Who Do You Think You Are

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

Well-known Australians play detective as they go in search of their family history, revealing secrets from the past. Taking us to all corners of Australia and the globe are six stories of individuals seeking to find the definitive answer to where they came from. Along the way secrets are uncovered and histories are revealed—with each individual discovering that their ancestors form an integral part of not only their own identity, but that of the nation. Combining emotional and personal journeys with big-picture history, these inspiring and sometimes challenging stories remind us how Australians have come to be the people that we are today.

Based on the smash hit BBC series Who Do You Think You Are?, each episode will profile an Australian celebrity tracing their family tree.

The original UK series was created and produced by Wall to Wall Media.











Series Key Credits Featuring: Jack Thompson, Kate Ceberano, Geoffrey Robertson, Catherine Freeman, Dennis Cometti, Ita Buttrose Writer / Directors: Catherine Marciniak, Judy Rymer, Franco Di Chiera, Jane Manning, Kay Pavlou, Alan Carter , Andrew Saw Senior Researcher: Robyn Smith, Researchers: Jane Manning, Diana Pepper Series Producer: Celia TaitLine Producer: Robin EastwoodExecutive Producer for Artemis International: Brian Beaton Executive Producer for Film Australia: Penny RobinsExecutive Producer for Serendipity Productions: Margie BryantSBS Independent Commissioning Editor: Ned LanderDuration: 6 x 52 minutes Who Do You Think You Are? is a Film Australia, Serendipity Productions and Artemis International Production in association with ScreenWest, Lotterywest and SBS Independent. © Copyright 2007. Format Licensed by Wall to Wall Media Ltd
	Jack Thompson Actor and Living Legend Broadcast Date: Sunday 13 January 2008 Australian acting icon Jack Thompson unearths more than a couple of surprises – and significant Australian heritage—but where does he come from and who does he think he is? Born John Hadley Pain in Sydney in 1940, Jack took on the name of the Thompson family, who adopted him as a child after the death of his mother. In Who Do You Think You Are? Jack will for the first time endeavor to discover the real family history of his biological relations. Does he have a famous bushranger in the family or Indigenous ancestors and just what draws him to the forests of southern Queensland? As Jack’s aunt, the family matriarch hands over the reins to him, he is about to find out more than he could have imagined.
	Kate Ceberano Singer and performer Broadcast Date: Sunday 20th January 2008 Kate Ceberano is convinced she descended from ‘pirates and bums’ but as she delves into her family tree she uncovers links to an artistic past. Kate’s expectation of pirates and bums is squashed when she learns that one early ancestor, an entrepreneurial Swede, sunk arterial wells in the Mallee region of Australia. On the trail of a mysterious Spanish sea captain, she heads to Tasmania where she finds, to her delight, a relationship with music teacher turned artist Henry Mundy. Kate will cross cities and cultures in the search of her past, uncovering pioneers and colonialists along the way.
	Geoffrey Robertson QC and Human Rights Advocate Broadcast Date: Sunday January 27th 2008 Geoffrey Robertson QC believes that it is nature not nurture that shapes our moral integrity, but does his family history provide an aside to his theory? Fifth generation Australian Geoffrey has lived in London for decades, but he remains proudly Australian. He traces his Scottish ancestors—early mountain cattlemen who were the first of the self-made Robertsons in Australia—as well as another part of his family, ensconced in a life of wealth and privilege. Within his family history he finds links to royal patronage, the whiff of a cover-up and even a royal scandal. His own family, he discovers, is a perfect example of the cultural and ethnic melting pot that makes up Australia.
	Catherine Freeman Olympic Gold Medalist Broadcast Date: Sunday 3rd February 2008 Athlete Catherine Freeman goes in search of the source of her drive and determination, unearthing an unexpected family heritage. Gold medalist in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Catherine is an inspiration to many. She possesses an irrepressible pride in her country and her people. Her strong sense of identity is something she believes has been passed down from her ancestors. Her mother Cecelia was born on Palm Island, a penal settlement for Aborigines and her father Norman, also a 'Murri', was a rugby league footballer, but little more of the family history is known. Now she's on a journey to find out where her fighting spirit comes from.
	Dennis Cometti Sporting Commentator Extraordinaire Broadcast Date: Sunday 10th February 2008 Sports commentator Dennis Cometti finds mystery, murder and a gift for the gab as he follows his family tree back to Australia’s settlement. From a remote Western Australian goldfield to northern Italy, Dennis uncovers a rich Italian heritage before heading to east coast Australia where several more surprises–and more than one shady character–are revealed. It is a journey that leaves him with a lifetime of anecdotes and an extended family he never imagined possible.
	Ita Buttrose Publishing Pioneer Broadcast Date: Sunday 17th February 2008 Media personality and publisher Ita Buttrose discovers determination and drive may be hereditary as she puts her journalistic skills to the test to trace her global family. She knows of a relation named William Butters who sailed from Scotland to Adelaide but not how the family name changed from Butters to Buttrose. Following her maternal side, Ita discovers she has a strong Jewish connection, including a chief rabbi, in her family. She traces her Jewish ancestors to New York and Hungary. Along the way she hopes to find out if the Buttrose will to ‘fight the system’ is flowing through her veins.