Who Do You Think You Are? Cancelled, and Deleted Scenes

Sad to say that it appears NBC is not picking up Who Do You Think You Are? for a fourth season.

The Fly on the Wall blog is reporting that Ancestry.com posted the following comment about the cancellation: "We want to thank NBC for their support of this terrific series, which over the last three years has inspired many viewers to follow their passion to learn more about who they are and where they come from," said Tim Sullivan, President and CEO of Ancestry.com. "We have a great partnership with the show's producers, Is or Isn't Entertainment and Shed Media, and we look forward to exploring other avenues of distribution."

If you missed last Friday's episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, the full episode featuring Rashida Jones of Parks & Recreation is now available to view online here.

Below you can watch a highlight from the show, a deleted scene, and even a sneak peek at the next episode starring Jason Sudeikis of Saturday Night Live.

Living a Showgirl's Life

Rashida learns that her grandmother lived large in the NYC nightlife as a showgirl and dancer.

A Formidable Force

Rashida learns about her Irish Jewish roots and how her family prospered in that community.

Parks and Recreation Star Discovers His Family History in Who Do You Think You Are?

I'm particularly looking forward to the next episode of NBC's Who Do You Think You Are? as it features one of my favorite actors from one of my all-time favorite shows, Parks and Recreation.  Watch the following video to see how actor Rob Lowe ventures into his past to discover his family tree.


Learn how to research your family tree by listening to my free podcast Family History: Genealogy Made Easy. Available for free subscription through iTunes. Just search "family history"

Highlight and Deleted Scene Videos from Who Do You Think You Are?

 Here are highlight videos and deleted scenes that follow Edie Falco as she learns more about her family’s history on NBC's Who Do You Think You Are? last Friday.

A Tree of Falsehoods
Edie learns that the known genealogical facts about her family tree are actually all incorrect:


Criminal Intercourse
Edie leans about the bitter divorce of her ancestors and the mudslinging that occurred during their contentious court battle:



A Battle for Divorce in Edie's Family History
Edie learns about the troubling details of her ancestors' contentious divorce and the fight over the custody of their children:


You can catch up with Edie Falco as she traces her roots with Friday’s episode here.

Deleted Scenes from Who Do You Think You Are?

Can't get enough of NBC's Who Do You Think You Are?  Grab the kleenex because here are more highlights and deleted scenes from last week's episode featuring actress Rita Wilson discovering her family history.

A Father's Hidden Family
Rita discovers her father had a secret family in Bulgaria that suffered a devastating tragedy.


The Great Escape
Rita learns about the harrowing escape her father made from the Bulgarian forced labor camp




Ethnic Tensions
Rita learns about the ethnic problems her father's family faced in the region of his youth.


Would you like to learn more about how to do genealogy research?  Listen to my free podcast The Genealogy Gems Podcast, and subscribe for free in iTunes.

Who Do You Think You Are? Deleted Scenes and Preview

Helen Hunt's full episode of the family history TV series Who Do You Think You Are? is now available to watch online. Click here.

And be sure to check out a deleted scene from the episode where Helen shares with her father the discoveries she made on her ancestral journey.

Below you can watch a sneak peek of Friday's new episode featuring actress Rita Wilson as she explores the world of genealogy.

Who Do You Think You Are? Friday Night Episode Sneak Peek

Genealogy on  TV
Tomorrow night brings another episode of NBC's family history themed television series Who Do You Think You Are?  This week's episode features actress Helen Hunt of "Made About You" TV fame.

Here's a sneak peek: Helen Hunt learns that her ancestors played a pivotal role in the forming of Wells Fargo Bank.

Does Martin Sheen Search on Ancestry? Who Do You Think You Are? Season 3 Debut

Martin Sheen's enthusiasm for this recent Who Do You Think You Are? journey bubbled over during a recent telephone interview with the media. I asked him what he thought was the #1 reason folks should research their family history search - he identified personal enrichment as the key. But it was another reporter's question that generated a surprising answer:

Question: "Before your experience with "Who Do You Think You Are?" were you were aware that there were family history resources like that online?"

Answer: "In fact I have watched the show. I am a big fan of the show...And so when they asked me I said yes without hesitation because I don’t own a computer and I'm way behind on these new methods of gaining information"  In fact, he want on to say he had never used a computer.

Did I hear him right?  Wait a second - in one of the opening scenes of his episode which I previewed this week, Martin sits at his dining room table in front of a computer and narrates the scene to say he's going to go on Ancestry to start his search.


But isn't everything on TV true? 


This little event was a healthy reminder that Who Do You Think You Are? is first and foremost entertainment and storytelling. And it executes this goal expertly. It's a captivating show that thankfully continues to inspire newbies to consider the possibility of exploring their own family tree.


The footage of  the fabricated search is also a healthy reminder that not everything we see is true. And this can be applied to our own family history.  It's tempting to take in every detail of a newly found old photo as an accurate representation of our ancestors.  And yet, our ancestors often donned outfits that only saw the light of day a few times a year.  And careful inspection of a carte de visite can reveal that the background is actually a drape over a shrubbery hedge in the front yard of the old homestead.


No spoiler alerts here as I have no intention of spilling the beans on what you will see tonight.  I will say that it will likely generate some lively discussion among genealogists, but you will certainly be entertained and inspired to keep at the important and satisfying work of family history investigation.  Just be sure to keep the salt shaker close by for when you need those few grains of salt.