Culture

Finding Your Roots

For more than a decade, renowned Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has helped to expand America’s sense of itself, stimulating a national conversation about identity with humor, wisdom, and compassion. Professor Gates has explored the ancestry of dozens of influential people from diverse backgrounds, taking millions of viewers deep into the past to reveal the connections that bind us all.

Dreamers One And All

49m 55s

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets actor Sharon Stone & model Chrissy Teigen—two stars who found fame when they were young & lived much of their lives in the limelight, knowing little about their roots. Gates reveals they aren’t the first people in their families who dared to dream big, tracing lineages from Eastern Europe to Medieval France to rural Thailand.

Episodes

  • Dreamers One And All: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Dreamers One And All

    S11 E4 - 49m 55s

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets actor Sharon Stone & model Chrissy Teigen—two stars who found fame when they were young & lived much of their lives in the limelight, knowing little about their roots. Gates reveals they aren’t the first people in their families who dared to dream big, tracing lineages from Eastern Europe to Medieval France to rural Thailand.

  • Stranger Than Fiction: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Stranger Than Fiction

    S11 E3 - 52m 10s

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the roots of two award-winning writers: novelist Amy Tan and poet Rita Dove, tracing lineages that run from a plantation in Maryland to a speakeasy in Washington, DC to a village in central China. Along the way, Amy and Rita reimagine themselves as they learn the true stories of the people who laid the groundwork for their success—and inspired their art.

  • La Famiglia: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    La Famiglia

    S11 E2 - 52m 10s

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the family trees of talk show host Joy Behar and actor Michael Imperioli—two Americans whose roots stretch back to small towns in Calabria, Italy. Joy and Michael’s families lived in these towns for centuries, but their stories were lost on the journey to America. Gates reveals the challenges that their ancestors faced—and overcame—on both sides of the Atlantic.

  • Larger Than Life: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Larger Than Life

    S11 E1 - 52m 10s

    Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces actors Lea Salonga and Amanda Seyfried to ancestors who are every bit as dramatic as the characters they’ve played on stage and screen. Moving from a naval base in the Philippines to a small town bakery in Pennsylvania to steamships on the Atlantic Ocean, Lea and Amanda hear stories of relatives who survived wars, murders, and heart-wrenching ordeals.

Extras + Features

  • Season 11: Extended Trailer: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Season 11: Extended Trailer

    S11 - 3m 13s

    Renowned scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. returns for a new season of FINDING YOUR ROOTS. Using genealogical detective work and cutting-edge DNA analysis, Gates guides twenty compelling guests deep into their family trees, revealing surprising stories that transcend borders, illuminating an American root system fortified by its diversity.

Schedule

  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Dreamers One and All

    Saturday
    Feb 1

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of actress Sharon Stone and model Chrissy Teigen includes traveling across Europe and Thailand.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Dreamers One and All

    Saturday
    Feb 1

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of actress Sharon Stone and model Chrissy Teigen includes traveling across Europe and Thailand.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Dreamers One and All

    Saturday
    Feb 1

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of actress Sharon Stone and model Chrissy Teigen includes traveling across Europe and Thailand.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Dreamers One and All

    Sunday
    Feb 2

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of actress Sharon Stone and model Chrissy Teigen includes traveling across Europe and Thailand.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Dreamers One and All

    Sunday
    Feb 2

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of actress Sharon Stone and model Chrissy Teigen includes traveling across Europe and Thailand.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Dreamers One and All

    Sunday
    Feb 2

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of actress Sharon Stone and model Chrissy Teigen includes traveling across Europe and Thailand.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Dreamers One and All

    Monday
    Feb 3

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of actress Sharon Stone and model Chrissy Teigen includes traveling across Europe and Thailand.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Dreamers One and All

    Monday
    Feb 3

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of actress Sharon Stone and model Chrissy Teigen includes traveling across Europe and Thailand.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Family Recipes

    Tuesday
    Feb 4

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Family Recipes

    Tuesday
    Feb 4

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Family Recipes

    Wednesday
    Feb 5

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Family Recipes

    Wednesday
    Feb 5

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Family Recipes

    Wednesday
    Feb 5

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Family Recipes

    Wednesday
    Feb 5

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Family Recipes

    Saturday
    Feb 8

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Family Recipes

    Saturday
    Feb 8

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Family Recipes

    Saturday
    Feb 8

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Family Recipes

    Sunday
    Feb 9

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Family Recipes

    Sunday
    Feb 9

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman.
  • Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Finding Your Roots

    Family Recipes

    Sunday
    Feb 9

    1 Hour

    Exploring the ancestry of chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman.

WETA Passport

Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.