Who Do You Think You Are?
BBC1, Wednesday 10 August 9:00pm - 10:00pm
1/10, series 8 June BrownA regal June Brown smokes a fag and announces proudly: "I am the oldest person who has ever done Who Do You Think You Are?" And she's pretty sure she's not going to be blubbing her way through her family search: "I'm not a person who can cry". Thank goodness. Brown, who looks amazing at 84 and absolutely nothing like EastEnders' Dot Branning, fortifies herself with another fag and a glass of red wine at a family dinner before she embarks on the genealogical journey. Though she describes herself as a "mongrel" thanks to her mixed ancestry, both her parents were Jews from the East End of London. Brown decides to search for Isaac Bitton, her great-great-greatgrandfather and a bare-knuckle fighter of some renown at the start of the 19th century. His career ended after a colossal, bloody 74 rounds on Wimbledon Common, after which he retired undefeated. The hunt for her roots takes Brown to Holland, where there is a poignant moment in an Amsterdam cemetery, and Spain. Next week: JK Rowling.
Radio Times reviewer - Alison Graham
VIDEO Plus+: 2497
Subtitled, Widescreen, High definition, Audio-described
Directed by: Sarah FeltesRadiotimes
