WDYTYA Cancelled: A Sad Farewell
May 16, 2012 by ramona
Filed under Articles, Latest News
With only four million viewers for this season’s premier and steadily tumbling ratings, NBC has cancelled the genealogy program “Who Do You Think You Are” in its third season…and it is a sad farewell for many fans.
Over its three-year span, the show produced by Lisa Kudrow has helped an A-list of big names such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Susan Sarandon and Martin Sheen to trace their family trees all over the globe. The show should also be credited for the part it has played in inspiring a great many viewers to search out their own ancestral roots.
No one will miss the show more than sponsors Ancestry.com as the backlash hit them hard when stocks dropped 13.7% after NBC announced the cancellation.
In April of last year, Ancestry.com’s stocks were at a peak with a worth of $45.79 and 1.7 million subscribers. At the opening of trading on Monday May 14, 2012, the genealogy giant’s shares were sitting at $26.16. By the close of the day, stocks had devalued to $22.57 losing $3.59 through the day.
In a press release earlier this week Tim Sullivan, President and CEO of Ancestry.com said, “We want to thank NBC for their support of this terrific series, which over the last three years has inspired many viewers to follow their passion to learn more about who they are and where they come from,” adding, “We have a great partnership with the show’s producers, Is or Isn’t Entertainment and Shed Media, and we look forward to exploring other avenues of distribution.”
The programs last episode will air tonight with celebrity guest Paula Deen.
So sorry to hear it won’t be on anymore. Loved that show, but in my city the show would be preempted by anything and everything the station choose to put on.
So you never knew until the time it was supposed to be on, if it actually would be there.
Would have loved to have some of the help the stars had in finding information.
I have a couple of cement blocks that I cannot not break in attempts to find my relatives. Sorry really sorry about the show. Enjoyed it so much.
I wonder if they would have been able to get the same audience if they didn’t focus on celebrities. Thanks for writing.
I am so sad this show was cancelled. My mother and I waited with baited breath to see the next episode. I agree it would have been nice if it were not all celebrities. But so sad that it will not be on for another season….
I actually wasn’t aware that there was a US version of the show, but to my knowledge the BBC original is still being made. So far there are nine seasons (or series, by the UK terminology) of around ten episodes each. Granted the featured celebrities may not be as familiar to US audiences, but you get some standouts like Patrick Stewart, J. K. Rowling, Zoë Wanamake, Alan Cumming, Jeremy Irons, Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins, John Watson on the BBC’s Sherlock, Tim on the UK version of The Office), Jeremy Clarkson (Top Gear), David Mitchell (That Mitchell & Webb Look, Mark from Peep Show), David Tennant (the Tenth Doctor from Doctor Who), and Stephen Fry (A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Jeeves from Jeeves & Wooster).