As a history/genealogy geek, I would be fascinated by this show no matter what. As a celebrity whore, I am ultra-fascinated. In a nutshell: Famous people are given an opportunity to look back into their family histories by using lots of resources and a camera crew.
So far this season, Sarah Jessica Parker learned that one ancestor died in the California Gold Rush, and another was accused of being a witch in Salem, Mass. (Back when that kind of thing was frowned upon.)
Emmitt Smith learned that his great-times-some-number grandfather was actually a white slaveowner, and that his black ancestors came from the slave coast in Africa.
Lisa Kudrow's great-grandmother died in a horrific way during the Holocaust, but she found living relatives in Poland.
Matthew Broderick's grandfather turned out to be a WWI hero, and his grandfather's grandfather lived through the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War, but died later in Georgia. (This research allowed the keeper of the records of the unknown soldiers buried near the battlefield in Georgia to identify the last unknown soldier.)
It's like a soap opera, but it's real!! I'm obsessed.
This show reminds me of the brief moment I considered being a history major in college. But then I realized I'd have to own a tweed blazer with suede elbow patches, and I just don't think I can pull that look off.
What this show seriously reminds me of is that everyone has a history. And thanks to a lot of hard work by a lot of other people, it's easier than ever to learn it. Until the day I have the time and money to do this for myself, I'll just sit back and enjoy watching the adventures of the rich and famous. (Brooke Shields is next... she finds out she's a descendant of King Louis XIV of France!!)
Tune in Friday nights at 7 p.m. (Central Time) on NBC.
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