Genealogy Chat

Tracking down the ancestors and researching family trees is set to become BBC Two's latest big theme. The channel launched its autumn schedule on Wednesday, describing its centrepiece show as being "television's biggest ever family history initiative". The programme "Who Do You Think You Are?" will feature 10 celebrities, including Jeremy Clarkson, Vic Reeves and David Baddiel, researching their backgrounds. In addition, the show aims to help the public track down their own family tree. "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," said Roly Keating, BBC Two's controller. To coincide with the programme, there will be 12 roadshows around the UK and 300 other related events. Elsewhere, three series will look at the issue of global unease. "Fear Uncertainty and Doubt" examines how opposing world forces use terror to rise to power, "The Grid" explores both sides of the "war on terror", and "Crisis Command" gives members of the public the chance to run the country following a potential national disaster. Long-running science show "Horizon" celebrates its 40th anniversary, while "The Lost World of Mitchell and Kenyon" will feature 800 films made by two film-makers recording Edwardian life at the start of the 20th century. A new weekly topical arts programme "The Culture Show" promises to delve into the "big cultural issues and events of the day", while comedy quiz "QI" hosted by Stephen Fry returns for another series. Two successful BBC Three shows will move channels -- "The Smoking Room" and hospital drama "Bodies". BBC One unveiled its autumn schedule on Tuesday, hoping its line-up would redeem it in the eyes of critics who labelled the channel's programmes as derivative and uninspiring.

I expect someone has already put this on, so let me know if this is the case. Fi

Hi all, I remember years back when I was about 10 there was a programme about tracing your family tree, The programme was presented by Gordon Honeycombe who traced his family tree and each week the cameras followed his progress, there was a book published to go with the series. As I was so interested in what he was doing dad bought me the book and from then on I was hooked. Must dig it out I'm sure its somewhere around. Although researching has come a long way since then. Does anyone else remember the programme or am I showing my age!!!! Michele

Fi you beat me to it! I've just been reading about Bill Oddie who discovered he had a sister who sadly died but whom he knew nothing about. Jan

There was aprogramme a few years ago, people would write in and ask for help, and their researchers would dig about and trace back their family- they obviously chose people who had interesting relatives- the story that stuck in my mind was the ancestor who had been convicted of murdering her husband in the victorian times, but on a modern re-examination of the evidence they found that she probably had not done it at all- it was very interesting!!! I can't remember who presented it- it could have been Mike Smith or Philip Schofield or someone like that- but it only seemed to run for one series. Shame as I really enjoyed it. Still, looks like there is alot to look forward to!!!

Thanks for the advance notice Fi, I will definitely be looking out for that programme on BBC2, and Michele, I also remember that programme with Gordon Honeycombe, it was what got me started on Family History and I've also still got the book which accompanied the series, I think it was called something like Discovering your Family History by Don Steel, it was my 'bible' when I first started out in 1980 as there wasn't much else around then. Carolyn

The programme "Crisis Command" has already been on. It had four people from different walks of life having to make decisions based on received information about a) a plane refusing to land anywhere except Heathrow b) a problem with the electricity supply in London leaving people stuck in the tube trains c) the plane hits houses of Parliament [because the decision-makers couldn't decide in the time to shoot it down] d) as a result of the impact, the tube starts flooding. To save people trapped in the tunnel affected, the decisionmakers refuse to shut the flood doors which means the entire network of tunnels is flooded resulting in 1000s more deaths. I think what it showed is that decisions sometimes involve deciding that some people will die in order to save others. It was OK but not as good as it could have been - I made the (tough) decisions correctly in my armchair, not sure it would be so easy in a bunker somewhere! H.