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

[Keith Sherwood]

Ooh, I think you should definitely follow that up, Bearkat!  I wonder whether the BBC ever divulge what ends up on the cutting room floor to those that might ask re WDYTYA?
Keith

[tornado]

I was not impressed with the most recent WDYTYA show . Josh Widicombe was not the most intelligent or interesting of men to feature. It seemed he was on an "ego" trip with the Tudor ancestry in his Family. After all we all have some Tudor in us .. I look forward to Dame Judi Dench , now here is a character .

[KGarrad]

What a miserable response!

You are supposed to be interested in the story - not the "celebrity status" of the subject.
Michael Parkinson is an intelligent man, but his story was shelved due to having nothing interesting in his back story.

[Keith Sherwood]

I'm afraid I'm going to disagree with you, Tornado,
Josh Widdicombe is on the contrary an extremely intelligent and witty young individual who makes people laugh for a living, amongst other things.  I felt that he was almost in awe of all the BBC researchers were able to unearth about his extraordinary lineage.  Rendered speechless at times.  As I would have been in his shoes, mouthing just as many Wow!'s
Now, Dame Judi Dench has of course portrayed many different characters during her long, stellar acting career.  I once met her in the late 1970's in a pub in my town when she was filming on location, and she was perfectly charming to chat to.  And I am sure she will conduct her own family history investigation with her usual great humour and dignity and pure class.
We're all of us of course perfectly entitled to our own personal opinions, but I think you've rather brewed up a storm in a teacup IMHO...
Keith

[Ruskie]

I really enjoyed this episode. What a fascinating story.

I wasn’t familiar with Josh Widdecombe but thought he came across very well and seemed genuinely interested in and taken aback with what he discovered. I get the impression that he would have been equally interested if he’d discovered that his ancestors had spent time in the poorhouse.

I could identify with him needing to get out the pencil and paper to sort out the complex relationships.

Very enjoyable.

[ThrelfallYorky]

Agreed. He seemed really quite genuine - and I wonder: Did he in fact leave his family to wait until the programme was broadcast, to discover the lineage, as he suggested he might? It'd be interesting to know.TY

[Rena]

I used to think TV's Josh Widdicombe and Rob Beckett were the same person until I saw them together.  Surely they must share a twig or two?

[Waddy1952]

I've seen the first episode and found it fascinating. I've often wondered how they decided who to feature on the program. Do they choose the person first then look into their ancestors or is there some other method?

[ThrelfallYorky]

Sadly, didn't actually know who the Widdicombe chap was until the clues I picked up in programme and on here .... and - who is Rob Beckett?
(I must stay in more)
TY