Who Do You Think You Are (WDYTYA) is the flagship show for genealogy
in the United States. In each episode, the ancestry of a celebrity is explored,
with prominent narratives from their family history investigated. It first
aired in 2010 and began its fifth season last week.
Those in the U.S. who have Irish ancestry might
be disappointed with the relative lack of focus on celebrities with Irish
ancestry. In the first four seasons there has been 35 episodes. Four
participants had their Irish ancestry partly or fully investigated, with three episodes showing research in
Ireland. They are:
Chris O'Donnell season
4, episode 5 Did not do research
in Ireland
Rashida Jones season 3, episode 10 Dublin
Rosie O'Donnell season
2, episode 3 Dublin, Kildare,
Wicklow, Offaly
Martin Sheen season
3, episode 1 Tipperary, Dublin
This is a small return, considering Irish is the largest
ancestry grouping in the U.S. after German. Personally, I think there are two reasons
for this. Firstly, it can be difficult to find the Irish place of origin. Other
celebrities might have been considered, but their Irish place of origin might
not have been found. Secondly, the Irish ancestors of some celebrities might
not have been involved in something that was considered worthwhile for a TV
show. Leaving a poverty stricken rural part of Ireland, living in a densely crowded tenement and dying of
tuberculosis at age forty-five is not exactly going to see audiences flocking
to watch the show. This could be called 'Cherie Blair syndrome.'
So, where can you get your fix of Irish genealogy on TV?
Well, the US WDYTYA has an older British sister, as the show
is also aired in the UK. The UK version is actually the original and has been on
TV since 2004. The 11th season will begin in August, starting with a special show to mark its upcoming 100th episode.
The close proximity of Ireland to the UK has seen many Irish
celebrities move to the bigger British market and many British-born celebrities
have Irish parents, grandparents, and other ancestors. So, the UK version can
be a great place to get your fix of Irish genealogy TV. Below, I have YouTube links
to some of these episodes:
Graham Norton Cork, Antrim/Belfast,
Wicklow
Dervla Kirwan Cork, Dublin
Chris Moyles Dublin,
Mayo
John Hurt Sligo
David Tennant Derry/Londonderry
Amanda Redman Cork/Wexford
(parts of the episode)
Nick Hewer Antrim/Belfast (could
not find video of episode)
The Irish Genealogy News blog reports that the upcoming 11th season of the UK WDYTYA will have two Irish-focused episodes. While you may have know about the UK version of the TV show,
you might be surprised to learn that there was also an Irish version of Who Do You Think You Are. It broadcast for two season in 2008
and 2009. I managed to find one episode knocking about on YouTube:
Ryan Tubridy Galway/Mayo/Dublin
Great post, Joe. I've seen all of those shows, but it does take a bit of digging to find them. (I guess those of us with Irish ancestry are used to the relentless digging so that won't be a deterrent!) I might also point out that there is an Australian version of the show that features several celebrities with Irish ancestors. I find I get a lot more out of the UK and Australian shows since I know less about the history of those places than I do the United States. For Germans being the most prominent ethnic group in the US, there have been few shows that feature people with German ancestry as well. Again, the UK and Australian versions have this covered, too.
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