Empire's Children is a 2007 six-part history documentary narrated by Richard Armitage and created by Channel 4.[1] Each episode follows a British celebrity as they trace their family history across the British Empire.
| Empire's Children | |
|---|---|
| Genre | History and documentary |
| Presented by | Richard Armitage |
| Starring | |
| Original language | English |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel 4 |
| Release | 2007 – 2007 |
The celebrities featured included actress Diana Rigg, director Adrian Lester, actress Shobna Gulati, actor Chris Bisson, comedian Jenny Eclair, and politician David Steel.[2] The show was produced by Wall to Wall and Illumina.[3][4]
Release
editThe premiere of the first episode was watched by 1.9 million viewers and the final episode reached 1.1 million.[5]
A companion book for the documentary was published in 2007 called Empire’s Children: Trace Your Family History Across the World.[6] [7]
Reception
editAccording to one academic, the show can be viewed through the lens of the rise in genealogy subject media during the 2000s.[8]
Empire's Children was the winner of the Y Design award's "community award" category at the London Design Festival.[9] The show was also nominated by the Royal Television Society for their 2007 Innovation Award.[10]
References
edit- ^ Bull, Sofia (30 May 2019). Television and the Genetic Imaginary. Springer. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-137-54847-4.
- ^ Dowell, Ben (25 January 2007). "C4 series to explore celebrities' imperial past". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ Media, Bionic. "News Wall to Wall & Illumina join forces for family history site". WallToWall. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ Gray, Ann; Bell, Erin (2013). History on Television. Routledge. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-415-58038-0.
- ^ Dowell, Ben (7 August 2007). "Fall of Empire's Children". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ Gill, Anton (2007). Empire's Children: Trace Your Family History Across the World. HarperPress. ISBN 978-0-00-724714-1.
- ^ "Backing Britain". www.churchtimes.co.uk. 19 July 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ Nicholas, Sian; O'Malley, Tom; Williams, Kevin (13 September 2013). Reconstructing the Past: History in the Mass Media 1890–2005. Routledge. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-317-99684-2.
- ^ Administrator, System (26 September 2007). "Glue London sticks out at the Y Design Awards". Design Week. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ "Innovation Awards 2007". Royal Television Society. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2024.