Long Lost Family

This is one of the nicest series I have ever viewed. If you are an adoptee (as I was) you can certainly relate to the stories in this production. The producers go to great lengths to reunite long lost family members so that they can remain whole once more. I particularly enjoy one of the hosts, Davina McCall. She follows up with each family member trying to find a lost loved one. She was made for this series as Ms. McCall truly emphasizes with them and shares their emotions. The only thing I can say before you watch this series is to make sure you have a box of tissues near by. You will need them.

Typical of BBC /ITV, The guy (very forgettable) is terribly slimy, every single episode is the same, sympathetic piano music in the background. The premise is simple, these 'genuine people' can't find a family member, apparently, despite having looked for months, so slimy guy and the dark haired bird, who is in literally EVERYTHING (Think ant and dec..) find said individual within days, they report to the family doing the 'looking', and rather than respond with 'F88k off, i can't find them, and i'm trying, what makes YOU so sure...) etc, it is an INSTANT burst into tears, man or woman, doesn't matter, cue more slow, symPATHETIC piano music....etc etc 'Oh thank yoooo so much slimy guy/gold digger bird, you have changed my life around! Bla bla Horribly scripted, mainstream crap! Avoid!

Not for me.

That's really all I have to say about this show.

Yes, I can see that's it's all heart-warming stuff, and yes, it does a great deal of good I'm sure for those who enter into it and end up being reconnected.

But this on at prime-time - really?

I think the format is looking a bit tired, it's in need of a rest, and to then come back when people miss it.

Right now I feel it's a show and format that's been milked to death, imitated by the BBC and other networks, and it's tainted the original.

Sorry, I know some people enjoy it, but that's the thing with telly, we all have our own opinions.

This is a really good show. Well produced and filmed. It's snappier than DNA Family Secrets and doesn't have the tedious technical explanations or experts of DFS. It lets the relatives looking for their lost loved ones tell the story. However this show still suffers from a little repetition - hosts harping on about "Jane is looking for her sister" five times. When you just want the show to get on with the story. I am not a huge fan of the hosts - they over-do the hugs and fake smiles and furrowed brows. It's sensitive of them not to show on camera when they have to inform someone their loved one has died. They do it off-camera. There must be a lot of relatives who don't want to appear, or who are very reticent, and that's also handled well. This show does show that a lot of families aren't perfect, and that there are people among us living with unresolved grief. It's about ordinary families with extraordinary stories, which is the show's strength.

Fabulous series which reminds us all of the deep connections we have to family and how genetic factors shape aspects of our character. The heartbreaking stories of people who have searched unsuccessfully for family members become triumphs as they are often reunited. Many of the stories are filled with surprises that just enrich the viewing experience. Ultimately, it is a very uplifting program which displays the strength of the human spirit. Nicky and Davina are particularly empathetic to the stories because they have both been adopted and have also searched for their birth parents. Their support is heartwarming.