Who Do You Think You Are? Series 6
Andrew Denton
Rebecca Gibney
Jacki Weaver
Richard Roxburgh
Amanda Keller
Adam Goodes
Lisa McCune
Paul McDermott
Prominent Australians search for their family history and uncover the secret lives of their ancestors. Once they start looking they have no idea what they’re going to discover. Their journeys will take them from the former Russian Empire to the Promised Land, from the fallen Colonial glory of the Caribbean to Australia’s near neighbour. And across six vast Australian states and one territory.
How will the past they discover change their lives today? Combining personal journeys with big-picture history, these stories demonstrate how Australians have come to be the people that we are today. Who Do You Think You Are? is a fascinating chronicle of the social, ethnic and cultural evolution of Australia.
Andrew Denton
Broadcaster
On the trail of his ancestors, broadcaster Andrew Denton explores his Jewish heritage and delves into one of the darkest chapters in human history. He also learns of a possible connection to one of the best known stories in the Bible.
Writer / Director: Jane Manning | Co-Writer / Co-Director Of Edit: Alan Carter | Editors: Beckett Broda & Teresa Ashton-Graham
Director of Photography: Ulrich-Stephan Krafzik | Assistant Producer Production: Joffa Hardy | Assistant Producer Preproduction: Kirrilly Brentnall
“ ... an extraordinary opening episode. One of the most powerful hours of television this year” – The Daily Telegraph - Holly Byrnes 07/06/14
Rebecca Gibney
Actress
Actress Rebecca Gibney searches for the reasons behind her family’s troubled past bringing a dark secret to light, to heal a long-standing family wound. She also discovers an ancestor who played a role in New Zealand’s forgotten tragedy.
Writer / Director: Steve Peddie | Editor: Beckett Broda
Director of Photography: Ian Pugsley Acs | Researcher / Field Producer: Katherine Barrett
“ Another superb instalment of this excellent series… a story that will have most viewers reaching desperately for the tissues.” – Sunday Age
Jacki Weaver
Actress
Actress Jacki Weaver never knew her Grandma. Jacki’s dad Arthur was a ward of the state and she doesn’t know anything about his biological family – except for his mother’s name. Jacki wants to know who her Grandmother was and why she had to give up her baby.
Writer / Director: Lisa Matthews | Director - Post Production: Andrea Ulbrick | Editor: Teresa Ashton-Graham
Director of Photography: Ulrich-Stephan Krafzik | Assistant Producer: Joffa Hardy
“ This program is always moving and Weaver’s soft, articulate commentary makes it all the more poignant “ – Lyndall Crisp, The Australian, 19/07/14
Richard Roxburgh
Actor
Actor Richard Roxburgh discovers his family’s footprints in an unexpected corner of the world, finding two ancestors on opposite sides of the fierce struggle over slavery. In a cruel and unjust world, he finds a courageous figure giving hope and guidance to the oppressed.
Writer / Director: Ili Baré | Co – Writer / Director Of Edit: Steve Peddie | Editor: Beckett Broda
Director of Photography: Ulrich-Stephan Krafzik | Researcher / Field Producer: Matthew O’Donnell
“ Another moving instalment of this excellent series sees irrepressible actor Richard Roxburgh, famed for the complex characters he plays, reach deep into the complexities of his past. “ – Sunday Telegraph
Amanda Keller
TV & Radio Host
Amanda Keller discovers her bloodline has survived against all odds; finding an ancestor who faced hell on earth in Australia’s most brutal prison and a mother fighting to save her family in the face of tragedy.
Writer / Director: Steve Peddie | Editor: Jonathan Rowdon
Director of Photography: Ian Pugsley ACS | Assistant Producer: Suzanne Colwell
“ Brimming with revelations that are both emotional and illuminating, this heart-warming documentary series has helped track down the interesting family stories behind our favourite famous personalities “ – Hobart Mercury
Adam Goodes
AFL Footballer and Australian of the Year
Australian of the Year and AFL star Adam Goodes investigates his long lost Aboriginal heritage, uncovering a royal bloodline and a 19th century mining magnate in his family tree. On a quest to learn about his ancestors’ culture he journeys deep into the remote Flinders Ranges and finds evidence of their lives from thousands of years ago.
Writer / Director: Kay Pavlou | Co – Writer / Director Of Edit: Matthew O’Donnell | Editor: Peter Pritchard
Director of Photography: Ulrich-Stephan Krafzik | Researcher / Field Producer: Matthew O’Donnell
“ The program provides a fascinating insight into one of our sporting greats as well as a valuable lesson in some of the history of Australia.” – Craig Mathieson, Sydney Morning Herald, 07/08/14
Lisa McCune
Actress
Lisa McCune uncovers a sensational Gold Rush murder and learns the tragic secret behind her own father’s childhood.
Writer / Director: Bernadine Lim | Co – Writer / Director Of Edit: Alan Carter | Editor: Teresa Ashton-Graham
Director of Photography: Ian Pugsley ACS | Researcher / Field Producer: Phillipa Hutchison
“ This week’s episode of the always-excellent Who Do You Think You Are? features Lisa McCune who discovers some gruesome history in her family tree, as she seeks to learn more about her grandfather and his family.” – TV Tonight
Paul McDermott
Entertainer
On the trail of his ancestors, entertainer Paul McDermott delves into the mystery behind his Mother’s adoption and the cruelly brief lives and loves of his ancestors. He also uncovers a tale of hard times and great expectations in colonial Adelaide.
Writer / Director: Steve Westh | Co – Writer / Director Of Edit: Alan Carter | Editor: Teresa Ashton-Graham
Director of Photography: Ian Pugsley ACS | Researcher / Field Producer: Phillipa Hutchison
“ McDermott’s episode may be one of the most poignant in the entire series of Who Do You Think You Are?” – Dianne Butler , News.Com.Au, 25/08/14
Researchers: Kirrilly Brentnall, Linda Emery, Matthew O’Donnell, Joffa Hardy, Phillipa Hutchison, Katherine Barrett
SBS Independent Commissioning Editor: Joseph Maxwell
The Who Do You Think You Are? format is devised by Wall to Wall and based upon a program originally produced by Wall to Wall for BBC1.
Format licensed by Warner Bros. International Television Production.
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.
'Who Do You Think You Are?' is a Serendipity Productions and Artemis International Production in association with SBS, ScreenWest, Lotterywest and Screen Australia. © Copyright 2013.
Format Licensed by Wall to Wall Media Ltd
buy now Available on iTunes
reviews
"We welcome the return of the impeccable Who Do You Think You Are?"
"A documentary that confronts, questions and raises many issues:medical ethics,personal choice and funding priorities - but none more so than the rights of the disabled, and of a mother and father."
"… is full of emotion,heartache,frustration and determination."
"… essentially a story of courage"
‘The filmmaker creates a perceptive, multilayered understanding of the young refugees’ experiences’
‘Delightful’
‘It is hard to remain dry-eyed as the schools multicultural soccer team sings Advance Australia Fair in the bus home from a match.'
"... already acknowledged as the world's most exciting visual and physical theatre company...the reason to go and see Stalker is the way they marry jaw dropping spectacle with real purpose."
"This is engaging and entertaining telly that also has something important to say"
"Set in WA, this is one reality series we all should watch."
"Continuing the superb research and empathy that marked the first series as a standout in the often lurid reality TV arena, the show is a valuable record of Australia's diversity and the harrowing and often inspiring stories of how many of our ancestors first arrived and thrived."
"Setting this documentary apart…is the effort it makes to humanise the poachers and explain the circumstances which compels them to hunt."
"A dose of Reality TV without the hype"
"All three groups of fishermen feature in Lobster Tales, an ABC documentary that will change the way you look at these delicious crustaceans forever."
“The great achievement of Lobster Tales, a delightfully oddball WA-made documentary on the lucrative local crayfish industry ... strikes such a lovely balance between the lobsters and fishermen that it’s more like a well-wrought tragi-comedy than a traditional nature doco"
“Even for non-lobster-lovers, this quirky feature provides plenty of interest ... the highlight is the underwater photography by Leighton de Barros which is up-close and stunning."
"shows ordinary people doing extraordinary things ... the program usues the magic of TV to bring an important WA story to life"
“Though it’s not easy to watch a widow finally open up about her murdered husband (nor is it comfortable watching local Iraqis genuinely praise Saddam Hussein), Salam Father is yet another reason why the terms "SBS" and "quality documentary" fit like a hand in glove."
“A sense of reconciliation emerges in the program and there's considerable poignancy as elements of a family torn apart by war, politics and circumstance are reunited…"
“This is the compelling story of a family torn apart by war, envy, corruption and greed and how a quest for answers also helped heal old wounds. It might also help people look beyond the descriptions "refugee" and "asylum seeker" to see the person and their story…A powerful piece of television, made more authentic by Ziusudras' first-hand narration of this tale.”
"This documentary never becomes bogged down in legalese and is a compelling tale of one family's devotion to their son"
"A remarkable story and a clever and affecting piece of storytelling"
"An emotional journey...unflinchingly captured on camera"
Koori queens proudly get out and about in this high-spirited and affirming documentary."
"We get a rare glimpse into the world of indigenous gay men in tonight's Sissy ... an energetic, inventive and occasionally touching Western Australian-made documentary that looks at the lives of three colourful drag queens."
"Considering the double whammy served up by homophobia and racism, Sissy insists on having a good time while handling thought-provoking material."
[Shaun Micallef’s] quest to discover if there is ‘‘greater purpose than being a semi-professional Australian TV personality’’ makes for a funny and watchable journey.
Filled with wit, warmth and revelations, Stairway To Heaven will intrigue even non-believers.
"It's a compelling story and you made a compelling film out of it. Just terrific."
"A fascinating insight into the world of the night"
“Surprising, raunchy, hilarious, crazy! Expect the unexpected!”
"Puppetry most certainly is an art from and some of the performances here will take your breath away"
“I have been directly or indirectly involved in WDYTYA productions in the U.S., Canada and the U.K …I must say that this one [Andrew Denton's episode] of the very best I have seen”
"...it's the most engaging detective series in years"
"... surprising, extraordinary and often moving"
"A compelling, lovely adaption of an excellent British format"
"One of the reliable pleasures of this series is just how great it looks. The production values are always first-class and wherever we are in Australia or the world, you can't quibble with the scenery. Who Do You Think You Are? is about much more than looking pretty, though, blending history and biography to create a package that's accessible, entertaining and educational. (FOUR STARS)"
“It's the perfect mix of history and celebrity..."
"... this program has about it a quiet authenticity that allows the subject’s story to unfold of its own accord."
"The series is more than a peek into the backgrounds of the famous; it also chronicles the social and cultural evolution of our national identities via these celeb family histories. 4/5 stars"
"Each episode is essentially a feature documentary, well-researched and produced, and presented usually with a humorous or deeply emotional touch... This show is seriously habit-forming"
This series is fascinating and so well done...
(pick of the week)
"... explores the family histories of its subjects with class and humour. Verdict: A Hit."