Folks, let's take a minute and think of a few things. The show is on network TV, which means it is produced to appeal to the greatest possible market. The more eyeballs they can attract the better for their purposes. If they applied the strict standards we use, it would be boring. Think what the series "Roots" did to genealogy when it came out. If this series is even a minor hit then more people are going to take up this vocation or avocation of ours. More people looking for records the more incentive for the record repositories to make their holdings available to us. That's a good thing, isn't it. So take your critic's hat off and enjoy and anticipate the possible benefit's Gerald Ripley Lake Oswego, Oregon -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Bryan Slim Sent: Saturday, March 06, 2010 8:34 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [WRY] NBC's Who Do You Think You Are... What a disappointment. Documents produced in 'mid-air' with no explanation of how they were found. Bryan Slim >The Who Do You Think You Are episode about Sarah Jessica Parker, >broadcast last night, appears to be online here: > >http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/video/ > >--Noelle >Ohio > > > > > >Some useful websites - >FREECEN - http://www.freecen.org.uk/ >FREEBMD - http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/ >Want to know where a place in Yorkshire is - Try Genuki >http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/ > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >[email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without >the quotes in the subject and the body of the message Some useful websites - FREECEN - http://www.freecen.org.uk/ FREEBMD - http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/ Want to know where a place in Yorkshire is - Try Genuki http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

After the show last night I could not get onto Ancestry in the U.S. nor the New England Hist. Genealogical Society website! Once you get back into Connecticut and Massachusetts, as the genealogist at the NEHGS did for her [off camera], then it is not difficult to go back into the 1600s. Plenty of vital records, wills, deeds, etc. The New Englanders recorded everything it often seems. The NEHGS has been doing genealogy since the mid 1800s and does impeccable work. But I agree that it would have been nice to know where they found that contract the 4 men signed before setting off for California and that ?letter that one of them wrote about nursing the two dying men. It seemed like 15 minutes of genealogy and 45 of commercials and exclamations. Liane

On 6 Mar 2010 at 10:46, Rip wrote: > Folks, let's take a minute and think of a few things. The show is on > network TV, which means it is produced to appeal to the greatest > possible market. The more eyeballs they can attract the better for > their purposes. If they applied the strict standards we use, it would > be boring. > > Think what the series "Roots" did to genealogy when it came out. If > this series is even a minor hit then more people are going to take up > this vocation or avocation of ours. More people looking for records > the more incentive for the record repositories to make their holdings > available to us. That's a good thing, isn't it. > > So take your critic's hat off and enjoy and anticipate the possible > benefit's > > Gerald Ripley > Lake Oswego, Oregon < I seem to recall that "Roots" was ultimately exposed as "highly questionable" by American genealogists. However, you are quite correct in that it did produce an upsurge in interest in genealogy. You are also correct that television programme makers have to cut corners sometimes to make it interesting and, as we Brits say, "put bums on seats". Galling as some of the scenes may be to we experts, the fact is that these programmes are made for the general public and casual viewer and not for the likes of us! -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE

Roy, The high profile of Jessica Parker has encouraged someone to canvas for subscriptions based on it already. I deleted it so can't recollect if it was Ancestry or someone else. Jean in S. Australia. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roy Stockdill" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2010 7:51 AM Subject: Re: [WRY] NBC's Who Do You Think You Are... > > You are also correct that television programme makers have to cut corners > sometimes to make it interesting and, as we Brits say, "put bums on > seats". Galling as > some of the scenes may be to we experts, the fact is that these programmes > are > made for the general public and casual viewer and not for the likes of us! > >