find-my-family-abc-show-logo

Let me just preface this post by saying even though I sometimes get a rap for being “cold-hearted” and tough, I am the biggest sentimental fool out there. It’s not uncommon for me to get all choked-up while watching certain shows and movies. Last night before heading out, Brian and I watched this new ABC show “Find My Family”. Premise of the show is simple enough- reunite people. Whether its a couple, single parent, child or sibling, the episode chronicles their search to find those they’ve been separated from.

In each one-hour episode, former pro football player-turned-author Green meets with those searching for someone - be it a couple, single parent, child or sibling. He narrates their story of separation and why they want to be reunited with the person they’re looking for. Meanwhile, the other co-host- Lisa Joyner- meets with the object of the search and discusses their story and perspective. One of the parts of the show I absolutely love is that both hosts are adopted themselves. Having gone through the emotional struggles of searching for their birth parents, Tim & Lisa can relay their experiences to those they’re interviewing and put them at ease.


Last night’s sneak preview, featured a story about married couple from Wisconsin who were high school sweethearts. In 1979, the teenagers found themselves unexpectedly pregnant. Being so young and just recently dating, they realized they could not care for their child. After weighing all options, they decided to give their daughter up for adoption.

Fast forward 30 years later, the couple against all odds stayed together and eventually married. Not only are they still together but they also have three children- two daughters and one son. Once their daughter they gave up became of age, they started the search to find their long-lost daughter. Despite paying thousands of dollars for private investigators, they efforts came up empty handed.

find-my-family-tim-green

Enter ABC and their massive resources and voila- long lost daughter found. Turns out their adult daughter is now a mother of her own and living only 8 miles away. Side note, how lame are those private investigators that they couldn’t find her considering the proximity. When both sides of the story found out about each other, both busted out in tears- including yours truly. When the mother saw a picture of her long-lost daughter, I totally lost it.

Now that all the puzzles pieces were put into place, it was time to have a face-to-face meeting. Both parties were brought to a grassy area and instructed to met on the top hill at “the family tree”- I’ll bitch about this later. It was almost too much to handle watching this family finally reunited. Imagine how the adopted daughter must feel knowing, she now has three biological siblings. And how the parents are now insta-grandparents. Let’s not forget about the adopted daughter’s son who now has aunts, an uncle and an extra set of grandparents to get to know.

Overall, it was a way better show than the commercials show- they definitely don’t do it justice. I was worried that it would get too schmaltzy and over-the-top, but thankfully it was the complete opposite. It was tender, moving and not too exploitive. The ONLY thing I will complain about is that ANEMIC WAY-TOO-LITERAL FAMILY TREE the families are forced to meet at. We get it, family tree, branches, roots and all that other jazz. The initial meeting would be as powerful even if they met at Starbucks/McDonalds, therefore not needing to resort to the location gimmick.

If you want to find a long-lost loved one but don’t have the financial resources, check out the show’s casting page. Click here, for more details. I know at least one person who this show is perfect for. It’s the perfect combination for answering questions about their childhood whilst being on national TV- you know who you are. Wink.

Did you catch “Find My Family”? Did you like it? Weigh in with your comments below.

Bookmark and Share
Blog Widget by LinkWithin
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)