Radio Times

Review by:

Jane Rackham

When you start digging around in your roots there’s a chance you might unearth treasure. But you’re equally likely to find some dirt. Former EastEnder Samantha Womack honestly knows nothing about her family tree so is thrilled to discover several of her ancestors were performers.

However, she also finds evidence that one great-grandparent was imprisoned for stealing, that a great-great-uncle died in an orphanage fire when he was six, while her great-grandmother was also abandoned in a home for destitute children when she was only two.

“What’s she [her great-great-grandmother] doing having children everywhere when she’s got two in an orphanage?” she fumes contemptuously as she follows the family trail to New York. Sounds a bit like a regular episode of EastEnders.

About this programme

1/10. Former EastEnders actress Samantha Womack (Ronnie Branning) sets out to trace her ancestry, having grown up with only a fractured sense of her family history as her parents separated when she was young. She begins by looking into her grandfather's military career, to discover if the rumour that he was gassed during the First World War is true. However, the story takes an astonishing turn when she finds a puzzling discrepancy in his military record.

Cast and crew

Crew

Director

Jenny Dames

Series Producer

Colette Flight

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