Long Lost Family

Sorry just have to reiterate as I do when this subject comes up, a lot of twaddle. This programme ranks alongside Love Island and other ridiculous reality shows..

In general I agree with Mrs Mopp.

Mind you, the format is beginning to feel a bit samey. I liked the programme where they concentrated on one family's story.

You have to admit that morality in the early 20th century, presumably a hang over from the Victorian era, got it deeply wrong in condemning young mothers to a life of misery, shamed into giving up their babies.

Now the boot is on the other foot - the shame lies with the professionals and sad to say, with the church which could and surely should have led society in showing more support and less condemnation.

I've gone past blubbering over this programme as it now seems so orchestrated.

I absolutely love it, it's one of the very few reality shows I watch - although there are times that I think 'why on earth did you not bother to look for them' when someone says that they knew they had the sister/brother/whatever that was looking for them.

I have watched so many of the emotional reunions and feel happy for them but often wondered what happened next. There has been at least one follow up programme and it is not always a happy ending, which at least makes it more realistic. People don't have to 'get on' just because they are related by blood.

sometimes I wonder why they search for parents when many of us have children who ignore their mothers for years
should have a program for them as well really.

And parents who ignore their children

I love the programme. The man in this weeks programme who couldn't handle the fact that his birth mother gave him up had his life changed when he found out how hard she fought to keep him. I was so pleased for him!
My tears are always tears of joy for the happy endings. I think next week there us a follow up programme so we will find out if the happiness lasts (more tears no doubt from me!)

Was that Daniel Radcliffe ('the man')?

There has never been a mother who said ‘I was too young, I
didn’t want the responsibility of a baby’ , and there are such mothers then and now.

Reunions of birth families and adopted children very often don't work. Disappointing enough when the research and meeting are done privately and discreetly but must be more hurtful after this degree of publicity.
One DD went through the relatively easy search with our full support, but the relationship was superficial and virtually fizzled out.
Other DD has never been interested and at 40 still says that if her birth mother didn't want her then, why would she now? She also dislikes the way that the real parents are set aside with little more than a nod to the happy childhood they provided (and I can't argue with that).
Different people, different attitudes. Just a reminder that it isn't all happy endings.

Whilst I sympathise with people wanting to know about their genetic inheritance, as the devoted grandmother of an adopted pair I feel that not enough recognition is given to the often very demanding role of the adoptive parents who seem to be too easily sidelined despite their enormous input. My DS and DiL have made enormous sacrifices for their two not easy children.

I'm all for people tracing their lost families and hope it works out okay for them, but there is no need for television exposure. Playing on people's emotions is gutter tv like Love island, Big Brother and Jeremy Kyle and, I'm afraid, people who watch these programs just encourage more of the same.

When a parent or child flies in from America or Australia I wonder who pays

The BBC of course, which means the license payers.

Exactly mcem and GrannySomerset. As for those people who call the biological parents 'real parents ' words fail me.

Oh no!,,
It is on ITV ??

This programme has pluses and minuses for me. The main plus is that both Davina and Nicky were adopted themselves so can relate well to the subjects and their situations and I think they do it very well. Another plus is that it offers hope to people who, for various reasons, are trying to find answers about their early life and also peace of mind to those who had no choice but to give up their children. A big minus is that it is very cheesy and surely it can’t be true that all the cases end happily and there is no resentment or discord. The update of the story of the England rugby player and his sister at the end of last night’s programme hinted that there are some problems which they are trying to resolve. I do still watch it but it is starting to get predictable and contrived and I’m not sure that I will be watching another series.