Show Guide: 'Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr.'

Synopsis: Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. returns for its 10th season on PBS. Over the course of ten new episodes, Gates and his team use genealogical detective work and cutting-edge DNA analysis to trace the family trees of well-known personalities, telling stories that illuminate America’s shared past and fundamental diversity. With each turn of the page in their “book of life”, Gates reveals to his guests the long-buried secrets, hidden identities, and lost ancestors who have laid the groundwork for their success. In learning the emotional and sometimes complex narratives of their ancestry, each guest achieves a deeper understanding of history, family, and belonging. What’s more, this new season features some special guests— drawn from the audience.

Following a nation-wide casting call, three viewers were selected to join the line-up of celebrities and sit down with Gates to solve a family mystery and discover what lies hidden in their own roots. Season Ten includes actors Valerie Bertinelli (“One Day at a Time”), Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”), LeVar Burton (“Star Trek”), Michael Douglas (“Wall Street”), Lena Dunham (“Girls”), Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”), Tracy Morgan (“30 Rock”), Ed O’Neill (“Modern Family”), Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”), Anthony Ramos (“In the Heights”), Wes Studi (“The Last of the Mohicans”), Jesse Williams (“Grey’s Anatomy”); comedian Iliza Shlesinger; musicians Ciara, Sammy Hagar, Alanis Morissette and Dionne Warwick; and journalist Sunny Hostin. (Courtesy PBS, 2024)

The Cast:

Production Credits:

The Episodes:
Season One Episode Guide (PBS)

Season Two Episode Guide (PBS)

Season Three Episode Guide (PBS)

Season Four Episode Guide (PBS)

Season Five Episode Guide (PBS)

Season Six Episode Guide (PBS)
6-01 

6-02

6-03

6-04 This Land Is My Land--01/14/2020
The unexpected family trees of Queen Latifah and Jeffrey Wright challenge preconceptions about America's past.

6-05

6-06 Secrets & Lies--01/28/2020
Sigourney Weaver, Justina Machado and Amy Ryan explore their ancestry.

6-07

6-08

6-09

6-10 Laughing On The Inside--

6-11 Fashion's Roots--10/13/2020
Designers Diane von Furstenberg and Narciso Rodriguez and actor RuPaul Charles learn about their ancestors.


Season Seven Episode Guide (PBS)
7-01 To The Manor Born--01/19/2021
Actress Glenn Close and filmmaker John Waters discover their privileged lineages. 

7-02 Against All Odds--01/26/2021
Andy Cohen and Nina Totenberg learn about their ancestors who had to fight to survive.

7-03

7-04

7-05

7-06 Country Roots--02/23/2021
The diverse backgrounds of country musicians Clint Black and Roseanne Cash.

7-07

7-08

7-09

7-10 Laughing On The Inside--05/04/2021
Comics Lewis Black and Roy Wood Jr. learn about the hardships in their family trees which may have contributed to their ability to find humor in adversity.


Season Eight Episode Guide (PBS)
8-01

8-02

8-03

8-04

8-05

8-06

8-07

8-08 Songs Of The Past--02/22/2022
Broadway actors Leslie Odom Jr. and Nathan Lane explore their family histories.


Season Nine Episode Guide (PBS)
9-01 Hidden Kin--01/03/2023
Actors Edward Norton and Julia Roberts discover their hidden connections to history.

9-02

9-03

9-04

9-05 Rising From The Ashes--01/31/2023
Actor Brian Cox and Viola Davis explore their family trees for the first time.


Season Ten Episode Guide (PBS)
10-01 Born To Sing--01/02/2024

10-02 Forever Young--01/09/2024
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets Valerie Bertinelli and Brendan Fraser — two actors who  found fame when they were young and lived their lives in the limelight, cut off from their roots. Each discovers ancestors who paved the way for their success.

10-03 Fathers And Sons--01/16/2024
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets actors LeVar Burton and Wes Studi — two men who grew up without their fathers. With few clues to guide him, Gates introduces them to ancestors they’ve never known — revealing connections to key moments in history.

10-04 Buried Secrets--01/23/2024
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps singer Sammy Hagar and actor Ed O’Neill uncover their roots, revealing secrets their ancestors went to great lengths to conceal — and celebrating the virtue of accepting one’s relatives, whoever they may be.

10-05

10-06

10-07

10-08

10-09 In The Blood--04/02/2024
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.

10-10 Viewers Like You--04/09/2024
Three everyday Americans learn about their family histories.


Season Eleven Episode Guide (PBS)
11-01 Larger Than Life--01/07/2025
Research into the ancestry of singer Lea Salonga and actress Amanda Seyfried reveals relatives who survived heart-wrenching ordeals.