heart sank a bit, as although he was very brave and quite fortunate in battle terms I thought we were in for another wartime history…

Well, most certainly not… what a wonderful family line she has and the coincidences of her playing her first part on stage in Hamlet and then ending up at Elsinore was just magical…. There must be something in the genes… I loved her Danish cousin too, such a jolly chap and an actor as well!

On a literary level too I found it fascinating the links between Rosencrantz  and Guildenstern  just made me come over with the shivers, then to know that Will Kemp had been there acting just made you really think about how Hamlet came to be written!
Well done to the Beeb for giving us two wonderfully interesting and diverse episodes… how are they going to top them I wonder …. Can’t wait for next weeks.

Caroline

[jaywit]

Not being able to sleep a few weeks ago I watched a TV programme in the middle of the night that asked why and how Shakespeare set many of his plays in Italy when he never went there.

That programme discovered that the story of Shylock was published in a Italian  book some years before Merchant of Venice was written and it had been translated into English. So they came to the conclusion Shakespeare had read the book an used it as the basis of the plot.

So we found out Will Kemp was in Denmark, did he take back some information that he passed on to Shakespeare that formed the basis of Hamlet?

[frostyknight]

Another great episode, which I really enjoyed. Look forward to next week's episode.

[Keith Sherwood]

Caroline and Jaywit,
I too absolutely loved the connection with Will Kemp and Elsinore and the Bard's setting of Hamlet.  We know so little about how Shakespeare got hold of or imagined his settings and plots that surely this has to be added to the lengthy scholarship on the subject...
Keith

[Lydart]

Well ! Wasn't that fascinating ! One thing they didn't mention was that Judi's ancestor Tycho Brahe lost part of his nose in a duel, and wore a prothetic made of brass !

One of the craters on the moon is named after him (Tycho); you can easily identify it at full moon (from the UK) .... its the very bright crater near the 'bottom edge' of the moon.