Genealogy on TV

    I recently wrote a blog about the return of Who Do You Think You Are to the airwaves.  The Irish show I mentioned in that blog, Genealogy Roadshow, has now signed a contract with the American production company, Krasnow Productions.   Their version of the show will air on PBS beginning September 23rd.  The show is very successful in Ireland, where it's in it's second season, no doubt because in the words of Irish producer Philip McGovern, " Everybody wants answers to questions about their own histories to help make sense of their lives today." In their announcement, PBS had this to say about the new show--

     “GENEALOGY ROADSHOW is an engaging, innovative program that reveals the bigger picture of our nation’s past, present and future,” said Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager of General Audience Programming for PBS. “With a diverse mix of stories in each episode, GENEALOGY ROADSHOW appeals to Americans interested in learning about their family histories. It also shows that no matter one’s heritage and background, everyone has a place in history.”

      I'm excited about this show, because as the American producer Stuart Krasnow recently said, "It's rare and wonderful when one can produce a show in which literally everyone is qualified to be a part of it."  These won't be the episodes produced in Ireland, it was only the format of the Irish show that was sold to an American production company.  While I wasn't able to get the viewer at RTE, (Ireland's National Television and Radio), to play this program, hopefully in the future we will be able to watch the Irish episodes online.  In the meantime, you can read about them here http://www.rte.ie/tv/genealogyroadshow/programmes.html

     While we're on the subject of RTE, their website is well worth checking regularly.  This site is where you can listen to Famine Echoes , and view some of their TV shows.  One I enjoyed was an episode of The Gathering.  This one stars Fionnula Flanagan and can be viewed here http://www.rte.ie/player/us/show/10156318/
Across the bottom of the screen it reads 4 days remaining.  I guess that means you only have 4 days to watch this, which I really hope you will.