Introduction
A whole forest of family trees is set to flourish throughout Britain,
thanks to a unique 大象传媒 initiative this autumn aimed at inspiring the
nation to explore its roots.
A major new series on 大象传媒 TWO - Who Do You Think You Are? - delves
into the family history of ten familiar faces, tracing their ancestry
and revealing secrets and surprises from their pasts.
And the series gives viewers the tools to dig into their own pasts
and uncover the part their ancestors played in shaping the nation of
today.
This emotionally charged ten part series traverses the globe as each
celebrity - from Bill Oddie and Vic Reeves,
to Lesley Garrett and Moira Stuart
- explores their personal history and discovers fascinating facts that
had been hidden by the passage of time.
Bill Oddie discovers the tragic reasons why his mother was institutionalised,
while Amanda Redman uncovers family secrets about illegitimacy
and Ian Hislop's research takes him back to the Boer
War.
Others embarking on a voyage of personal discovery include David
Baddiel, Sue Johnston, Meera Syal
and Jeremy Clarkson.
The ancestors of these well-known faces were part of the warp and weft
of the fabric of Britain's social history, just as the ancestors of
everyone had their part to play.
After each programme viewers will be shown practical tips on how to
trace their own family history, linking their lives to the nation's
turbulent past.
Says Roly Keating, Controller of 大象传媒 TWO: "People are fascinated by
genealogy and family history these days, particularly since the internet
became a mass medium, but television's never really tackled it.
"With Who Do You Think You Are? this autumn we're aiming to get the
whole nation excited about their family history - firstly by watching
other people go on their own personal journey and then by giving them
the guidance and tools to be able to go and explore it for themselves.
"The series sets the tone for a season that takes a challenging look
at where we have come from and the society we have created."
Complementing the 大象传媒 TWO series, Family
Ties on 大象传媒 FOUR is a collection of moving and inspiring stories
of ordinary people who have discovered extraordinary events through
their own genealogical research.
The ten, 30-minute programmes involve physical journeys which reflect
the emotional ones, returning the contributors to the sites where their
ancestors would have lived, loved and died.
They are aimed at inspiring as many people as possible to retrace
the footsteps of their family journey to the 21st century.
Those interested in finding out more about their family history can
get help at bbc.co.uk/familyhistory, where specially created web pages
feature interactive guidance and tips on where to look and how to interpret
the wealth of information available.
Visitors to bbc.co.uk/familyhistory can collect resources and create
their own personal folders of archive material.
And by pressing their red button digital viewers will be able to enjoy
a series of interactive television programmes and services on 大象传媒i featuring
a fascinating range of helpful information from genealogist Dr Nick
Barrett.
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Who Do You Think You Are? is a Wall to Wall production for 大象传媒 TWO.
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KB
Notes to Editors
Who Do You Think You Are? begins on Tuesday 12 October
at 9.00pm on 大象传媒 TWO; Family Ties begins on Tuesday
12 October at 10.00pm on 大象传媒 FOUR.
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There is a 大象传媒 book to accompany the series priced at 拢12.99.
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