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September 4, 2010

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Leave it to Seaver

Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings has issued a challenge. Here's what Randy came up with for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun:

Hey genealogy buffs sitting there in your pajamas (or whatever) on a Saturday Night - it's time for more Genealogy Fun!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (and I REALLY hope that you will, because I know how creative my genea-readers are) , is to:

1) Create a Title and outline an episode of your own Genealogy television show. Be funny, crazy or serious, it doesn't matter!

2) Tell us about it in a blog post of your own, a comment on this blog post, or in a status or comment on Twitter or Facebook.

I'm taking Randy up on the challenge and have created my Genealogy TV Show called LEAVE IT TO SEAVER.

My TV Genealogy show is loosely based on the 1950s TV show LEAVE IT TO BEAVER. Here is a photo of the Cleaver family - Ward, June and sons Wally and Theodore aka Beaver.



in my TV Show LEAVE IT TO SEAVER, the family is an all-American genealogy-loving family living in Ohio consisting of wise father Wart, loving mother July, 12 year-old son Tomally and 8 year-old son Seaver.

I've chosen four popular Genealogy Bloggers and well-known Genealogists as my cast. I'm not going to name them but here is the cast photo. I wonder how many you recognize?

On the left in the striped jacket is Tomally, with his mother July in the middle. 8 year old Seaver is bottom right and father Wart is standing behind the family.
 


Seaver has been given a project by his teacher Miss Familytree. He has to create a 5 generation pedigree chart starting with himself. Seaver would rather play baseball but he knows he'll be in big trouble if he doesn't get this done. So when he gets home, he asks his mom July. July is in the kitchen baking chocolate chip cookies and tells Seaver he'll have to wait for his father to come home.

When Wart gets home from work he sits down with Seaver and tells him all the great stories of their ancestors - the great grandfather who had their name changed at Ellis Island; the great great grandma who was an Indian princess, and how they are descended from Charlemagne. Wart offers to show Seaver the family bible that was snatched out of the fire by their 5th cousin 7 times removed after Indians tossed it on the flames.

Seaver is impressed and goes to the room he shares with big brother Tomally. He makes his 5 generation pedigree chart and tucks it under his pillow.

Big brother Tomally slicks back his hair in front of the bathroom mirror and dispenses friendly big brother genealogy advice "Hey Seave I wouldn't talk much about this genealogy stuff at school. The other guys won't like it. This is kind of private stuff that only the family talks about"

Seaver throws his pillow at Tomally and the goof around for a bit. The next day, ignoring Tomally's advise he starts bragging about his famous and exciting ancestors. Another boy in his class mocks him with a standard genealogical insult "Oh yeah? My 5th great-grandfather can beat your 5th great grandfather with one hand tied behind his back!" They start a shoving match.

Tomally's obnoxious friend Freddy Rascal runs over and urges the boys on. Seaver's shirt is ripped and then the fight is broken up by his brother Tamally.

Seaver finds himself in the principal's office where he has to explain his entire genealogy to his principal. The principal's eyes glaze over and he phones the Seaver home. July is horrified and promises that her husband Wart will take care of the problem when he gets home from work.

Wart comes home from work, sits Seaver down and provides his usual genealogy wisdom.

"Now son, there will always be others who are jealous of your royal ancestors, jealous that we have traced our family back 26 generations and jealous that we have over 75,000 names in our family tree database on FTM. But the wise genealogist ignores that and concentrates on the important things - making sure sources are entered correctly, breaking down brick-walls and sticking to the course of finding out female ancestors maiden names. Don't ever forget that son"

Tomally wanders into the room and gripes "Gee dad I never knew that, how come you never told me the rules of being a good genealogist? And you gave him a 5-generation pedigree chart? Seaver's so lucky!"

Wide-eyed, Seaver says "Gee Dad, what's a guy gotta do to get a 6 generation chart?"

July enters the room, tells the boys to run along, then leans over and whispers to Wart "Maybe this weekend we can spend some quality time together and trek around local cemeteries" Wart gives her a thumbs up and smiles then calls the boys back into the room. The show ends with July passing out homemade fudge made from her grandmother's secret recipe.

7 comments:

  1. LOL! Love it. All it needs is a Salem witch.

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  2. ROFLMAO...

    Excellent story line...can't wait for the next episode!

    We could maybe make this a serial SNGF?

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  3. Absolutely loved this! And loved the characters!

    I'm with Randy. Could we make this a serial SNGF?

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  4. Excellent - This one should go into the GeneaBloggers Hall of Fame!

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  5. Ditto all remarks, Greta nailed it, Hall of Fame material this is. I had to stop reading and retire do the "room" for a few moments, so I would not, well, you know! ROTFLOL

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  6. I would watch this series (or read it) every week. Encore, encore!!

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  7. Amazing! Where does your creativity come from? I hope you are not using it to develop your sources. What fun, I would also like to read it weekly.

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