Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace Series 2
Series Producer and Director
Executive Producer: Sally Benton
Commissioner: Jo Clinton Davis
Series Film Editor: Paddy Lynas
Winner: Features, BAFTA TV Awards, 2021
Nominated: Formatted Popular Factual, RTS Awards 2021
Nominated: Popular Factual Series, Edinburgh TV Awards 2021
Shortlisted: Constructed Documentary Series, Grierson Awards 2021
This two-part series features the incredible true story of a man who was left in a car on the outskirts of Belfast, and a woman left the other side of the Irish border in a telephone box in Dundalk.
Also, a woman found at just 2 hours old in a ladies public toilet in Warminster and a man found in a corned beef box outside a railway tavern in Greenhithe. All four are searching for answers to the most fundamental questions: when’s my birthday; where do I come from; who are my parents and who am I?
This was trail-blazing television, which told powerful and emotional new stories, while always carefully upholding its duty of care to the contributors.
The programme received huge critical acclaim.
“What makes this gripping telly is the emotional impact the search has on them. The camera lingers on their faces at moments of revelation where the results of painstaking research and DNA tests are delivered, often to sweeping music. Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell tease out the drama of each moment, but it’s jaw-dropping even without their interventions and none of it feels exploitative. You have to applaud the tenacity and legwork of the production team — back tomorrow with another pair of foundlings; one found in a public loo, another in a packing box. ★★★★★”
“A tale of foundlings with a twist to make your jaw drop. Davina McCall ….is brilliant here: handling the contributors with compassion, tact and respect. Along with co-host Nicky Campbell, she ensures the series which could be crass and manipulative is neither, but still breaks your heart.”
“A two-parter on foundlings begins with David, a man in his 60s who has known nothing of his parents since being abandoned as a baby in Belfast in the 60s. The revelations coming his way are, even by this show’s heart-wrenching standards, emotional.”
“Tonight’s search for answers takes some incredible turns. Don’t miss this one. ★★★★★ ”
“The real message of this programme is a universally poignant one about the importance of family, of having roots and of knowing where you came from. Things most of us take for granted. Part two, the stories of two more foundlings, is tomorrow night: I’m not sure I can take it. ★★★★ ”
“There are no easy answers for the pair but their journeys are at once captivating and courageous. Keep your hankies at the ready for a memorable two-part series that is packed with jaw-dropping and emotionally wrenching revelations. ★★★★ ”