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Finding Your Roots

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About Finding Your Roots

Finding Your Roots is a documentary TV series that premiered on PBS on March 24, 2012. It has 13 seasons and 127 episodes so far and is still airing new episodes. The latest episode, Season 12 Episode 10 "Rags to Riches", aired on April 14, 2026. The next episode, Season 13 Episode 1, airs on Tuesday, January 12, 2027.

Noted Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has been helping people discover long-lost relatives hidden for generations within the branches of their family trees. Professor Gates utilizes a team of genealogists to reconstruct the paper trail left behind by our ancestors and the world’s leading geneticists to decode our DNA and help us travel thousands of years into the past to discover the origins of our earliest forebears.

  • Documentary

Last updated

Episodes

127 episodes · 13 seasons

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Season 1

2012 · 10 episodes · Last episode: 14 years ago

Finding Your Roots Season 1 release dates →
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    10. Adrian Grenier, Michelle Rodriguez and Linda Chavez

    Finale

    Michelle Rodriguez, Adrian Grenier and Linda Chavez all share Spanish colonial roots, yet each views their own identity very differently. In this episode we ask what it means to be Hispanic-and find that the answer lies in the tangled histories of European, Native American and African peoples. Crisscrossing Mexico, Spain, the Caribbean, and the Southwest, Professor Gates reveals stories of ancestral Conquistadors, Indian rebels, and "Crypto-Jews" (Spanish Jews who converted to Catholicism to survive the Inquisition, yet continued to practice their religion ...

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    9. John Legend and Wanda Sykes

    Most African Americans struggle to trace their ancestors beyond Emancipation; slavery erased names and family ties with brutal efficiency. But what about the descendants of the handful of free black people who evaded bondage during that terrible time? Musician John Legend and comedian Wanda Sykes discover the extraordinary stories of the free black ancestors they never knew about, while Professor Gates himself and his 98-year-old friend Margarett Cooper delve into the mysteries shrouding the free people of color in their family trees.

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    8. Martha Stewart, Margaret Cho and Sanjay Gupta

    The three guests in this episode are all children of first- or second-generation immigrants and share the peculiar burdens of that heritage. In an episode that crisscrosses the planet, from India to Korea to Poland, catch a glimpse of three distinct yet oddly overlapping experiences of families leaving their homes and becoming American.

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    7. Samuel L. Jackson, Condoleezza Rice and Ruth Simmons

    Samuel L. Jackson, Condoleezza Rice and Brown University President Ruth Simmons have each climbed to the pinnacle of their profession, yet each started life as a second class citizen in the Jim Crow south. In this episode we will use DNA to investigate family mysteries: where do they come from in Africa, and who are the white men in their family trees?

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    6. Robert Downey, Jr. and Maggie Gyllenhaal

    Many American descend from a dense soups of European ethnicities; we could call them mutts, with ancestral roots across every country in Europe. Actors Robert Downey, Jr. and Maggie Gyllenhaal are textbook examples of Americans with a rich tapestry of European immigrant stories making up their family trees. We delve in to their deep American roots in early colonial communities, and we meet their Eastern European Jewish ancestors, who share almost identical migration stories From the Mayflower to Ellis Island, we journey through centuries of immigration that shaped and built our melting pot nation.

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    5. Rick Warren, Angela Buchdahl and Yasir Qadhi

    Pastor Rick Warren, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl and Sheik Yasir Qadhi are of three different faiths, all with complex family histories that profoundly shaped their religious beliefs. Our research of their roots unearthed a story about the spiritual foundations of this country, an unrelenting struggle to achieve our ideal of religious freedom and tolerance, but also the difficulties sometimes of holding onto one's faith and still feeling like an "authentic" American.

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    4. Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon

    What do Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick have in common? They are both famous actors and both descend from prominent American families that have been in this country since its inception. But they share something else, too: both had ancestors who were early opponents of slavery. Bacon's Quaker ancestors repudiated slavery long before the rest of the country, in 1780. And Sedgwick's ancestor Theodore Sedgwick argued the freedom case of Elizabeth Freeman, also known as "Mumbet," in 1781 -- which helped bring an end to slavery in Massachusetts. We reveal this fact - and many others - to Sedgwick and Bacon in this episode, and learn quite a bit about slavery in the North in the process.

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    3. Barbara Walters and Geoffrey Canada

    What's in a name? Well, a lot, at least when it comes to piecing together your family history. For former slaves, choosing a last name was one of their first acts of freedom. For Jewish immigrants, it was a way to fit in their new country. Whatever the reason for a name change, it can make the process of learning about one's ancestors difficult, if not impossible. In this episode, we unearth missing links in the family histories of media legend Barbara Walters and educational superstar Geoffrey Canada. Walters did not know her father's real last name. Canada did not know the name of his grandfather. Both of them had been unable to access their history... until now.

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    2. John Lewis and Cory Booker

    In this episode, we feature two African American politicians from different generations and opposite backgrounds. John Lewis grew up in a sharecropping family in rural Georgia, while Cory Booker was raised in an affluent, all-white New Jersey suburb. Although both men have devoted their lives to the betterment of African-American people, neither of them knows much about their own ancestors. In this episode, we introduce Booker to his white great-grandfather, a man he never knew, and move Lewis to tears over the extraordinary ambitions and accomplishments of his slave ancestors..

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    1. Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr.

    Their European immigrant ancestors blazed unconventional trails in America, from capturing British ships for the American Revolution to crossing racial barriers in slave-era Louisiana. Generations later, as children growing up in New Orleans, Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis found a deep and abiding friendship through their common love of jazz and of the city itself. In this hour, we trace the turbulent and contradictory history of the city of New Orleans through the family stories of these two fascinating men.

Season 2

2014 · 10 episodes · Last episode: 11 years ago

Finding Your Roots Season 2 release dates →
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    10. Decoding Our Past Through DNA

    Finale

    Secrets encoded in their genomes challenge these guests’ ideas about their families’ histories and their identities today. This episode features Jessica Alba, Anderson Cooper, Valerie Jarrett, Governor Deval Patrick and more.

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    9. Ancient Roots

    Tina Fey, George Stephanopoulos and David Sedaris, three quintessential voices in American life, descend from ancestors that were part of the wave of Greek immigrants that flooded America’s shores in the early decades of the 20th century.

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    8. The British Invasion

    Deepak Chopra, Sally Field and Sting’s ancestry demonstrates the extraordinary influence of the British Empire during the 18th and early 19th century.

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    7. Our People, Our Traditions

    Tony Kushner learns how the Holocaust impacted his ancestors; Carole King delves into the origins of her family name; and Alan Dershowitz discovers that an Hassidic synagogue started by his great-grandfather played a secret role in World War II.

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    6. We Come From People

    Nas learns about his slave ancestors; Angela Bassett discovers that her family history includes an emancipation story; and Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Obama, learns about the free people of color in her family's past

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    5. The Melting Pot

    Chef Tom Colicchio learns the hardships his family endured in Northern Italy; chef Ming Tsai traces his roots back 2,000 years; chef Aarón Sánchez learns his Mexican roots include Spaniards, Africans and Native Americans.

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    4. Roots of Freedom

    Actor Ben Affleck discovers his mother's past as a Freedom Rider in 1964, NAACP President Ben Jealous learns how far his great-grandfather would go to keep his family whole, and actress Khandi Alexander learns about her grandfather's death. This episode is not available from pbs because actor Ben Affleck had persuaded Gates to omit information about his slave-owning ancestors. In the investigation, PBS said that producers violated network standards by letting Mr. Affleck have “improper influence” and “by failing to inform PBS or WNET of Mr. Affleck’s efforts to affect program content.”

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    3. Our American Storytellers

    Ken Burns learns that his Southern ancestors include Confederate soldiers and a slave owner; Anderson Cooper learns that an ancestor on his father's side was killed by one of his slaves; and Anna Deavere Smith learns about her great-grandfather, who was a free black man and former conductor on the Underground Railroad.

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    2. Born Champions

    Billie Jean King, Derek Jeter and Rebecca Lobo learn about their family histories. King discovers that her grandmother was an orphan; Derek Jeter investigates his ancestors' lives as slaves; and Lobo finds out that an ancestor was forced to flee Spain because of his democratic ideals.

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    1. In Search of our Fathers

    Three famous guests — Stephen King, Gloria Reuben and Courtney B. Vance — know almost nothing about their fathers’ histories.

Season 3

2016 · 10 episodes · Last episode: 10 years ago

Dr. Gates explores the genealogy of celebrities using the records left behind and DNA technology.

Finding Your Roots Season 3 release dates →
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    10. Maps of Stars

    Finale

    Learn how Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow, who last shared the screen together in 1969, also share a history of tragic deaths in their families that played major roles in shaping future generations.

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    9. The Long Way Home

    Discover how actress Julianna Margulies, author Azar Nafisi and chef Lidia Bastianich are bound together by their ancestors’ singular and deeply human desire to preserve their most cherished traditions.

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    8. The Pioneers

    Discover how Neil Patrick Harris, Gloria Steinem and Sandra Cisneros are connected to pioneers who broke new ground and paved the way for their modern day descendants to continue shaping our culture.

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    7. Family Reunions

    Uncover family mysteries about two legends of hip hop, Sean Combs and LL Cool J, through the use of DNA technology, which reveals information that shakes their very foundations.

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    6. War Stories

    Patricia Arquette, Senator John McCain, and Julianne Moore explore their genealogical heritage with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

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    5. Visionaries

    Discover how the ancestors of business mogul Richard Branson and architects Maya Lin and Frank Gehry took audacious risks to create opportunities, and how their luck, ingenuity and chutzpah was passed on to these three visionaries.

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    4. Tragedy + Time = Comedy

    Uncover a history of tragedies and triumphs in the families of three of America’s funniest men–Jimmy Kimmel, Norman Lear and Bill Hader—as they learn how comedy truly has its place in all aspects of life.

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    3. In Search Of Freedom

    Learn how the ancestors of Maya Rudolph, Shonda Rhimes and Keenen Ivory Wayans struggled for freedom, and how each of these cultural trailblazers gain a new understanding of how they fit into this proud trajectory.

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    2. The Irish Factor

    Explore the shared Irish ancestry of three powerful social commentators of our times, Bill Maher, Soledad O'Brien, and Bill O'Reilly.

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    1. The Stories We Tell

    Discover the unsolved mysteries behind the family stories of political organizer Donna Brazile, actor Ty Burrell and artist Kara Walker as they learn how the legacy of slavery has shaped their identities.

Season 4

2017 · 10 episodes · Last episode: 8 years ago

Finding Your Roots Season 4 release dates →
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    10. Funny Business

    Finale

    Guests: Amy Schumer and more. Guests who have found fame mining their family stories for comedy learn about ancestors who overcame immense suffering.

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    9. Southern Roots

    Guests: Questlove, Dr. Phil and Charlayne Hunter-Gault. Three guests of disparate backgrounds dig into their Southern roots, where slavery and its aftermath shaped families both black and white.

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    8. Relatives We Never Knew We Had

    Guests: Gaby Hoffmann and Téa Leoni. Two guests whose lives have been shaped by family mysteries are introduced to biological ancestors they never knew they had thanks to genetic detective work.

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    7. Children of the Revolution

    Guests: Lupita Nyong’o, Carmelo Anthony and Ana Navarro. Three guests explore how their family trees were shaped by political turmoil and violence, discovering sometimes unexpected ancestry along the way.

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    6. Black Like Me

    Guests: Bryant Gumbel, Tonya Lewis-Lee and Suzanne Malveaux. Three African-American guests delve deep into their family trees, discovering unexpected stories that challenge our assumptions about black history.

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    5. Immigrant Nation

    Guests: Scarlett Johansson, Paul Rudd and John Turturro. In this episode, three guests explore the tremendous challenges faced by their immigrant forebears.

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    4. The Vanguard

    Guests: Ta-Nehisi Coates, Ava DuVernay and Janet Mock. Three guests who have helped to redefine Black America in the last decade find their identities challenged as they learn about their family origins.

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    3. Puritans and Pioneers

    Guests: Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen and William H. Macy. Three mainstays of modern-day Hollywood discover family legacies that predate the United States itself.

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    2. Unfamiliar Kin

    Guests: Carly Simon, Christopher Walken, and more. In this episode, three guests each learn about a grandparent whose real identity and background had been a mystery to them. Along the way, two of them also discover that their close relatives were on the wrong side of history.

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    1. The Impression

    Join Larry David and Bernie Sanders, who learn they have more in common than they thought.

Season 5

2019 · 10 episodes · Last episode: 7 years ago

Finding Your Roots Season 5 release dates →
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    10. All in the Family

    Finale

    The family stories of actor Ty Burrell, and radio host Joe Madison. Also a look at how a summer camp for children is using genetic genealogy to help young people better understand their burgeoning identities.

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    9. The Eye of the Beholder

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. shares the family histories of director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, iconoclastic performance artist Marina Abramović and painter Kehinde Wiley. These visionary artists find their identities challenged—and affirmed.

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    8. Hard Times

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the family stories of filmmaker Michael Moore and actors Laura Linney and Chloë Sevigny—three people whose distant ancestors overcame great hardships in ways that resonate with their lives today.

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    7. No Laughing Matter

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. shows comedians Seth Meyers, Tig Notaro and Sarah Silverman that their family trees are filled with people whose struggles laid the groundwork for their success. Gates also reveals to each one news of an unexpected DNA cousin.

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    6. Roots in Politics

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the diverse family histories of politicians Paul Ryan, Tulsi Gabbard and Marco Rubio. They each see a shared vision of the great American melting pot reflected in their ancestors’ stories.

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    5. Freedom Tales

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. delves deep into the roots of two African-American guests, actor S. Epatha Merkerson and athlete and television personality Michael Strahan. Both discover unexpected stories that challenge assumptions about black history.

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    4. Dreaming of a New Land

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores with Marisa Tomei, Sheryl Sandberg and Kal Penn the tremendous challenges faced by their immigrant forebears. From Italy, Russia and India to America, their histories show success could take generations to achieve.

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    3. Reporting on the Reporters

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. shows journalists Christiane Amanpour, Ann Curry and Lisa Ling that the stories within their own family trees are every bit as compelling as the news stories they have been covering for the world.

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    2. Mystery Men

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps actors Felicity Huffman and Michael K. Williams discover a wealth of hidden family history. Both grew up knowing little about their biological fathers, and seeing their lost ancestry restored proves deeply empowering.

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    1. Grandparents and Other Strangers

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps actor Andy Samberg and author George R. R. Martin answer some family mysteries when DNA detective work uncovers new branches of their family trees. The DNA analysis upends family history and reveals new relatives.

Season 6

2019 · 16 episodes · Last episode: 5 years ago

Finding Your Roots Season 6 release dates →
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    16. Coming to America

    Finale

    Guests: Nancy Pelosi, Norah O'Donnell, Zac Posen. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, news anchor Norah O’Donnell and fashion designer Zac Posen explore their immigrant roots, retracing the journeys of their ancestors who arrived in the United States with little more than a dream--and revealing why that dream is still so inspiring today.

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    15. Breaking Silences

    Guests: Gayle King, Jordan Peele, Issa Rae. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the family secrets of journalist Gayle King, film director Jordan Peele, and comedian Issa Rae, introducing them to ancestors who raise profound questions about the shape and meaning of their family trees.

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    14. Flight

    Guests: Lupita Nyong’o, Lidia Bastianich, Scarlett Johansson. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets actors Scarlett Johansson and Lupita Nyong’o, and chef Lidia Bastianich — three women whose families crisscrossed the globe to escape oppression and find opportunity, leaving them with questions about their relatives who stayed behind. (Lupita Nyong’o originally appeared in S04E07. Lidia Bastianich originally appeared is S03E09. Scarlett Johansson originally appeared in S04E05.)

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    13. War Stories

    Guests: Kehinde Wiley, Julianne Moore, Bill Hader. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of actor Julianne Moore, comedian Bill Hader, and painter Kehinde Wiley, revealing how their ancestors’ military service left an indelible mark both on their families and on their country. (S03E06 was also titled "War Stories." Kehinde Wiley originally appeared in S05E09. Julianne Moore originally appeared in S03E06. Bill Hader originally appeared in S03E04.)

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    12. DNA Mysteries

    Guests: Téa Leoni, Joe Madison. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uses DNA detective work to solve mysteries in the family trees of actor Téa Leoni, and radio host Joe Madison, introducing each of them to parents and grandparents whose names they’ve never heard before. (Téa Leoni originally appeared in S04E08. Joe Madison originally appeared in S05E10.)

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    11. Fashion's Roots

    Guests: Diane von Furstenberg, Narciso Rodriguez, RuPaul. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. steps into the world of fashion and meets three icons of style — Diane Von Furstenberg, Narciso Rodriguez, and RuPaul Charles — introducing ancestors who were just as audacious as they are.

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    10. Criminal Kind

    The family histories of Laura Linney, Lisa Ling and Soledad O'Brien reveal tricksters, scoundrels and criminals.

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    9. Italian Roots

    Marisa Tomei, Jimmy Kimmel and John Turturro learn about the sacrifices their ancestors made to bring their families from Italy to America.

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    8. Slave Trade

    Questlove, S. Epatha Merkerson and Ava DuVernay explore the unexpected places where their ancestors were scattered by slavery.

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    7. Science Pioneers

    Tracing the family histories of scientists Harold Varmus, Francis Collins and Shirley Ann Jackson.

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    6. Secrets & Lies

    Sigourney Weaver, Justina Machado and Amy Ryan explore their ancestry.

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    5. Beyond the Pale

    Exploring the Jewish heritages of actor Jeff Goldblum, radio host Terry Gross and comic Marc Maron.

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    4. This Land is My Land

    The unexpected family trees of Queen Latifah and Jeffrey Wright challenge preconceptions about America's past.

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    3. Homecomings

    Sterling K. Brown, Jon Batiste and Sasheer Zamata learn about the unexpected places their ancestors called home.

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    2. Off the Farm

    Actors Melissa McCarthy and Eric Stonestreet retrace their ancestral journeys.

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    1. Hollywood Royalty

    Actresses Isabella Rossellini, Anjelica Huston and Mia Farrow explore their family histories, generations beyond their cinematic forebears.

Season 7

2021 · 10 episodes · Last episode: 5 years ago

Finding Your Roots Season 7 release dates →
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    10. Laughing on the Inside

    Finale

    Guests: Lewis Black and Roy Wood, Jr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. provides comedians Lewis Black and Roy Wood, Jr. with accounts of hardship in their family trees which may have led them to each find humor in adversity.

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    9. On Broadway

    Guests: Audra MacDonald and Mandy Patinkin. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. investigates the family histories of Broadway stars Audra MacDonald and Mandy Patinkin, discovering ancestors whose struggles laid the groundwork for their success.

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    8. Anchored to the Past

    Guests: Gretchen Carlson and Don Lemon. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. examines how journalists Gretchen Carlson and Don Lemon were able to overcome biases in their careers, drawing parallels to relatives who met profound challenges of their own.

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    7. The New World

    Guests: John Lithgow and Maria Hinojosa. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. traces ancestors of actor John Lithgow and journalist Maria Hinojosa who thrived in North America long before the birth of the United States.

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    6. Country Roots

    Guests: Clint Black and Rosanne Cash. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncovers the remarkably diverse backgrounds of country music icons Clint Black and Rosanne Cash.

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    5. Write My Name in the Book of Life

    Guests: Pharrell Williams and Kasi Lemmons. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps musician Pharrell Williams and filmmaker Kasi Lemmons uncover extraordinarily rare first-person accounts of their enslaved ancestors.

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    4. The Shirts on Their Backs

    Guests: Tony Shalhoub and Christopher Meloni. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reveals the immigrant roots of actors Tony Shalhoub and Christopher Meloni, introducing ancestors who came to America to build a better life.

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    3. No Irish Need Apply

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of actor Jane Lynch and comedian Jim Gaffigan, revealing the Irish American experience through their families.

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    2. The Mole Agent

    Guests: Andy Cohen and Nina Totenberg. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces Andy Cohen and Nina Totenberg to their survivor ancestors.

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    1. To the Manor Born

    Guests: Glenn Close and John Waters. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. discovers the privileged lineages of Glenn Close and John Waters.

Season 8

2022 · 10 episodes · Last episode: 4 years ago

Finding Your Roots Season 8 release dates →
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    10. Where Did We Come From?

    Finale

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. journeys with Erin Burnett, Amy Carlson and André Leon Talley, three guests from diverse backgrounds, as they meet the ancestors who laid the groundwork for their success.

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    9. Watchmen

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. guides Regina King and Damon Lindelof, the creative forces behind a visionary television series, as they discover that they have more in common than meets the eye.

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    8. Songs of the Past

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. accompanies Broadway stars Leslie Odom, Jr. and Nathan Lane as they meet a cast of inspiring ancestors hidden in the branches of their family trees.

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    7. Incredible Journeys

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps John Leguizamo and Lena Waithe retrace the paths of their immigrant ancestors who crossed continents and countries under amazing circumstances.

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    6. Fighters

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. sits down with Terry Crews and Tony Danza, both guests who overcame adversity, to discover they aren’t the first in their families to beat the odds through sheer force of will.

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    5. Mexican Roots

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the deep Mexican roots of talk show host Mario Lopez and comedian Melissa Villaseñor, uncovering ancestors stretching back to the 1500s. Weaving together stories of migratory farmers, Spanish Conquistadors and Native Americans, Gates conjures up personal histories of diverse, sometimes conflicting, elements.

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    4. Things we Dont Discuss

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps actors Pamela Adlon and Kathryn Hahn explore scandals and secrets hidden within their roots, revealing truths that their ancestors went to great lengths to conceal—and celebrating the virtues of accepting one’s family members, whoever they may be.

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    3. Activists Roots

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. welcomes Brittany Packnett Cunningham and Anita Hill, two guests who made profound sacrifices for social justice, and helps them discover the ancestors who made sacrifices for them.

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    2. Children of Exile

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. retraces the ancestral journeys of David Chang and Raúl Esparza, whose families fled their homelands, leading them to find lost parts of themselves along the way.

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    1. Hidden in the Genes

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps Rebecca Hall and Lee Daniels solve family mysteries through DNA detective work, illuminating both history and their own identities.

Season 9

2023 · 10 episodes · Last episode: 3 years ago

Finding Your Roots Season 9 release dates →
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    10. Out of the Past

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncovers the lost roots of actors Billy Crudup and Tamera Mowry-Housley, traveling back generations to recount significant events in history—from the American Revolution to the journey of the Mayflower—in a deeply personal way.

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    9. Anchormen

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces trail-blazing journalists Jim Acosta and Van Jones to the ancestors who blazed a trail for them, meeting runaway slaves and immigrant settlers who took enormous chances so that their descendants might thrive.

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    8. And Still I Rise

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reveals the unexpected family trees of activist Angela Y. Davis and statesman Jeh Johnson, using DNA and long-lost records to redefine notions of the black experience—and challenge preconceptions of America’s past.

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    7. Chosen

    Henry Louis Gates helps actors David Duchovny and Richard Kind trace their roots from Jewish communities in Eastern Europe to the United States—telling stories of triumph and tragedy that laid the groundwork for his guest’s success.

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    6. Family: Lost and Found

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uses DNA detective work to solve family mysteries for actor Joe Manganiello and football star Tony Gonzalez—uncovering close relatives whose names they’ve never heard and compelling each man to rethink his own identity.

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    5. Rising From the Ashes

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. traces the roots of actors Brian Cox and Viola Davis, uncovering records from workhouses in Scotland and slave plantations in South Carolina that reveal individuals who battled to build a better life for their families.

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    4. Far From Home

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the family trees of pop icon Cyndi Lauper and actors Jamie Chung and Danny Trejo, exploring records in Italy, Korea, and Mexico to uncover ancestors whose stories were lost when their families immigrated to America.

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    3. Secret Lives

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps comedians Carol Burnett and Niecy Nash decode scandals hidden within their roots, exposing secrets that their ancestors concealed and celebrating the virtue of accepting one’s relatives—whoever they may be.

  9. Finding Your Roots S9 E2 still E2

    2. Salem's Lot

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. takes actors Claire Danes and Jeff Daniels on a journey into their roots, uncovering primal scenes from our nation’s past, featuring World War One battles, Civil War prison camps, and America’s most infamous witch hunt.

  10. Finding Your Roots S9 E1 still E1

    1. Hidden Kin

    Henry Louis Gates explores the remarkable roots of actors Edward Norton and Julia Roberts—using DNA analysis and genealogical detective work to travel generations into the past, tracing lineages that run from Northern Europe to the American South. Along the way, Norton and Roberts reimagine their family stories and discover their hidden connections to our nation’s history—and each other.

Season 10

2024 · 10 episodes · Last episode: 2 years ago

Finding Your Roots Season 10 release dates →
  1. E10

    10. "Viewers Like You"

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. solves mysteries for 3 everyday Americans chosen to be guests.

  2. E9

    9. In the Blood

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of actor Michael Douglas & writer-director Lena Dunham. Both are the children of famous artists, but their family trees contain a cast of fascinating characters whose lives were forgotten—until now.

  3. E8

    8. Mean Streets

    Comic Tracy Morgan and actor Anthony Ramos, both native New Yorkers, map their family trees.

  4. E7

    7. The Brick Wall Falls

    HenryLouis Gates, Jr. helps musician Dionne Warwick and actor Danielle Brooks break down barriers imposed by the slave system to learn the names of their ancestors who endured unimaginable ordeals but emerged to forge families that thrived.

  5. E6

    6. Far and Away

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the extraordinarily diverse roots of journalist Sunny Hostin and actor Jesse Williams—telling long-lost stories of African and European ancestry that compel his guests to rethink their own identities.

  6. E5

    5. Hold the Laughter

    Actor Bob Odenkirk and comic Iliza Shlesinger explore their family histories and learn about relatives who took great risks to overcome hardships.

  7. E4

    4. Buried Secrets

    Singer Sammy Hagar and actor Ed O'Neill uncover their roots and discover deep family secrets.

  8. E3

    3. Fathers and Sons

    Actors LeVar Burton and Wes Studi, two men who grew up without their fathers, explore their family histories.

  9. E2

    2. Forever Young

    Actors Valerie Bertinelli and Brendan Fraser explore their family histories

  10. E1

    1. Born To Sing

    Singers Ciara and Alanis Morissette examine their family histories.

Season 11

2025 · 10 episodes · Last episode: 1 year ago

Finding Your Roots Season 11 release dates →
  1. E10

    10. Finding My Roots

    Family mysteries: actor Laurence Fishburne and scholar Henry Lewis Gates, Jr. peer into their mysterious family roots using DNA evidence to track down lost family members and their histories.

  2. E9

    9. Moving on Up

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets Sheryl Lee Ralph and Lonnie Bunch - two African Americans trace their ancestors, who overcame slavery and traveled from southern plantations to northern cities, forging prosperous families despite adversity.

  3. E8

    8. The Butterfly Effect

    Actresses Debra Messing and Melanie Lynskey explore the stories of their ancestors whose bold decisions reshaped their families.

  4. E7

    7. The Ties That Bind

    Actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard learn about their family histories, which includes stories of soldiers, settlers and criminals.

  5. E6

    6. Latin Roots

    Tracing the family trees of musician Rubén Blades and journalist Natalie Morales.

  6. E5

    5. Family Recipes

    Exploring the ancestry of chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman.

  7. E4

    4. Dreamers One and All

    Exploring the ancestry of actress Sharon Stone and model Chrissy Teigen includes travelling across Europe and Thailand.

  8. E3

    3. Stranger Than Fiction

    Traveling across China and the American South to reveal the ancestry of novelist Amy Tan and poet Rita Dove.

  9. E2

    2. La Famiglia

    Exploring the Italian roots of television host Joy Behar and actor Michael Imperioli.

  10. E1

    1. Larger Than Life

    Research into the ancestry of singer Lea Salonga and actress Amanda Seyfried reveals relatives who survived heart-wrenching ordeals.

Season 12

2026 · 10 episodes · Last episode: 6 months ago

Finding Your Roots Season 12 release dates →
  1. E10

    10. Rags to Riches

    Finale

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the roots of actor Kate Burton and media mogul Barry Diller, meeting ancestors who made huge sacrifices to escape poverty.

  2. E9

    9. Song of the South

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the family secrets of Danielle Deadwyler and Rhiannon Giddens, uncovering stories their ancestors once hid.

  3. E8

    8. Artistic Roots

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the roots of director Spike Lee and actor Kristin Chenoweth, meeting ancestors whose creativity built their families.

  4. E7

    7. Family Harmonies

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the roots of musicians Lizzo and Flea—traveling across the globe to find stories of the ancestors who inspired their work.

  5. E6

    6. Westward Bound

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the roots of talk show host Sara Haines and playwright Tracy Letts from the American west to surprising places back east.

  6. E5

    5. Love & Basketball

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the family trees of basketball stars Brittney Griner and Chris Paul—uncovering ancestors who had extraordinary talents.

  7. E4

    4. The Road We Took

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces actor Lizzie Caplan and comedian Hasan Minhaj to ancestors whose brave decisions forever reshaped their families.

  8. E3

    3. Caribbean Roots

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the Caribbean roots of actors Liza Colón-Zayas and Delroy Lindo—meeting ancestors who took enormous risks.

  9. E2

    2. Great Migrations

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces rapper Wiz Khalifa and actor Sanaa Lathan to ancestors who left the American South, boldly breaking racial barriers.

  10. E1

    1. American Dreams

    America Ferrera and Darren Criss uncover their immigrant roots.

Cast & crew

  • Donna Brazile

    Donna Brazile

    Self

  • Kara Walker

    Self

  • Bill Maher

    Bill Maher

    Self

  • Bill O'Reilly

    Bill O'Reilly

    Self

  • Dustin Hoffman

    Dustin Hoffman

    Self

  • Sterling K. Brown

    Sterling K. Brown

    Self

  • Sasheer Zamata

    Sasheer Zamata

    Self

  • Jon Batiste

    Jon Batiste

    Self

  • Harry Connick Jr.

    Harry Connick Jr.

    Self

  • Branford Marsalis

    Branford Marsalis

    Self

  • Cory Booker

    Cory Booker

    Self

  • John Lewis

    John Lewis

    Self

  • Geoffrey Canada

    Self

  • Barbara Walters

    Barbara Walters

    Self

  • Kevin Bacon

    Kevin Bacon

    Self

  • Kyra Sedgwick

    Kyra Sedgwick

    Self

Finding Your Roots FAQ

When is the next episode of Finding Your Roots?

The next episode of Finding Your Roots, Season 13 Episode 1, airs on Tuesday, January 12, 2027. Get the Streambay app to be notified the moment it's out.

When did the latest episode of Finding Your Roots come out?

The most recent episode of Finding Your Roots, Season 12 Episode 10 "Rags to Riches", aired on April 14, 2026.

How many seasons of Finding Your Roots are there?

Finding Your Roots has 13 seasons with 127 episodes in total.

When did Finding Your Roots first air?

Finding Your Roots first aired on PBS on March 24, 2012.

How do I get notified when new episodes of Finding Your Roots are released?

Download the Streambay app, follow Finding Your Roots, and you'll get a push notification the moment each new episode is released.

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