google-site-verification: google65e716d80989ba07.html A Review of Who Do You Think You Are? | The Armchair Genealogist

A Review of Who Do You Think You Are?

Last night the newest genealogy television show Who Do You Think You Are? premiered on NBC. Here are my thoughts from where I was sitting.
First, I thought they did a great job of showing how all family historians should start their genealogy. They started at home, with Sarah Jessica Parker’s mother. I enjoyed her conversation with her brother, prior to the journey, we all have had that conversation or heard it from others, who have dismissed any possibility that their family could have any great stories, or importance in history.

They made a good effort at showing what records family historians pull from for their information, we saw documents such census records, obits, and of course the wonderful resource of ancestry.com.

I loved that Sarah Jessica Parker was hands on. I realize there was plenty of support behind the cameras but she was taking this journey, reading the documents, asking the questions and putting the pieces together.

We saw how Sarah Jessica experienced finding answers only to be confronted with more questions and thus her intrigued and quest began cycles again. I loved how she became personally, emotionally and physically affected by what she was finding. She became very much invested in their lives and what happened to them. She felt what we have all felt as family historians, that it changes everything about how you see your family and our place in it.

I loved that we were introduced to all the people behind the scenes and how they are there to help everyone, whether it is a professional genealogist, a librarian an archivist or an historian all are valuable members of the genealogy community.

The creators off the show did are great job at building the excitement and the suspense of unravelling the mystery. I was excited for her as she found each new piece of information.

I loved that it became very personal for her, that she became invested in her ancestor’s lives and what happened to them. She got what we as family historians already knew, it changes everything about how you see yourself, how you see genealogy, and until you have succumbed to the journey do you truly understand the thrill.

Although it is not realistic that we get to travel around the country to every town and archive, and if we do get the opportunity this spans over years but of course, that is the magic of television.

I loved that she now was excited to share the stories with her mother; we all know the feeling of wanting to share our latest find with our families.

One other thing I noticed, the powers that be, did a good job at making Sarah Jessica Parker a very real accessible person. I didn’t find Sarah Jessica overly made up, she wasn’t polished and coifed. At times her nose was shiny her hair messy. I could relate to her, she was one of us another person with a passion to find some piece of information to link her to her ancestors and connect with their stories.

Although it is not realistic that we get to travel around the country to every town and archive, and if we do get the opportunity this spans over years but of course, that is the magic of television.

And finally and this is my favourite, Sarah Jessica wanted to be sure it was written down and recorded for her children and their children so they would all know their history and the history of their ancestors.

    In my opinion, Episode One of Who Do You Think You Are?
gets 5 out 5 stars

         What do you think?