Born from the Same Stranger; David & Jay’s Touring Toolshed

“You can imagine another channel, or a streaming site, taking these stories and turning them into something much more exploitative and salacious, but Born from the Same Stranger is a very ITV-type documentary. Long Lost Family fans will know exactly what to expect, tone-wise. It is tactful, gentle, lovely and warm.”
Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian

“Narrated by ITV voiceover queen Davina McCall, it’s an unashamed exercise in lachrymosity – as you might expect from the same team behind Long Lost Family. Is it manipulative? Yes. Is it mawkish? Absolutely. Does it matter? Not in the slightest.”
Ellie Harrison, The Independent

“This is from the makers of Long Lost Family, with Davina McCall supplying the voice-over, so the timbre is full-on empathy and careful respect of boundaries.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph

“The desire to understand oneself via the context of family might be timeless, but the DNA science used in Born From the Same Stranger was distinctly modern. The collision of old and new raised fascinating ethical questions. Anyone who has ever revelled in a familial relationship or longed for one will find something to relate to in this sensitive, surprising, and special programme.”
Emily Watkins, The i

“This four-part documentary, narrated by Davina McCall, stretches the Long Lost Family format beyond its limits. Anonymity was guaranteed to the donors, back in the 1990s and 2000s, when they could not have foreseen advances in DNA technology and online genealogy services that make it possible to identify almost any blood relative.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“Imagine Antiques Roadshow but with pliers — and about 80 per cent less excitement. I’m not saying this is a bad thing. A benign amble round Britain in summer examining the eccentric things people like to make and restore is perfectly respectable. But it is a ‘slender’ programme. If it stood in the sand it would barely leave a mark.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“The cloth-capped joshing and mugging between the two hosts is all a bit make-do-and-mend. It’s not quite clear if Blades is Jason’s pliant straight man or simply his carer. They’re Lou and Andy from Little Britain but with feebler material. It all felt aimless, like unmapped improv.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph

“Much of the banter is rehearsed, with the star slipping effortlessly into his Del Boy persona. In a lovely closing routine, he gave us a hint of Granville from Open All Hours too, licking an ice cream cornet with a dab of Mr Whippy ending up on his nose. Jay was content to play second fiddle — there’s not much else to be done, with such a consummate scene-stealer at his elbow.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail