I was so impressed with the 1 hour program on NBC last Friday night called "Who Do You Think You Are?" It is about tracing one's family history and is very entertaining, educational and emotionally engaging. I was very touched by Sarah Jessica Parker's enthusiasm and her feelings as she went back in history to a very dark period of our country.If you want to see the entire first episode...here is the link. It is 42 minutes long (no commercials!).
I do not know if subsequent videos will be available, nor how long this link will be active.
If you want to get re-excited and re-motivated about doing your own family history, this will surely help.
It will be on TV again this Friday. 8pm on NBC. The celebrity being researched that night will be Emmitt Smith.
Here is a comment regarding the vision of this program from the NBC site:
Some of today's most-beloved and iconic celebrities including Lisa Kudrow, Sarah Jessica Parker and Susan Sarandon are set to star in NBC's new alternative series "Who Do You Think You Are?"
From executive producer Kudrow ("Friends," "The Comeback") in conjunction with her production company Is or Isn't Entertainment and the U.K.'s Wall to Wall productions, the series - an adaptation of the award-winning hit British television documentary series - will lead celebrities on a journey of self-discovery as they unearth their family trees that reveal surprising, inspiring and even tragic stories that often are linked to crucial events in American history.
Additional celebrity names will be announced shortly.
The announcement was made today by Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, NBC and Universal Media Studios.
"No other program gives this unique glimpse into the personal lives of celebrities or takes viewers on a quantum leap through history in such an entertaining way," said Telegdy. "We are thrilled to have Lisa, Susan and Sarah Jessica kick off this groundbreaking series."
"This show personalizes history and turns it into a gripping narrative," said Kudrow. "The most striking thing about the show is the realization of how connected we all are."
Each episode will take viewers on an emotional, personal - and often mysterious - quest following one of America's best-known celebrities into his or her past, sharing the celebrity's surprise as they uncover stories of heroism and tragedy, love and betrayal, secrets and intrigue that lie at the heart of their family history.
At the same time, the series celebrates the twists and turns of a developing great nation and the people who made their way here in search of freedom and opportunity. As each one discovers their unknown relatives - most of whom overcame hard times - the show will take the audience back into world history to expose how the lives of everyone's collective ancestors' have shaped today's world.
http://www.nbc.com/Primetime/Who_Do_You_Think_You_Are/index.shtml
