If you have been a fan of the BBC Series “Who Do you Think You Are?”, then the local version is sure to be just as interesting. Starting tomorrow night on SABC2, viewers will be able to get a front-row seat and track the ancestry of some of South Africa‘s most influential celebrities on the local version of Who Do You Think You Are?
This family-orientated documentary series allows some of the country‘s top celebrities to go face-to-face with the hidden history of their ancestors and provides a journey of emotional discovery for them and the audience.
“These are highly personal films, yet the wider historical themes they reveal relates each personal story to a wider history that the audience shares in,” says SABC2 publicity manager Zandile Nkonyeni.
“This format allows us to get to know the celebrity better, but mostly it allows us to explore our history in a fascinating and neutral way. It allows us to discover areas of our country which today look very different.”
Successfully realised, these films connect to the viewer by combining the intimacy of observational documentary, the revelation of a well-told detective story, the fascination of biography and the excitement of big picture history that a nationwide audience can share.
Some of the well-known personalities who will go on their family search include Scandal actress Nthati Moshesh, TV presenter Candice Moodley, singer HHP Jabulani Tsambo, SABC2 news anchor Riaan Cruywagen, Isidingo star Meshack Mavuso and comedian Kurt Schoonraad.
These celebrities will have a pivotal role in the series. Their stories will be used as “emblems” of the historical trends that have created modern South Africa and their experiences will hopefully encourage viewers to start exploring their own family ancestry.
Comprehensive ancestral and genealogical service Ancestry24 assisted producers and researchers of Who Do You Think You Are?
Ancestry24‘s channel manager, Heather MacAlister, spent many hours in the archives and at various other repositories to assist with the research of the individual celebrities.
“We effectively travel back in time to meet the featured celebrities‘ extended family and those who knew them, and walk where their ancestors lived and worked,” she said.
The international series format has triggered a general interest in family history and a return to libraries, museums and domestic travel as people go back to the small towns they or their families came from.
The show‘s first episode features actress Nthati Moshesh. Moshesh, who is adored by her film and television fans throughout the country, is best known for her leading roles in the drama series Home Affairs and the soapies 7de Laan and Scandal!.
She also happens to be the great-great-granddaughter of King Moshoeshoe, the first king of the Basotho people.
Viewers will be able to watch her cross the border into Lesotho to speak to historians and family members.
Will she decide to change her name back to Moshoeshoe or will she remain Moshesh? But why is her surname now different? What happened in the annals of history?
