Past Seasons Talk: I Think I Am

[millk]

I really love this show and have spent hours in the tubes of you trying to catch anything I've missed and rewatching things I didn't. I'm sad I can't watch the Aussie version (quickly removed by the originating broadcaster) I should probably rewatch the Canadian ones but they were half hours and really boring if I recall.

[maraleia]

A place to discuss previous celebs genealogy and their reactions. Please take a look at the other threads to see if your comments will better fit there.

[millk]

Marathon right now. Just saw Cindy Crawford and now Zoey D who is a strong woman because he ancestors were strong women.

[Arynm]

Just boo-hooed my way through Christina Applegates. That one gets me every time. It's just so sad. I did have it put together in my mind with the one that had the grave missing and the body dumped into a mass grave. Who was that? I cried during that one as well. Who am I kidding ? I cry through most of these.

 

I love this show and I hope that enough people tune in that we get many more seasons.

[millk]

I watched the whole marathon too. The Civil War isn't my scene (Canadian here and we were out of there by 1779) but Kelly Clarkson is just so gosh-darned sweet I rewatched.

And Jim Parsons...I could just eat him up.

Mass grave, maybe Susan Sarandon?

[prican58]

Love this stuff. I had seen Cindy Crawford's before and the fact that they could trace so far back was amazing.

Jim Parsons' was so interesting and his parents' seem to be/have been wonderful people.  But really, Zooey's was the most amazing. The story of her great, great etc grandmother was absolutely stunning. The things they never taught us in school is astounding!

Kelly's was also interesting re her great + grandad. To have survived the War like he did and to be such an influential man later on is something to be proud of. Loved Kelly and Mom hugging it out. I was kind of surprised that Kelly had no idea about Andersonville. 

Hell, even I, a Yankee by way of Puerto Rico knew that! 

I got to thinking during Zooey's piece how there were so many things many of us were never taught, even those of us who grew up in the 60's/70's when education was so much more thorough, supposedly. The  I thought that it really is impossible to teach students everything because you'd never finish school! The idea is to teach history in such a way that it's exciting and enlightening so that you can go out on your own to the library and learn all the details on your own.

 

Chelsea Handler. Wow. You could see just how scared she was to find out whether or not her grandad was a Nazi sympathizer. Great stories.  

[iMonrey]

I wish I'd caught some of the earlier seasons because what I've seen of the show I've mostly enjoyed. I really enjoyed seeing Christina Applegate and Chelsea Handler during the marathon on 7/20. Applegate's story in particular was both heartbreaking and compelling because of the mystery that surrounded her grandmother. I'd already seen the Kelly Clarkson one before, and a handful of Season 3, but that's it. Hopefully they'll do another marathon I can record.

[millk]

You can find a lot online. Both American and British.

[Bella]

At some point, maybe in the winter, I'd love to organize a "rewatch" of the UK version. This is something to think about in terms of tracking down links, etc.

[SuzWhat]

I missed why Christina Applegate's grandmother's picture was published in the paper (she was about 10-13?). Can anyone tell me?

What an episode. I saw about 40 minutes of it today and cried for 39 minutes. Her recap to her dad on what she learned was so loving and respectful. Loved her.

Edited July 23, 2014 by SuzWhat

[Kromm]

At some point, maybe in the winter, I'd love to organize a "rewatch" of the UK version. This is something to think about in terms of tracking down links, etc.

It probably falls in a big grey area, because those copies are mostly there I think due to the BBC apparently not being all that energetic about "killing" them.  Many appear to be up (from a YT search I just did) for years (I see numbers like 10 months, "2 years ago", 3 years ago", etc)

 

I'd recommend if you organize a watch/rewatch to go with a "I intend to watch this but for legal reasons you have to find the episodes yourself" route.  I suppose recommending a YouTube search term isn't that far out of bounds though--that's not the same as actually providing a link to something.

Along the lines of "who do you think you are UK" plus someone's name.  The rest is up to them.

[riverblue22]

IIRC, this Sarah Jessica Parker episode was really good.  I'm sorry I missed the earlier episodes today.  I love this show!

[Kromm]

Just a heads up for some of the UK episodes with people the Americas may know.  This is not a complete list (just the ones I think might be known to the US, Canada, etc) and since this is the catchall "previous seasons" topic I am not going to rule on if I think they are good eps or bad ones--just that they exist (I couldn't do that anyway--I certainly haven't seen all of these).

 

• Jeremy Clarkson (Series 1) - known to Top Gear fans
• Stephen Fry (Series 2) - known to people on this side of the pond who watched Bones, Blackadder, V For Vendetta, or Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.
• David Tennant (Series 3) - A Doctor Who
• Nigella Lawson (Series 3) - About 25% as big a star in the US as in the UK, but that's still a bit of fame
• Jeremy Irons (Series 3) - [making old person wheeze] You youngsters will see him next as Ben Affleck's Batman's version of Alfred! Now get off of my lawn!
• John Hurt (Series 4) - A temporary Doctor Who, for the playpen set.  An Elephant Man for the fossils.
• Graham Norton (Series 4) - Has a cheeky UK talk show that airs in the US on BBC America
• Jerry Springer (Series 5) - Technically, by birth, Jerry is a Brit.  Sadly they didn't keep him.
• Patsy Kensit (Series 5) - Was in Lethal Weapon 2.  That's about it for US relevance, but someone may want to see her.
• Martin Freeman (Series 6) - Is some kind of Hobbit named John Watson, or something like that.
• Rupert Everett (Series 7) - I hear he played Dr. Claw in the Inspector Gadget movie!  Oh yeah, and was in some boring other movies.
• Alan Cumming (Series 7) - Whether he's Cumming or Going, most Americans know him (most recently from The Good Wife, but he's been in so many other US shows and movies).
• J. K. Rowling (Series 8) - Wrote some books or something like that.  She's no Stephen King, I'll tell ya!
• Robin Gibb (Series 8) - A Bee Gee.  Presumably the other Bee Gees are at least mentioned if you liked them better.
• Len Goodman (Series 8) - Grumpy Old English Guy who appears on Dance shows.
• Patrick Stewart (Series 9) - Some space cowboy of some type.  Or some dude in a wheelchair.  I get confused.
• Annie Lennox (Series 9) - Sweet Dreams and such.
• Alex Kingston (Series 9) - Doctor Who's main squeeze.  Mark Greene's main squeeze.  
• Minnie Driver (Series 10) - Has some Golden Globes.  No get your mind out of the gutter!  I mean the awards!
• Marianne Faithfull (Series 10) - has sung a few songs.

 

The upcoming UK season is Series 11 and so discussion of who's on it probably isn't right for this thread.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Kromm

[Bella]

It probably falls in a big grey area, because those copies are mostly there I think due to the BBC apparently not being all that energetic about "killing" them.  Many appear to be up (from a YT search I just did) for years (I see numbers like 10 months, "2 years ago", 3 years ago", etc)

 

I'd recommend if you organize a watch/rewatch to go with a "I intend to watch this but for legal reasons you have to find the episodes yourself" route.  I suppose recommending a YouTube search term isn't that far out of bounds though--that's not the same as actually providing a link to something.

Along the lines of "who do you think you are UK" plus someone's name.  The rest is up to them.

 

Thanks, @Kromm . If we did some kind of organized rewatch, any links would have to be to legal sources, as that's PTV policy. So when I get some time (i.e., not soon), I will see what legal options might exist, if any.

[DkNNy79]

Just boo-hooed my way through Christina Applegates. That one gets me every time. It's just so sad. I did have it put together in my mind with the one that had the grave missing and the body dumped into a mass grave. Who was that? I cried during that one as well. Who am I kidding ? I cry through most of these.

 

I love this show and I hope that enough people tune in that we get many more seasons.

 

Loved the Christina Applegate.  So touching, especially the end at the cemetery, when they found out her grandmother bought a plot for her dad.  Even though she had her issues, she was still thinking of her son.  Loved that her dad put "I found you mom" on the gravestone.

[iMonrey]

 

I missed why Christina Applegate's grandmother's picture was published in the paper (she was about 10-13?). Can anyone tell me?

 

It was some sort of society page, and it said she and her sister had just returned from the East Coast, where they had taken an "automobile tour" of the area. It showed that her grandmother had been born into some money, and was well off as a child, but at some point her family must have lost their money.

[Kromm]

Thanks, @Kromm . If we did some kind of organized rewatch, any links would have to be to legal sources, as that's PTV policy. So when I get some time (i.e., not soon), I will see what legal options might exist, if any.

I'd think the only potential legal source for US watchers to see the UK version would be if Netflix or Hulu got the distribution rights.  Or if it's showing on BBC America and you can point to times.

 

The fact of the YouTube copies undisturbed existence for years is probably actually an indication that there IS no international distribution.  Because that's what would stir the somewhat lazy BBC intellectual property people to kill those.

[millk]

The Australian episodes get pulled pretty darn quick.

[roamyn]

I'd never seen this before last season's (US), and just saw the Sarah Jessica Parker.

Thst was an amazing story! I knew her ancestress wasn't one of the 20 Salem Witch Trial Victims because her name didn't sound familiar. But still, how scary just to even have your name accused! Several arrestees actually died in prison awaiting trial. Why they're not considered victims as well, I never understood.

[kassa]

Just watched Brooke Shields and laughed -- her paternal GRANDMOTHER was a Princess, as you could see very clearly in the scroll as they raced up it to get to the "banker."  I agree that the banking story was interesting, but found it funny that she talked about her dad's side of the family being "some kind of nobility" and yet neither she nor the show mentions Grandma Princess ______.  

 

Note: I don't blame her.  Presumably they spend hours going over lots of material that doesn't make the show.  It just seemed silly to me that they SHOW us her father's mom was a Princess and yet hope we didn't notice.

 

I also don't buy that a Princeton French Literature major didn't know that the Louvre was a royal palace.  Acting!

[Galloway Cave]

That was really interesting how within an generation or two, descendants of a French servant became banking titans in Italy and beyond! I'm glad they are showing the shows from the early season since I missed them during the original broadcast. 

[SongbirdHollow]

kassa, I saw that too, but then I thought maybe her given name or nickname was Princess, not that she was an actual princess. 

[vera charles]

Brooke Shields' grandmother was Donna Marina Torlonia dei Principi di Civitella-Cesi. Her father was Marino Torlonia, 4th prince of Civitella-Cesi. Her mother was an American socialite, Mary Elsie Moore, daughter of Charles Arthur Moore, a shipping broker and hardware manufacturer from Connecticut.The Torlonia family gained its fortune in the administration of Vatican finances.

 

Or so the google machine tells me.

[millk]

I've just discovered a bunch of WDYTYA South Africa episodes online. I have less than no idea who these people are but super interesting. (And Colin Moss is yummy yum yum) I realized that I don't know a lot about SA history and geography beyond a basic scetch so it is very educational as well.

[jjj]

I missed why Christina Applegate's grandmother's picture was published in the paper (she was about 10-13?). Can anyone tell me?

What an episode. I saw about 40 minutes of it today and cried for 39 minutes. Her recap to her dad on what she learned was so loving and respectful. Loved her.

Wow what an episode -- just saw it for the first time on Thanksgiving 2015, along with Jim Parson's episode.  They really handled the slow reveal of court documents and newspaper articles very well with Applegate, and the conclusion was so moving.  As was Jim Parson's final segment, in that chapel. 

[roamyn]

Just boo-hooed my way through Christina Applegates. That one gets me every time. It's just so sad. I did have it put together in my mind with the one that had the grave missing and the body dumped into a mass grave. Who was that? I cried during that one as well. Who am I kidding ? I cry through most of these.

I love this show and I hope that enough people tune in that we get many more seasons.

Possibly Lisa Kudrow. Her grt-grandmother was among hundreds of people shot in front of a pit/mass grave, by the Nazi's.

[hoosier80]

Watching a few older episodes tonight.  Reba McEntire's episode is on right now.  I found it interesting how a 9 year old would be sent over to the US on a ship by himself, as an indentured servant.  I hated how they jumped from the ancestor in North Carolina, who owned slaves, and whom they spent a lot of time on, then back to the 9 year old.  What about the people in between?  Surely they were part of the family's success in North Carolina (the one guy owned a tavern).  They didn't seem to spend a lot of time on how the 9 year old got out of the indentured state, and made money (unless I completely missed it).   I would have asked about even older generations since I was in that small village in England - give me every bit of information you have.

Gave me something to think about though.  I have a great grandmother who I cannot find any ship registries for at all.  I found what I believe to be her mother and half brother, but not her.  There was some sort of distance or fractured relationship from what I've cobbled together.  Now I'm wondering if she wasn't set off on a ship ahead of the mother/half brother.  The half brother has him coming to the US a good 5 to  6 years later than what was stated in her obituary, but who knows if either is accurate.  I kept thinking no one would send a young child off by themselves......but, yeah they did.