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Who Do You Think You Are? (British TV series)

Who Do You Think You Are? is a British genealogy documentary series that has aired on the BBC since 2004, in which celebrity participants trace their family history. It is made by the production company Wall to Wall. The programme has regularly attracted an audience of more than 6 million viewers.[1] More than ten international adaptations of the programme have been produced.

This article is about the British series. For the American series, see Who Do You Think You Are? (American TV series).

Who Do You Think You Are?

Documentary

Mark Sayer-Wade

Mike MacLennan

United Kingdom

English

20

  • 161 (+2 specials)
  • (as of 30 June 2022)
  • Specials:
  • 11 July 2007: Adoption Special
  • 6 August 2014:
  • 10 Years, 100 Shows Special
(list of episodes)

60 minutes

Wall to Wall

12 October 2004 (2004-10-12) –
present

has aired a Polish version, called Sekrety rodzinne, which was broadcast from November 2006 to March 2007. In September 2007, a series of a Canadian version, consisting of 13 episodes, aired on CBC Television. In 2015, Radio-Canada produced a French-language version called Qui êtes-vous?[4]

TVP1

An aired on SBS in January 2008 after six episodes of the BBC version had been shown. The BBC programmes were those featuring Stephen Fry, Bill Oddie, Julia Sawalha, Jeremy Clarkson, Gurinder Chadha and Nigella Lawson.

Australian version

In 2008, 's Das Erste aired the German version, called Das Geheimnis meiner Familie ("The secret of my family"). They aired four episodes featuring Marie-Luise Marjan, Armin Rohde, Christine Neubauer and Peter Maffay.

ARD

national broadcaster RTÉ has aired three series of Irish version of Who Do You Think You Are? in autumn 2008, 2009 and, after a considerable gap, 2018. The Irish version has included internationally recognised names such as Ardal O'Hanlon, Dana Scallon, Rosanna Davison and Diarmuid Gavin.[5][6]

Ireland's

the Swedish public service broadcaster, aired a Swedish version called Vem tror du att du är? in 2009. Later that year, in May and June, they also aired the BBC episodes featuring Stephen Fry, Jeremy Irons, Nigella Lawson, John Hurt and Jane Horrocks.

Sveriges Television

On 31 May 2009, South African station premiered its own version, split into two parts, featuring local personalities.[7] An American adaptation of the programme premiered on 5 March 2010 on NBC. In Britain, it began airing on BBC One on 13 June 2010.

SABC2

In 2010, the Dutch version called ("Hidden Past") of the programme started. Thus far, seventeen series have been produced between 2010 and 2024. From 2005 to 2008, four series of the programme Verre Verwanten ("Distant Relatives") were broadcast on Dutch television. In 2019 a spin-off under the name Verborgen Verleden van Nederland ("Hidden Past of the Netherlands") was broadcast, which highlighted the history of various well-known locations in the Netherlands.

Verborgen Verleden

In September 2010, the Danish TV station aired the first episode of the Danish version, called Ved du hvem du er?.

Danmarks Radio

On 1 September 2010, aired two episodes of the French version, Retour aux Sources, featuring Vincent Pérez and Clémentine Célarié. Since then, four other episodes have aired, starring François Berléand, Sonia Rolland, Barbara Schulz and Franck Dubosc.

France 2

In January 2011, the Norwegian TV station began airing the Norwegian version, called Hvem tror du at du er?.

NRK

Starting on 9 January 2012, Finland's national public broadcasting company, YLE, has aired 15 episodes of the Finnish version, called Kuka oikein olet?, in which local public figures searched for their origins.

[8]

In the United States, the show premiered on on March 5, 2010, with Lisa Kudrow as executive producer the series.[9] A furthering of the concept was developed for American public broadcast TV, called Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates. This series adds DNA profiling to the format including Y-chromosome DNA, mitochondrial DNA and autosomal DNA analysis to infer both ancient and recent genetic relationships. The series began airing on 25 March 2012.

NBC

In January 2013, Czech broadcaster began broadcasting their own version of the programme, called Tajemství rodu ("The secret of the lineage").[10]

ČT

Starting on 15 January 2013, broadcast a Portuguese version called Quem É que Tu Pensas Que És? ("Who Do You Think You Are?") at the 10:30 pm timeslot. The first series featured the comedian Herman José, the actresses Maria do Céu Guerra and Maria João Abreu, the musician Zé Pedro from the Xutos & Pontapés rock band and the fadista Camané.

RTP1

In 2015, launched its own version of the show, entitled A Origem das Estrelas (The Origin of the Stars). It was released as part of the variety show Estrelas, presented by Angélica. The first celebrity to participate was Miguel Falabella.

Rede Globo

Similar programmes[edit]

BBC Cymru Wales has a similar series called Coming Home, made by Yellow Duck Productions, which features celebrities with a Welsh background.[11][12] In 2007, Wall to Wall Media developed You Don't Know You're Born for ITV1. The series saw various celebrities taking on their ancestors' jobs. UKTV broadcast My Famous Family in 2007. The PBS series Finding Your Roots, premiered in 2012, features celebrities discovering their ancestry through a compilation of documents called a "book of life".


A short parody sketch of the programme featured in the first series of The Armstrong & Miller Show in which Alexander Armstrong plays a fictionalised version of himself, discovering that his paternal grandfather and maternal grandmother were a child molester and a brothel-owner respectively.[13]


Another parody sketch of the programme featured in Walliams & Friend in which Harry Enfield plays Queen Elizabeth II, who attempts to trace her family lineage.[14]

Home media[edit]

DVDs[edit]

Series 1–11, 13, 15 and 16 of Who Do You Think You Are? are all available on Region 2 DVD, whilst a box set of series 1–4 is available, distributed by Acorn Media UK.[15] Series 1–4 are available on Region 4 DVD.

Awards and nominations[edit]

The programme was nominated for the 2010 BAFTA Television Award for Best Factual Series.[22]

. BBC History.

"Who Do You Think You Are? Series one: Celebrity Gallery"

. BBC History.

"Who Do You Think You Are? Series two: Celebrity Gallery"

. BBC History.

"Who Do You Think You Are? Series three: Celebrity Gallery"

. BBC History.

"Who Do You Think You Are? Series four: Celebrity Gallery"

. BBC History.

"Who Do You Think You Are? Series five: Celebrity Gallery"

. Footnote.com.

"Who Do You Think You Are? NBC Info Page With Celebrity Links"

at BBC Online

Who Do You Think You Are?

BBC

Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine

Who Do You Think You Are? Story

at BBC Online

Family History

at IMDb

Who Do You Think You Are?