Bloodline Detectives

The reason for my 10 rating appears after my rant and rave.

PLEASE stop the music and unecessary moderators! Why, oh why, do television shows insist on the loud, driving, irritating, DISTRACTING music throughout the show??? I have been unable to watch many interesting shows because I cannot tolerate the annoying, pointless background music. Why do we need a "host"? Why don't we need an appropriate host if we must have one? Nancy Grace adds nothing and, in fact, is a huge negative. She does not convey empathy or the solemnity of the topics, she speaks like the National Enquirer, she's loud, and for whatever reason she appears almost as a caricature of a series host. She has no function or expertise that I can see or hear. If it has to do with being a former prosecutor, it doesn't show and doesn't make her a scientist. She has nothing to do with the cases, crimes, or anyone involved. It makes me crazy to watch and listen to her just repeat what's already been said in a sensationalist tone of voice.

With that said, I find the topic of genetic genealogy extremely interesting, particularly as it applies to solving crimes. The cases covered are wide ranging and really show how incredible this technology truly is. It's worth watching - I just turn the volume low and the sub-titles on.

Nancy Grace is so obnoxious. Seriously, she's like nails on a chalkboard. Her use of incorrect terms like "sex attacked" or "sex assaulted" cheapens the show. I love the rest of the series so it's just unfortunate that such a poor choice of host was made. FFS can she please stop with the silly "tot" stuff, it takes away from the serious show content. Also, if you must use an already terrible host choice, shell out for a makeup artist. That red eyeliner is crazy. She just really detracts from the show. Whoever decided she would be a great host, should definitely be reprimanded. It was an awful choice.

I love this type of program. The advances in genetics is something I find fascinating. I do recommend watching this program for the science it includes.

What ruins it for me is Nancy Grace. Each time the episode starts I hope it isn't an episode involving rape because Nancy will inevitable use the inaccurate phrase "sex attack" which is like nails on a chalkboard.

Please use proper terminology as failure to do so makes Nancy sound ignorant. I know she is an intelligent professional woman so this is doing her a disservice.

If you can ignore the poor grammar, I do think this show is worth watching.

Most of the cases are interesting, some are incredible. But with Nancy Grace and Brian Oxman narrating, it comes across as a carny show. They are not even master showmen, just fools gold with a little glittter that masquerades as the real thing. I can tolerate Grace because everyone knows her heavy-handedness is her trademark, and her elaborate and somewhat bizarre makeup (like red eyeliner) and the way she forces exaggeration on the viewer is just part of the show. Oxman, though, is a puffy-eyed bag of gas who should have bowed out with his supposed client Michael Jackson. Now I know why he was disbarred.

The crime here is these are real crimes, real suffering families, really hard work by 100's of investigators and detectives, and the show is a great public service announcement to share your DNA...but Grace and Oxman insist on beating their own drums. As if the show is an advertisement for their outrageous and overblown personalities. Buffoons. It is shameful. Whoever did the casting should be stripped of the right to ever cast another show.

Also, the cascade of rushing music in the background is annoying and detracts from the narrative. I admit, I'm half way through season three and will continue to watch till the end. But that is despite Grace and Oxman, not because they add anything of value to the show.

The show itself is fascinating with the technology used to catch these criminals. The host though is horrible and makes it difficult to watch the entire program. I see several comments about her so called pink eyeliner but I just watched an episode and she clearly has black eyeliner. What she does have is extremely red eyes. My husband made the comment that she looks like she smokes that wacky tobaccy stuff. I'm inclined to agree. That could also explain her overdramatic way of speaking. She really does sound like she's reporting for the National Enquirer or some other sensationalist publication which is sad since these cases are very serious, sober, and heartbreaking. When the day comes that she's replaced, I'll give this show a higher rating.