MGS 2 day family history conference in Minnesota

If you have an interest in family history, you shouldn't miss the 2012 Minnesota Genealogical Society North Star Conference on October 5 & 6. It's being held in Edina, Minnesota, a Minneapolis suburb. 

The headline speaker is D. Joshua Taylor and additional sessions will be presented by 12 other speakers. Add vendors, door prizes, silent auction, free parking, and free wi-fi and it's an event you should not miss. You may have seen Josh on episodes of Who Do You Think Your Are? as he helped Sarah Jessica Parker, Ashley Judd, and Rob Lowe with their family history. He is Vice President of Administration for the Federation of Genealogical Societies

The Northland Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists will have a great presence at the conference. The Chapter will have a table in the vendor area and host a Q&A panel on Friday, October 5th, at 5:30 p.m. Both will be great places to get your family history questions addressed, find a professional genealogist to assist you in your search or consult with you, and meet some great chapter members. 

For more info on the conference and registration please visit www.mngs.org. You'll also find details about Josh Taylor and the other speakers.

I'll see you there on both days and at the Friday evening banquet. I am currently President of the Northland Chapter of APG and am presenting two sessions at the conference.

The end of the WDYTYA? season

What a season even though I am bummed that it's over. Who Do You Think You Are? was great in its inaugural season last year but 2011 was tons better. Gone were the constant recaps of what had just been said. The 2011 content flowed better and showed more details and techniques. Not bad for a one hour mainstream television show.

I now need a new activity for Friday nights. Can you have withdrawal symptoms from not having a certain TV show to watch?

I saw several great researchers that I know on this years shows. That seems to add more impact for me. Those folks included Natalie Cottrill, Mark Lowe and Josh Taylor. We also need to thank Ancestry.com and other advertisers for enabling the broadcast of these shows. Lisa Kudrow and ShedMedia deserve a round of applause, too.

Watch for a future blog post about upcoming events at which Mark and Josh can be seen live!

Who Do You Think You Are? TONIGHT

Tonight WDYTYA? is on at 7:00 p.m. CDT. Ashley Judd is the celebrity. Josh Taylor, who was on last year in the Sarah Jessica Parker episode, will be the show on this evening. Josh is my co-host for the 2011 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference being held this September in Springfield, Illinois.

At 9:00 p.m. CDT tune in to Geneabloggers Radio to hear host Thomas MacEntee interview special guests that include Josh Taylor of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Heather Wilkinson Rojo of the Nutfield Genealogy blog and Diane Rapaport of Quill Pen Historical.

Click here for more info on the radio show that you listed to on your computer. If you sign in you may participate in a real time chat room.

Can't watch or listen tonight? No problem. Visit NBC.com for a replay of the TV show and revisit the radio website for info on that archived broadcasts.

p.s. It's the last show of the season.

Who Do You Think You Are? Tim McGraw Friday

Don't forget to tune in at 7:00 p.m. (CST) on NBC TV to watch the next episode of Who Do You Think You Are? The Friday (11 February) show features the ancestry of country singer Tim McGraw who found some mysteries and interesting facts about himself and his ancestors.

I really think my family members who are country music fans should watch this episode! 

Click here to see a short preview from NBC.

Who Do You Think You Are? TONIGHT

Season 2 of Who Do You Think You Are? begins tonight on NBC. For me it is on channel 11 at 7:00 p.m. (CST) Of course I will be watching it.

I love seeing the reactions of the stars as they learn more about their personal family history. No matter who you are, the thrill of the results is amazing. Their families are like everyone else's -- that is we have a mixture of good and bad in our backgrounds. I like that the stars are not just sitting there reading the results but are learning about the process and visiting the "old home" places.

This show has prompted more people to embark on the journey into their family history. The WDYTYA team and the support of Ancestry.com has brought genealogy into the forefront of minds in the U.S. as it did in England.

If you would like to see some preview moments from tonight check NBC's Who Do You Think You Are? - Season 2.

Who Do You Think You Are? U.S. 2011 edition begins February 4th

 December 16, 2010
NBC ANNOUNCES THE CELEBRITIES TRACING THEIR FAMILY TREES ON SEASON TWO OF ‘WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?’ PREMIERING FEBRUARY 4

Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Rosie O’Donnell, Steve Buscemi, Kim Cattrall, Lionel Richie, Vanessa Williams and Ashley Judd Take a Look Inside Their Family Histories on NBC’s Genealogy Alternative Series Produced by Lisa Kudrow

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – December 16, 2010 – Viewers can take an up-close and personal look inside the family history of some of today’s most beloved and iconic celebrities when NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” returns for its second season on Friday, February 4 (8-9 p.m. ET).  The celebrities who star in the series are Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Rosie O’Donnell, Steve Buscemi, Kim Cattrall, Lionel Richie, Vanessa Williams and Ashley Judd.

WDYTYA? Emmitt Smith episode replay tonight.

The rerun of Who Do You Think You Are? tonight features football great Emmitt Smith and his search for his slave ancestors. It's on NBC. For me here in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area that means 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. on channel 11.

Ancestry.com and NBC Team Up for a Second Season of WDYTYA?

A press release from Ancestry.com:

World's Largest Family History Web Site Continues Sponsorship of Critically Acclaimed TV Series That Takes a Personal Look at Celebrity Family Histories

PROVO, Utah, August 25, 2010 – Ancestry.com is pleased to announce it has extended its relationship with NBC for the second season of the “Who Do You Think You Are?” television series.

Ancestry.com worked with NBC on the first season of “Who Do You Think You Are?” that debuted in March 2010. The company provided important family history research for the show, including tracing the roots of the seven celebrities featured, and collaborated with NBC to promote the series. Each episode took

Who Do You Think You Are? Repeats!

This message just received from Suzanne Russo at Ancestry.com. I am glad to see that at least some are being repeated. 

"As you may have already heard, NBC is planning to re-air four episodes of the Who Do You Think You Are? series starting on Friday, August 13 at 8/7c.

As a sponsor of NBC during the show, we wanted to make sure that you didn’t miss this Friday night affair, where you can expect to see the repeated episodes that feature Lisa Kudrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Emmitt Smith and Brooke Shields.

For those of you who may have missed a few episodes of this family history-focused series, now’s your chance to experience it. You’ll see the celebrities take an amazing voyage to discover more about the ancestors who came before them. Or maybe you’ve already seen all the episodes. If that’s the case, it will still be worth the time to pop some popcorn and sit back to relive the heart-warming journeys that each of the celebrities experienced.

So don’t forget to tune-in to the reruns of Who Do You Think You Are? starting on Friday, August 13 at 8/7c and enjoy the show!"

New episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" this Friday

Lou Szucs from Ancestry.com sent a reminder about this Friday's show! Lou said:

"With just two episodes left, the Who Do You Think You Are? season is nearly over. Don't forget to remind friends and family to tune in as two more fascinating family stories are revealed. Genealogical societies, libraries and archives are continuing to enjoy increased traffic as the series grabs the attention of many individuals who are now intrigued and determined to solve their own family mysteries.

This Week's Episode - Susan Sarandon

This week's episode will feature leading actress Susan Sarandon, who sets out to learn more about her grandmother Anita, who led a life shrouded with mystery and who disappeared out of Susan's mother's life when her mother was just a child. In the episode, Susan visits the New York City Public Library and the New City Library in Rockland, New York.

Check out the teaser featuring Susan Sarandon, and tune into NBC for the full episode on Friday at 8/7c.

Who Do You Think You Are? Renewed for a second season!

Suzanne Russo Adams from Ancestry.com just shared this press release. Thanks Suzanne! I am so glad that Ancestry.com and other advertisers helped to make sure this show got on TV, that the viewers have responded, and that a whole bunch of people are now taking the steps to learn more about their personal history. I am also grateful to my fellow professional genealogist who helped with the research.

NBC announced today that popular TV show "Who Do You Think You Are?" has been renewed for a second season. NBC published the following press release earlier this afternoon. The full press release text follows and can be read at this link. The following words are selected from that NBC press release.

NBC Picks Up Three Freshman Series As 'The Marriage Ref,' 'Minute To Win It' and 'Who Do You Think You Are?' are Renewed for 2010-11