Long Lost Family is an American documentary television series based on the Dutch series Spoorloos created by broadcaster KRO-NCRV that premiered on March 6, 2016, on TLC. Presented by Chris Jacobs and Lisa Joyner, the show helps provide aid to individuals looking to be reunited with long-lost biological family members. The show is produced by Shed Media for TLC, and is co-sponsored by Ancestry.com, which provides family history research and DNA testing to help make discoveries possible.
| Long Lost Family | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Documentary |
| Based on | Spoorloos by KRO-NCRV |
| Presented by | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 53 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 42–86 minutes |
| Production company | Shed Media |
| Original release | |
| Network | TLC |
| Release | March 6, 2016 – December 13, 2019 |
| Related | |
| |
Format
editThe show follows the original British series very closely, offering a chance for people who are desperate to find long lost relatives. The series helps a handful of people, some of whom have been searching in vain for many years, find the family members they are desperately seeking. It explores the background and context of each family's estrangement and tracks the detective work and often complex and emotional process of finding each lost relative before they are reunited. With the help and support of Chris and Lisa, each relative is guided and supported through the process of tracing the member of their family they have been desperately seeking.[1]
Episodes
editSeries overview
edit| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 8 | March 6, 2016 | April 24, 2016 | |
| 2 | 13 | February 12, 2017 | April 25, 2017 | |
| 3 | 6 | November 6, 2017 | December 11, 2017 | |
| 4 | 9 | April 8, 2018 | May 16, 2018 | |
| 5 | 9 | October 8, 2018 | December 17, 2018 | |
| 6 | 8 | October 25, 2019 | December 13, 2019 | |
Season 1 (2016)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "I've Waited for This Call for 45 Years" | March 6, 2016 |
| 2 | 2 | "Your Mom's Been Here the Whole Time" | March 13, 2016 |
| 3 | 3 | "Nobody Knew I Existed" | March 20, 2016 |
| 4 | 4 | "I Should Have Fought Harder to Keep Her" | March 27, 2016 |
| 5 | 5 | "Am I Who I Think I Am?" | April 3, 2016 |
| 6 | 6 | "Why Did You Leave Me?" | April 10, 2016 |
| 7 | 7 | "Everything Your Parents Told You Was a Lie" | April 17, 2016 |
| 8 | 8 | "Alone in a Crowded Room" | April 24, 2016 |
Season 2 (2017)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | "There's No Easy Way to Say This" | February 12, 2017 |
| 10 | 2 | "The Court Said No, We Were Too Young" | February 19, 2017 |
| 11 | 3 | "I Want to Heal My Mother's Heart" | February 26, 2017 |
| 12 | 4 | "Born Together, Stay Together" | March 5, 2017 |
| 13 | 5 | "One More Reason to Fight for My Life" | March 12, 2017 |
| 14 | 6 | "Did You Have Dreams, Did You Follow Them?" | March 19, 2017 |
| 15 | 7 | "All the Leaves Fell Off My Family Tree" | March 26, 2017 |
| 16 | 8 | "The Last Time I Saw My Mother, I Was 5 Years Old" | April 2, 2017 |
| 17 | 9 | "Do I Call Him My Son?" | April 9, 2017 |
| 18 | 10 | "If You Bring Your Baby Home, You Can't Come Home" | April 16, 2017 |
| 19 | 11 | "Am I a Secret She Had to Keep?" | April 23, 2017 |
| 20 | 12 | "It's the Fulfillment Of a Promise" | April 24, 2017 |
| 21 | 13 | "We Don't Need Anything From Them Besides Love" | April 25, 2017 |
Season 3 (2017)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 1 | "She Just Drove Off and Never Returned" | November 6, 2017 |
| 23 | 2 | "My First Chapter Is Unwritten" | November 13, 2017 |
| 24 | 3 | "If I'd Only Known About Her" | November 20, 2017 |
| 25 | 4 | "The Letters Just Stopped Coming" | November 27, 2017 |
| 26 | 5 | "There's More to Saying Sorry" | December 4, 2017 |
| 27 | 6 | "My Birth Certificate Reads 'Jane Doe'" | December 11, 2017 |
Season 4 (2018)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 1 | "The First and Last Time I Saw My Sister" | April 8, 2018 | 1.42[2] |
| 29 | 2 | "She Never Came Back" | April 15, 2018 | 1.13[3] |
| 30 | 3 | "You Think They Are Blood" | April 22, 2018 | 1.50[4] |
| 31 | 4 | "You Have Been Loved Your Whole Life" | April 29, 2018 | 1.46[5] |
| 32 | 5 | "28 Foster Homes" | May 6, 2018 | 1.42[6] |
| 33 | 6 | "A Slamming Door" | May 13, 2018 | 1.18[7] |
| 34 | 7 | "Nothing Short of a Miracle" | May 14, 2018 | 0.85[8] |
| 35 | 8 | "This Is Your Truth" | May 15, 2018 | 0.94[9] |
| 36 | 9 | "That Was My One Shot" | May 16, 2018 | 1.26[10] |
Season 5 (2018)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 1 | "A Baby In A Shoe Box" | October 8, 2018 | N/A |
| 38 | 2 | "A Mysterious Disappearance" | October 15, 2018 | N/A |
| 39 | 3 | "Waiting a Lifetime" | October 22, 2018 | N/A |
| 40 | 4 | "A Hole in My Soul" | October 29, 2018 | N/A |
| 41 | 5 | "Feelings of Abandonment" | November 5, 2018 | N/A |
| 42 | 6 | "Secrets Are Better Kept Than Said" | November 12, 2018 | N/A |
| 43 | 7 | "She Chose Another Person Over Her Child" | November 19, 2018 | N/A |
| 44 | 8 | "I Want To Go Back" | November 26, 2018 | N/A |
| 45 | 9 | "She's Gone" | December 17, 2018 | N/A |
Season 6 (2019)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 1 | "Why Couldn't They Raise Us?" | October 25, 2019 | 0.87[11] |
| 47 | 2 | "I'm the Only One Left" | November 1, 2019 | 0.92[12] |
| 48 | 3 | "Are They Looking For Me?" | November 8, 2019 | 0.89[13] |
| 49 | 4 | "Not My Child to Keep" | November 15, 2019 | 0.91[14] |
| 50 | 5 | "An Adult Orphan" | November 22, 2019 | 0.85[15] |
| 51 | 6 | "What Family Feels Like" | November 29, 2019 | 0.88[16] |
| 52 | 7 | "The Missing Piece" | December 6, 2019 | 0.93[17] |
| 53 | 8 | "Switched in the Hospital" | December 13, 2019 | 0.93[18] |
Production
editDevelopment
editOn February 2, 2016, it was announced that TLC had given the production a series order. It was reported that the series would be hosted by Chris Jacobs and Lisa Joyner and produced by Shed Media.[19]
Season one of Long Lost Family premiered on March 6, 2016.[19] On June 9, 2016, it was announced that TLC had renewed the series for a second season.[20][21] Season 3 had 6 additional episodes for 2017 and began airing on November 6, 2017.[22] On March 20, 2018, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a third season set to premiere on April 8, 2018.[23][24] On September 7, 2018, it was announced that additional episodes for 2018 were expected to premiere on October 8, 2018.[25]
Marketing
editAlongside the initial series announcement, TLC released the first teaser trailer for the series.[19] On March 20, 2018, TLC released the official trailer for season three.[23]
International versions
editThe original British program began airing in 2011 and has so far distributed fourteen series and several specials. It is hosted by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell.
There is also a Norwegian version of called Sporløs that has been airing on Norwegian channel TV 2 since 2010 with six seasons so far.
An Australian version of Long Lost Family, hosted by Chrissie Swan and Anh Do, began airing around the same time as the U.S. version in 2016,[26] but was canceled by 2017.
References
edit- ^ "Regret, Loss and Redemption on TLC's Docu-series Long Lost Family". Retrieved May 6, 2016.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (April 10, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.8.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 10, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (April 17, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.15.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (April 24, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.22.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (May 1, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.29.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (May 8, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.6.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (May 15, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.13.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on May 16, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (May 15, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Monday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.14.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on May 16, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (May 16, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.15.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (May 17, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.16.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on May 18, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch. "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.25.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 28, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch. "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.1.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch. "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.8.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch. "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.15.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 20, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch. "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.22.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch. "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.29.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch. "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.6.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch. "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.13.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- ^ a b c Maglio, Tony (February 2, 2016). "TLC Orders 'Long Lost Family' to Series (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ Prudom, Laura (June 9, 2016). "TLC Renews 'Who Do You Think You Are' and 'Long Lost Family'". Variety. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
- ^ Pena, Jessica (June 9, 2016). "Who Do You Think You Are, Long Lost Family: TLC Series Renewed". TV Series Finale. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ Pasquini, Maria (October 30, 2017). "TLC's Long Lost Family Is Returning with 6 New, Emotional Stories". People Magazine. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
- ^ a b Nakamura, Reid (March 20, 2018). "TLC's 'Long Lost Family': Buckets of Tears Are Shed in Season 3 Trailer". The Wrap. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ "TLC's LONG LOST FAMILY Returns for a Third Season This April". Broadway World. March 20, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
- ^ "Breaking News - TLC's "Long Lost Family" Is Back with All-New Episodes Starting Monday, October 8 at 9/8c | TheFutonCritic.com". The Futon Critic. September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
- ^ Knox, David (November 19, 2015). "TEN Upfronts 2016: Survivor, Jessica Marais, Anh Do -and Nigella!". TV Tonight. Retrieved April 11, 2018.