Sunday Search: Genealogy Shows Return!

While many television shows are wrapping up for the season, there is another batch of programming that is just starting their new seasons. While Who Do You Think You Are? started it’s short season a few weeks ago and is already approaching the finale, Genealogy Roadshow has yet to begin with PBS scheduling the premier for May 17^th at 8:00pm. Here is the preview for the new season:

Thankfully for many of us, having the genealogy shows starting now allows us to indulge in our passion for family history without having to miss some of our favorite dramas and sitcoms. While I am a fan of both, it is nice to take a break from the fictional world to watch people discover new aspects about their ancestors. And, in reality, some of the connections that people make to historical events and people would not be accepted as plausible in the eyes of many television producers. History will trump fiction just about every time. I have seen it and I have experienced it firsthand… it is hard to believe the stories that the facts provide sometimes.

What is also interesting to watch during this time of year are shows like “TURN: Washington’s Spies” on AMC which bridges the gap between history and fiction not only in the story itself which has elements of both but in the production as well. While you may watch scenes taking place in colonial Philadelphia in reality, many of those scenes were filmed in Colonial Williamsburg. It is actually quite interesting to watch an episode and see some of the buildings that I had walked by and through just last summer.

In fact, Colonial Williamsburg has started a sweepstakes this year for fans of both the show and the historic site. All you have to do is tweet at @colonialwmbsurg using #IspyCW every time you catch a glimpse of the colonial capital during each episode of TURN: Washington's Spies, for a chance to win. The winner will receive the following: roundtrip airfare for two, a $500 gift card, two nights' hotel stay at the Williamsburg Lodge, and two Colonial Williamsburg admission tickets.

This is one of my favorite photos from our trip to Colonial Williamsburg last summer... 

While these three aforementioned shows are quite different from one another I hope that the results are the same. I believe that history is an essential part of our knowledge and understanding the world around us and knowing your own family history can have the same impact on understanding ourselves. And the best part about it, at least for me, is that this is a never ending process. I know I will never be able to learn about every aspect of my family history let alone history in general but that doesn’t stop me from learning, researching, and sharing what I know with family, friends, colleagues, and anyone who reads this blog. After all, we must preserve history and perpetuate the ancestral knowledge that we have worked so hard to obtain in the hope that every succeeding generation knows just a little bit more.

The Lost Genealogy Show

In a recent discussion on LinkedIn there was another genealogy program brought to my attention. After reading the back and forth around the pros and cons of the mainstream programs (i.e. Who Do You Think You Are, Finding Your Roots, and Genealogy Roadshow) I was interested to watch the YouTube video to see if this program did a better job especially with regard to process. Honestly, my expectations were not very high as I have seen numerous attempts at programs online but I figured that I would give it a shot.

While the intro to “Legend Seekers” leaves a little something to be desired the program itself is excellent. It is kind of the best of all worlds in that it is not reliant upon celebrity and it does not overburden itself with trying to take too broad a view of a family tree. Rather, the focus of the program is on a singular event in the family tree of a regular family. It is the kind of thing that all of us immersed in our own family history do on a regular basis just in a more condensed and presentable format.

While there is a lot that is left on the floor with regard to the process, there is still much more information regarding the resources that are available for people to conduct their own research and to whom they can turn to find the information that they are seeking. There are also tips and additional information to assist the viewer in their own search particularly regarding Census records and the wealth that can be found in cemeteries. While many of us who have been doing this for a while know this information it is always worth being reminded and it is of huge value to those who may just be getting started.

The program also shows the slight bumps and detours that we all run into. However, similar to mine and many other experiences that I have read, persistence can sometimes pay off as it did in the search for the Lively family in this episode. This is both an interesting and motivating program for those who are interested in researching their own family.

With all of that said, I do have one rather large problem with the program… this is the only episode that was made due to the lack of funding and not having been picked up for a full season. There are so many stories out there in every family that it would be great to see the stories that, for the most part, remain untold. Heck, I can think of a half dozen in my own family (a few of which I have mentioned on this blog) that I would like to see produced in this manner. Hopefully, sometime in the future, the show will return and give us a better example of what the real process is like… I would much rather spend the time watching more episodes of this rather than the aforementioned mainstream programs.

Continuing The Debate: Genealogy Roadshow Returns

A couple of months ago I posted a blog about the preferences that many of us have for Finding Your Roots or Who Do You Think You Are? This lead to a tremendous discussion on LinkedIn (in a few groups) about the pros and cons of each and, in many instances, what is missing from each show. Keep in in mind that all of those who participated in this back and forth have been researching their own family history and so many of the sticking points surrounded the lack of process demonstrated in each program.

Another prevalent point made was of the disconnect from those of us actually doing the work. Many of the participants in each of these shows are, for the most part, along for the ride without actually doing the work themselves. We all know the hours, days, weeks, years that this journey takes to make the kind of progress depicted in a 60 minute program. So the back and forth continued regarding these two current programs with a few references made to other shows that were no longer on the air.

One show that was brought up for both its positive qualities and because of the things that it lacks was Genealogy Roadshow. Many of us had seen the program when it was on but many others completely missed it and wondered what it was about. We didn’t discuss it much further than that because, at the time, it was not currently showing and none of us expected to see it return to PBS. Honestly, the conversation continued and I once again completely forgot about the short lived series until a few weeks ago when I got a press release in my email.

Simply put, Genealogy Roadshow is back! New episodes will be airing on PBS beginning on Tuesday, January 13 at 8:00pm ET. In the end, all genealogy shows are going to have faults but the important thing is that they are on the television and people are slowly becoming exposed to the importance of knowing who they are and where they come from. While I am sure there will be continued debate on this subject, for now I will simply leave you with the episode descriptions for each of the six episodes that will air this winter:

New Orleans – Cabildo (January 13^th) – A team of genealogists uncovers fascinating family stories at the famous Cabildo, home of the Louisiana State Museum. A couple whose ancestors hail from the same small Italian town explore the chance they may be related; a woman is desperate to find out who committed a gruesome murder in her ancestor’s past; a home held by one family for more than a century renders a fascinating story; and a woman discovers the difficult journey her ancestor took on the path to freedom from slavery.

St. Louis – Central Library (January 20^th) – At Saint Louis’ historic central library, a team of genealogists uncovers fascinating family stories from Missouri’s famous gateway city. A mystery writer discovers her mother has hidden a life-changing secret; a woman finds out if she is descended from the infamous pirate Blackbeard; a mother and daughter seek connections to a famous author; and a young man seeks connection to the Mali tribe in Africa.

Philadelphia – Franklin Institute (January 27^th) – At Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute, a team of genealogists uncovers fascinating family histories. A man learns that the event that drove his family to the City of Brotherly Love changed the course of history; a man may be a Viking descendant; another’s family could have part of one of history’s biggest scams; a young man hopes to confirm his relation to a signer of the Declaration of Independence; and two sisters learn their ancestors were part of the great Irish migration.

New Orleans – Board of Trade (February 3^rd) – A team of genealogists uncovers fascinating family stories at the New Orleans Board of Trade. A local man seeks to recover essential history washed away in Hurricane Katrina; a woman discovers she has links to both sides of the Civil War; another unravels the mystery behind her grandfather’s adoption; and one man explores a link to the famous New Orleans Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau.

St. Louis – Union Station (February 10^th) – At St. Louis’ historic Union Station, a team of genealogists uncovers fascinating family stories from Missouri. A musician hopes to find connections to a famous St. Louis jazz composer; two sisters explore links to a survivor of the legendary Donner party; an Italian-American woman finds out if she is related to Italian royalty; and a schoolteacher who has all the answers for her students has very few about her own past.

Philadelphia – Historical Society of Pennsylvania (February 17^th) – A team of genealogists uncovers fascinating family histories at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. One woman’s ancestor may have sparked historic labor laws; a pastor may have an outlaw in her family tree; a woman learns about slave genealogy and, with the help of DNA testing, gets the answer she has waited for; and another woman learns her ancestor may have helped others escape the Holocaust.

Finding Your Roots vs. Who Do You Think You Are?

When talking about genealogy with people it is common for the conversation to touch upon the show “Who Do You Think You Are?” Over the years, all different kinds of people have watched the show regardless of their interest level in genealogy as a whole or their own family tree… they usually watch because they are a fan of some actor, actress, or athlete and want to learn a little more about them. More often than not, this leads them to jump to the conclusion of “I wish I had stories like that in my family tree.”

The people I have spoken with make that determination that those types of stories do not exist in their tree mostly because the show focuses on a single line in that celebrity’s genealogy. I guess you could say that is the one thing that many of us familiar with genealogy have a problem with when it comes to the show “Who Do You Think You Are?” It is for this reason that I tend to pay closer attention to and enjoy “Finding Your Roots” a little more than the main stream counterpart.

Like any PBS show, “Finding Your Roots” isn’t as well-known but it takes a much more interesting and broader look at the ancestry of celebrities (of all kinds not just main stream). During the course of an episode, three family trees are analyzed with a common thread running between the three stars. Sometimes it can be as broad as overcoming adversity while other times it is tied to a specific event such as the roles their ancestors played in the Civil War.

While that is one difference (one vs. three) the other, more important and more interesting differentiator is the fact that the latter of the two shows looks at the family tree as a whole not just a singular line (or two). From my own experience, I know that this is the most interesting part of genealogy as you never know what names, places, and events may be adding color to the individual leaves. After all, we are the culmination of all these people who played, for the most part, equal roles in determining the family story and making us who we are.

“Who Do You Think You Are” may have the bigger audience, interesting locations, and larger budget, “Finding Your Roots” brings us closer to the interesting realities of doing genealogical research. Furthermore, the latter show also explores the use of DNA in discovering the mix of places, races, and heritage that exists within all of us. This is why my preference is quite clear but, in the end, taking a look at the sponsorship, Ancestry.com wins no matter which show you prefer.

Only A Small Part Of The Story

Recently, TLC brought back the show “Who Do You Think You Are?” My wife and I enjoy watching the weekly episodes and learning about the interesting family histories that some celebrities are willing to share with the world. Seeing the reactions on the faces of those people can also be just as intriguing as we both know that feeling well of when something unexpected is discovered.

However, for me there has always been something missing. One of the fascinating aspects of genealogy for me has been the vastly different stories that our ancestors have. Many times, if you trace enough lines, you can find your ancestors in opposition whether it may be north against south, Indian versus settler, or some other means of conflict. These are the stories that shape us.

We are shaped by all our ancestors and the lives that each one of them lived both the remarkable and the ordinary. Sometimes it is more about the place rather than the person that adds depth and understanding. For instance, knowing that one of my ancestors came from Alsace Lorraine region in France by considered himself and was recognized upon immigration as German adds an interesting complexity to my ancestor’s life and to our family history.

Do we consider ourselves only German as our ancestor did or do we more accurately consider ourselves both? This is the kind of interesting internal question that really doesn’t have an answer as it is nearly impossible to balance the considerations from an ancestor’s life and how they view themselves with the facts that shape the world around them. This is the type of question that is frequently missing from the series.

During each episode the story of discovery is fascinating but it is by no means an accurate depiction of the process. Anyone who has done any kind of in depth genealogy understands the time and energy it takes to sometimes find just one item. Generation after generation the tedious process repeats until finally, after countless cycles the leaves of the tree begin to come into focus.

There are times when information is readily available, especially with the constantly expanding digital databases like ancestry.com, but that is still not the norm as many records remain confined to paper or microfilm. When you have to sort through piles of paper and reels of film in order to find a single document you have a much deeper appreciation of your heritage and you hold fast to the knowledge that you had to earn. It was not given to you in front of a camera; you had to work for the information, you had to sweat to find out who you are.

That is what is missing from this show. It is not about being handed your family history, it is about earning your heritage and connecting with your ancestors. That is how you truly find out who you are.

Many of you in the states may have missed this episode about J.K. Rowling as it is part of the UK series of the same name so I thought I would share it will all of you. There are subtle differences between the UK and US but they are equally entertaining. Enjoy!