TV for Genealogists: Heir Hunters

I stumbled upon this BBC program on YouTube last night, and its website notes that it airs on the History Channel in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.  (Some episodes are up on the official website, but they're not available for US viewers.  BBC America, you fail me again!  ::sigh::)  It profiles cases in which researchers search for rightful heirs to estates, which requires them to hunt backwards and forwards.  It might have some interesting info on how to find cousins.

TV for Genealogists: Coming soon...!

I am SO looking forward to this one!

TV For Genealogists: Find My Family

Who's been watching "Find My Family?"  Probably most of us genea-bloggers have, I suppose.  Being a huge fan of "The Locator," I had mixed emotions about this new show... I loved the idea of it, but I hated that it seemed to be ripping off another program.

Of course, I've watched.  How could I resist?  I love to see just how the show goes about finding people.  I feel for the people who just want to know their roots and connect to someone who is their own flesh and blood.  I love that the show acknowledges that adoption isn't just a happy ending--and adoption is wonderful, don't get me wrong--but also a big part of the adoptee's self-identity.  I love that it acknowledges the sacrifice a woman makes when she knows that she can't give her child what he or she deserves and gives up a child for adoption, because that sacrifice is huge.  It should be celebrated, and that means acknowledging the pain involved.

But as much as I feel for these people, I guess I don't feel for them as much as the hosts of the program do.  OMG.  Tim Green is always crying and simpering and seems more moved by the whole thing than the actual people involved.  After a while, it just seems insincere.  Maybe he's affected like this because he himself is an adoptee (or so it appears on the ABC website), but Tim, dial it down!

I don't know if I'll keep watching (is it still on the schedule?)... I'm a couch potato, so I probably will.  However, to those of you who have just discovered this show and love it, switch over to WE and check out "The Locator."

TV for Genealogists: The Locator

Every once in a while I come across a TV show or book that speaks to the genealogist in me, and then I wonder "Why haven't I heard of this before?" Usually it's not the most highly rated program or a bestselling book, so I thought I'd pass along my recommendations now and then. As a true couch potato, I'll start with one of my new favorite television shows.

I have a new TV obsession: "The Locator." It's on WE on Saturday evenings, but a recent Locator marathon left my DVR full of re-runs. I didn't know about it until its star, Troy Dunn, was featured on a recent episode of Oprah, and now I'm hooked.

The premise is pretty simple, and it's a perfect formula to hook an amateur genealogist. Troy is a private investigator who helps people find other people... sometimes old friends, sometimes an organ donor, but usually a family member. Often it's a father or sibling. One week each month, he and his team take on what they call an "Angel Case," like pro bono work. They're the cases that move them the most.

It's not just the reunions that hook me, but the research. When Troy and his team discuss the clues they have, I find myself thinking about how *I* would go about finding the person. I think that we genealogists have a lot of crossover skills here.

What's your favorite TV for Genealogists?