NBC's "Who Do You Think You Are?" to Ignite Renewed Interest in Genealogy

"Who Do You Think You Are?" is a new television series scheduled to premiere on NBC on Friday evening, March 5. The television program, which is already a huge hit on BBC television in the UK, has the potential to reawaken interest in genealogical research here in the United States. "Who Do You Think You Are?" is produced by actress Lisa Kudrow (whose search for her own ancestors is featured in a later episode of the television program) and Dan Bucatinsky, an actor, writer, and film producer.

"Who Do You Think You Are?" examines the family history of seven well-known celebrities, including Kudrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Emmitt Smith, Matthew Broderick, Brooke Shields, Susan Sarandon, and Spike Lee. While the celebrities are interesting and the "draw" to the television program, the subjects of the sometimes poignant stories are their ancestors who, as Kudrow says, are "ordinary people". These ordinary people (some of whom were Holocaust victims, slaves, and possibly involved in the Salem witchcraft trials) have a story to tell and for their ancestors to learn from. "Who Do You Think You Are?" takes viewers back in time to look at events such as the California Gold Rush, the Salem Witch Trials, the height of European aristocracy, the Civil War, and the Holocaust and examines how we are all connected to one another through our own place in history.

"Who Do You Think You Are?" is likely to get the ordinary people watching the program interested in learning about their own family history. Fortunately, the television program incorporates genealogical research tips into each episode. Other resources for genealogical research include:

The National Archives - The records found here come from every branch of the federal government. The website for the National Archives offers a Genealogy Tool Kit. Visit their website at www.archives.gov.

Family Search - This is a free service provided by the Church of Latter-Day Saints. Search birth, marriage, death, census, church, and other records online. Family Search offers free downloadable family history software that allows you to collect, organize, and share your family history and genealogy information. This website also offers links to many other genealogical research tools. Visit Family Search at http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp

The Ellis Island Foundation - The Ellis Island Foundation offers a free search of passenger records of the Port of New York. It is estimated that nearly half of all Americans can trace their family history to at least one individual who passed through the Port of New York at Ellis Island. Visit the Ellis Island Foundation at www.ellisisland.org.