Hot Picks: My Family Mystery

From the distributor that brought Who Do You Think You Are? and The Repair Shop to the international market comes a new title that sits squarely between the two.

My Family Mystery, a TVNZ original from Warner Bros International Television Production (WBITVP) New Zealand, is part of a concerted push by WBITVP in the ‘personal discovery’ space – a blend of history, ob-doc, investigative research and genealogy all wrapped up in a healthy package of nostalgia-fuelled reality.

The premise is uncomplicated. With only a single clue to go on – an old photograph, a birth certificate, a diary, a set of medals – a regular individual embarks on a quest to solve a family mystery that continues to have an impact on their life.

They are aided by researchers and experts – genealogists, historians, cold case investigators, journalists – who scour the archives and visit key locations looking for evidence.

The journeys all build to a final reveal, which could be a missing person, a secret sibling, a long-lost lover, the exposure of a con, or even the solution to a cold case.

WBITVP vice-president, creative, format development and production, Ed Levan notes that My Family Mystery has all the hallmarks of its two BBC shows, which have become staples of the schedule, but can be “incredibly broad” in terms of genre, and therefore demographics.

“The objects can be anything – we have had photographs, medals, a miniature painting on ivory, a text message,” he says. “You don’t quite know who’s going to walk through the door, what object they’re going to bring and what mystery they’re going to ask to be solved. It’s a really contemporary way of doing history stories and will appeal to a broad audience.”

The format is inspired by WBITVP NZ’s show Passengers, an adaptation of Wall to Wall’s A Passage To Britain, which used passenger lists as a starting point to uncover stories of ships and the voyages that brought people of diverse cultural backgrounds to New Zealand.

WBITVP presented three ‘personal discovery’ formats – My Family Mystery, Toy Hospital and Born From The Same Stranger – at its recent London showcase, alongside splashy dating spin-off FGirl Island (also heading to Mip TV).

Levan says My Family Mystery offers something different to buyers than its all-singing, all-dancing titles.

“These shows offer variety,” Levan says. “Every broadcaster should be in the personal discovery space because they are fantastic stories with real people – which is what people like to see on television. They’re cost-effective to make, because they don’t have a big ensemble cast, and they really punch above their weight.

“If you want fun, family co-viewing, maybe look at Toy Hospital. If you want to attract a younger demo in their 20s or 30s, go for something like Born From The Same Stranger. If you want something that’s broad and can speak to a larger audience on a commercial or public service broadcaster, look at My Family Mystery.”