DNA JOURNEY
ITV1, 9pm; not STV
While the BBC runs a repeat of Judi Dench exploring her family tree, the fourth series of ITV1’S own take on Who Do You Think You Are? continues to find its key point of difference to be both a strength and a weakness. Cramming two celebrities into an hour of genealogy could be seen as either diluting some gripping narratives or papering over the cracks of some thinner ones, while much depends
on the chemistry of the pairings. With John Bishop and Hugh Bonneville kicking off the series, the latter is no concern: these two are unlikely friends (having met at a Covid vaccination centre) but entertaining sparring partners. Both men’s family histories lead over the Irish Sea and involve tales of those from humble origins making good. There are It Girls and dockworkers, bakers and a salt dealer with a penchant for rule-bending, and a strong seam of social-justice campaigning, before a conclusion that draws a startling direct connection between these two seemingly diffuse dynasties. While there is padding here – a Zoom reunion with Bonneville’s newly discovered cousin feels superfluous – the Bishop-bonneville bond ensures that the longueurs pass smoothly by.