“Long Lost Family” is a show on TLC that features the stories of people who have been separated from family members through a variety of circumstances. The show is hosted by Lisa Joyner and Chris Jacobs who both share the same past of growing up as adopted children, then searching for their biological relatives, which makes them the perfect pair to host the show. Here are five things that you probably didn’t know about the show.
1. “Long Lost Family” is an American adaptation of a British series
This show began in the United Kingdom where it became a popular documentary style series. Shed Media picked it up for airing on the TLC network. The first season aired in the United States with 8 episodes in 2016 and the second season ran from February to April of 2017 with thirteen episodes.
2. Ancestry.com is a backer
The Ancestry.com website is popular with people who want to know more about their roots and where they came from. This company co-sponsored the “Long Lost Family” series and they also offer assistance though DNA testing and family history research to help those looking for their biological families. There couldn’t be a more perfect melding for this show or for the people who need assistance in locating blood relatives.
3. Joyner and Jacobs mirror the British hosts
Just as Joyner and Jacobs are adoptees, the same is true for the hosts of the British version. This makes the series all the more special. The hosts are sympathetic to the emotions that the people who are looking for their families are feeling because they too have been on similar journeys in finding their own relatives. Lisa and Chris offer their support and their help in guiding the cast in their quest to discover where they came from and to meet their biological parents and siblings.
4. There is preparation before clients meet their families
There is a lot of work involved in first locating family members separated by adoption. As the years pass, people move away or pass away. Time and distance can make the process more difficult. After biological family members are finally located, there are no guarantees about what the outcome will be. Chris and Lisa spend time with their clients helping them to emotionally and mentally prepare for the meeting. Anything can happen and they must be prepared for the emotions that will surface on both sides.
5. There is a followup series
“Long Lost Family” has served as the basis for the followup series “Long Lost Family: What Happened Next.” This is a very touching reality series that lets viewers know how things went for the families that were reunited after years of separation. Meeting one another for the first time in many years brings on its own set of complications. There are many questions that have been unanswered and in many cases, the long lost relatives are virtually strangers. Relationships take time to develop and cultivate and they are not usually spontaneous. There are many complex emotions to work though. The series shows us the developments that have taken place since the original reunions aired.
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