Ian McKellen's Grandfather of the Weekend | Who Do You Think You Are? UK | S13 E6

A forgotten campaign changed how Britain spends its time off — and it started in Ian McKellen’s family. What else is hidden in his lineage? Ian follows clues from “Mother Mac” Alice Murray’s solo at Manchester’s Free Trade Hall to the rise and heartbreak of great-great-uncle Frank Lowe, a north-country actor whose path takes a stark turn. The trail then reveals Robert Lowes, a clerk whose bold push for a Saturday half-holiday in 1843 helped spark the modern weekend, and an unexpected link to the Cheadle Hulme orphan school that later educated Ian’s grandfather. Finally, an earlier ancestor, engraver James Lowes, leaves a romantic imprint on the Lake District — and a striking self-reveal beside a Druid circle. Discover how performance, activism and social reform flowed through generations — and why one Victorian signature still shapes our lives today. Watch to see the pivotal documents, the twist in Liverpool, and the moment Ian realizes how these strands connect. Watch the full story now. #IanMcKellen #WDYTYA #FamilyHistory #ManchesterHistory #WeekendHistory #Genealogy #UKTV