Who Do You Think You Are?; BBC 1, 25 Jan '17

[Stanley Stewart]

Sir Ian McKellen is the compelling guest at the start of a new season of Who Do You Think You Are?,
on BBC 1, tonight,25 Jan, 20.00-21-00hrs. I rate him as one of our most versatile actors having seen his work, mainly in the theatre, since the 60s, perhaps the most memorable being Richard II and Marlowe's, Edward II, in repertoire at the Mermaid Theatre in 1969, following a national tour with Prospect Theatre and a few years later, his Hamlet at the Cambridge Theatre, London, readily comes to mind- like Paul Scofield in Peter Brook's production at the Phoenix Theatre, 1957; both superbly phrased and spoken. Last saw him on the boards at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, around the mid 90s, in a season which included The Tempest, The Seagull and Coward's Present Laughter, wickedly funny as the outrageous thesp, Garry Essendine!

Recorder at the ready, of course.

[Serial_Apologist]

Yes, definitely a must!

[Pianorak]

Stanley - thanks for mentioning Peter Brook. Was watching Cat on a Hot Tin Roof last night and thought, hm, I didn't know Peter Brook directed that film. Ah well, Richard Brooks, Peter Brook - what's the difference.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Sir Ian McKellen is the compelling guest at the start of a new season of Who Do You Think You Are? on BBC 1, tonight,25 Jan, 20.00-21-00hrs.

Looking forward to this - but it's not the start of a new season, but the second half of the season that started in November with Danny Wotsit (one of Bbm's relatives off of Eastenders) and which was split up by the Christmas/New Year fayre.

I have "worked" with Sir Ian, of course ...

[Stanley Stewart]

Many simple pleasures watching last night's programme although I do not think I've seen, Who Do You Thing You Are? since recording a fine Annie Lennox feature many years ago Covering Sir Ian's career is, in itself, a huge undertaking and I hope that a biography is in the pipeline. Apart from a collection of programmes covering several decades my only biographical reference is David Weston's, Covering McKellen, An Understudy's Tale,(2011) which extensively discusses the RSC rehearsals and touring of King Lear. Directed by Trevor Nunn, it tracks the critical backlash and constant controversy from the London rehearsals, Stratford Season, a world tour and back to the West End.

The kernel of the programme focussed on the unexpected revelation of a thespian relative in the McKellen family tree, requiring a degree of suspended judgement as we enjoyably traced the background in north-west locations, although I was continually distracted by memories of Sir Ian's performances I'd seen over the years: James Saunders, A Scent of Flowers (1964ish) Duchess Theatre,, Arbuzov's, The Promise - which transferred from Oxford Playhouse to the Fortune Theatre in London, teaming McKellen with Judi Dench, before seeing their triumphant success in the Scottish play, circa 1978 at the Young Vic. A happy troll down memory lane which I shall refresh by revisiting last night's programme this afternoon, free of reminiscence.

[vinteuil]

.

... as one reviewer put it : "The joy was in watching McKellen act out his emotions. Learning that his great-great-grandfather had led a successful campaign for half-day Saturday working, he held his hands as if in surrender, repositioned them on his hip, covered his face with them, uttered an awed “good lord” and rested, exhausted, on a library desk. You would have caught every nuance from the gods. I’ve seen nothing like it since Vicious finished."

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

And we owe our leisured weekends to his great-grandfather, too!

Very impressed by the lithographs of Cumberland that his great x x grandrelation did: the scenes of (and at) Castlerigg brought back many very happy memories for me - as did the Lake hills seen from the M6. The best of the current series of WduThUR - and the best I can remember devoted to an actor (so many seem to wallow in tears and declare hammily that they can feel their ancestors' presence where they're standing! Honestly - some of 'em really shouldn't be allowed to open their mouths unless they're given a script to read from!)

[Stanfordian]

What a lovely filmed programme. Compelling, most interesting and quite emotional with Sir Ian an engaging guest taken back to his roots.
The knight was considerably more understated than I expected but then I have been watching him in 'Vicious'.

It’s with these programmes I have begun to realise just how many Doctors and Professors there are out there working with city archives
engaged in subjects that include leisure and entertainment in social history.

[Serial_Apologist]

A terribly sad moment learning of his great grandfather's death at 47 in a workhouse, before going further back to discover his great great great grandfather's great great great achievements in social reform. Surprising to learn how quickly the business world of that time caved in to the demands for the Saturday half-day - it wouldn't happen today!

[Richard Tarleton]

A recurring theme for me of these programmes is how little people know, or appear to know, about their families - things you'd have thought would have suvived 2-3 generations. I remember Emilia Fox's prog and thinking surely she must have known that (when being told about Samson Fox). With these thesps, you (I) can't be absolutely sure they're not just acting surprised.

[vinteuil]

Samson Fox

... for Samson Fox :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samson_Fox

[Serial_Apologist]

A recurring theme for me of these programmes is how little people know, or appear to know, about their families - things you'd have thought would have suvived 2-3 generations. I remember Emilia Fox's prog and thinking surely she must have known that (when being told about Samson Fox). With these thesps, you (I) can't be absolutely sure they're not just acting surprised.

Maybe Oscar knows...

[Stanfordian]

A recurring theme for me of these programmes is how little people know, or appear to know, about their families - things you'd have thought would have suvived 2-3 generations. I remember Emilia Fox's prog and thinking surely she must have known that (when being told about Samson Fox). With these thesps, you (I) can't be absolutely sure they're not just acting surprised.

Hello Richard,

I was an active family history researcher for many years and came to the conclusion that many children were given next to no information about their family history and probably were never given their birth certificates with parents marriage certificates often hidden away. Just two examples that spring to mind: My maternal grandmother was illegitimate but evidently never knew it. Also my father and his brothers and sisters assumed their parents were married in a church but it turned out to be a registry office. Appearances seemed so crucial to many working class families and it was paramount not to bring shame to this door.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

A recurring theme for me of these programmes is how little people know, or appear to know, about their families - things you'd have thought would have suvived 2-3 generations. I remember Emilia Fox's prog and thinking surely she must have known that (when being told about Samson Fox). With these thesps, you (I) can't be absolutely sure they're not just acting surprised.

Especially as the the fact is mentioned in her grandmother's 1987 book, Slightly Foxed, and the Telegraph had told her all about it four years before her WDuThUR? programme:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3632703/Family-detective.html

[jean]

A recurring theme for me of these programmes is how little people know, or appear to know, about their families ...

I think we sometimes forget how shameful certain behaviours seemed to our forebears.

A brother who was an actor might well have been a source of shame to a family involved with the Christian Endeavour movement, esecially as the poor man died in a workhouse.