Episodes
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Viewers Like You
S10 E10 - 52m 10s
After a national casting call that received over nine thousand submissions, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets 3 everyday Americans. Each has a family mystery that they have spent years trying to solve—only to reach dead ends. Using genetic genealogy and old-fashioned detective work, Gates unravels these mysteries, allowing each of his guests to understand themselves—and their families--as never before.
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In the Blood
S10 E9 - 52m 10s
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of actor Michael Douglas & writer-director Lena Dunham. Both guests are the children of famous artists—and both proudly followed in their parents’ footsteps. But their family trees contain a cast of characters whose lives were forgotten. Gates recovers them, telling fascinating stories from the shtetls of Eastern Europe to the streets of colonial America.
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Mean Streets
S10 E8 - 52m 11s
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the family trees of comedian Tracy Morgan & actor Anthony Ramos—two native New Yorkers whose roots stretch to surprising places and contain inspiring stories. Moving from the Canary Islands to battlefields in Europe & Asia to slave plantations in Virginia, long-lost records reveal ancestors who laid the groundwork for Tracy and Anthony’s success by fighting to survive.
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The Brick Wall Falls
S10 E7 - 52m 11s
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps musician Dionne Warwick and actor Danielle Brooks break down the barriers imposed by slavery to learn the names and stories of their ancestors who endured bondage. Facing one of the greatest genealogical challenges, Gates uses his detective skills to piece together the lives of women and men who survived unimaginable ordeals—but emerged to forge families that thrived.
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Far and Away
S10 E6 - 52m 11s
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of journalist Sunny Hostin & actor Jesse Williams—revealing the tremendous diversity hidden within their family trees. Sifting through stories of Swedish musical prodigies, Spanish slave traders, Southern plantations, and Salem Witch Trials, Gates unravels deep secrets and uncovers lost ancestors—compelling each of his guests to rethink their identities.
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Hold the Laughter
S10 E5 - 52m 11s
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncovers the roots of comedians Bob Odenkirk and Iliza Shlesinger—two very funny people whose family trees brim with stories that are more drama than comedy. Moving from Napoleonic France to Nazi-occupied Poland to the castle of a European duke, Gates introduces them to relatives who took great risks and overcame enormous hardships for the sake of their families.
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Buried Secrets
S10 E4 - 52m 11s
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps singer Sammy Hagar and actor Ed O’Neill uncover their hidden roots, revealing scandals and secrets that their ancestors went to great lengths to conceal. Traveling from criminal underworlds to Civil War battlefields, they explore the meaning of family bonds—meet heroes and villains—and celebrate the virtue of accepting one’s relatives, whoever they may be.
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Fathers and Sons
S10 E3 - 52m 11s
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets actors LeVar Burton and Wes Studi—two men who grew up without their fathers, haunted by questions about entire branches of their family trees. With only a handful of clues to guide him, Gates uncovers stories his guests have long wanted to hear, introducing them to ancestors whose names they’ve never known-—and revealing their connections to key moments in history.
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Forever Young
S10 E2 - 52m 11s
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets Valerie Bertinelli and Brendan Fraser—two actors who found fame when they were young and lived much of their lives in the limelight, cut off from their roots. Moving from war-torn Europe to the coal mines of Pennsylvania to the Amazon jungle, each discovers the places their ancestors once called home—providing new insight into what made them who they are today.
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Born to Sing
S10 E1 - 52m 12s
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of singers Alanis Morissette and Ciara—using DNA analysis and genealogical detective work to trace lineages that run from shtetls in Eastern Europe to Jazz Age Harlem. Along the way, Alanis and Ciara reimagine their families and meet the people who laid the groundwork for their success—including one ancestor who was at the center of a song.
Extras + Features
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Mean Streets Preview
S10 E8 - 32s
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the family trees of comedian Tracy Morgan & actor Anthony Ramos—two native New Yorkers whose roots stretch to surprising places and contain inspiring stories. Moving from the Canary Islands to battlefields in Europe & Asia to slave plantations in Virginia, long-lost records reveal ancestors who laid the groundwork for Tracy and Anthony’s success by fighting to survive.
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Tracy Morgan Discovers a Pre-Civil War Freed Ancestor
S10 E8 - 5m 46s
Surprisingly, Tracy Morgan's third great-grandfather, Wiley Warton, was listed by name in the 1860 census, indicating he was free before the Civil War -- a rare occurrence for black individuals at that time.
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Dionne Warwick Reflects on the Ugly Legacy Slavery
S10 E7 - 5m 44s
Dionne Warwick discovers her ancestors in the 1870 census in Jackson County, Florida, likely born into slavery. Researchers found a white farmer, Joseph Russ, who owned 31 enslaved people in the 1860s, potentially including Dionne's ancestors. She reflects on the impact of seeing her ancestor listed anonymously in the slave schedule and acknowledges the undeniable connection to slavery.
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Danielle Brooks Learns the Dollar Value of Her Ancestors
S10 E7 - 6m 42s
Danielle Brooks takes a genealogical journey to Lowndes County, Mississippi, tracing her fifth-greatgrandparents, Fraser and Susan Sharp, back to the 1850s. Finding Your Roots uncovered records indicating their status as enslaved individuals on a plantation owned by Elisha Sharp, with Fraser valued at $1350 and Susan and their three youngest children at $2000.
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The Brick Wall Falls Preview
S10 E7 - 32s
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps musician Dionne Warwick & 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.
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Dionne Warwick Explores the Roots of Her Singing Grandfather
S10 E7 - 6m 44s
Dionne Warwick explores her family history, focusing on her maternal grandfather, Nitch (Nicholas Drinkard). Through research, she discovers that Nitch's grandparents, John Drinkard Sr. and his wife, owned land in Georgia in the early 1900s, which was uncommon for African-Americans at the time. The Drinkards likely farmed cotton before relocating to Newark, New Jersey, by the late 1920s.
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Jesse Williams Discovers the Story of An Enslaved Ancestor
S10 E6 - 2m 57s
Jesse learns about his ancestor, July Hadley's life as an enslaved individual, tracing connections to Samuel Hadley's estate and the cultivation of cotton. Despite geographical proximity to ancestral lands, the emotional impact of visiting evokes a profound sense of connection and reflection.
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Jesse Williams Learns About His Swedish Great Grandmother
S10 E6 - 5m 31s
Jesse Williams learns about his great grandmother, Inge, who left her small farming parish in Sweden to study at the Royal Music Academy in Stockholm in 1871 -- a significant move for a young woman at that time.
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Sunny Hostin Explores Her Puerto Rican Roots
S10 E6 - 2m 36s
Through investigative efforts, Sunny Hostin's ancestral lineage was traced back three generations to Fermín Beza, Sunny's third great-grandfather, from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
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Far and Away Preview
S10 E6 - 32s
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.
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Sunny Hostin Learns About Her Grandmother's Missing Father
S10 E6 - 6m 4s
A 1940 census, reveals that Sonny Hostin's grandmother, Mary's father was absent from her parental home. Mary's father, Robert Cummings, left the family around 1937. This absence likely impacted Mary, who was close to her mother but didn't discuss her father much.
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Iliza Schlesinger's Comedic DNA Cousin is Revealed
S10 E5 - 38s
Iliza Schlesinger learns that she shares significant DNA segments with fellow comedian Sarah Silverman, indicating a closer genetic relationship than usual.
Schedule
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Finding Your Roots
Activists Roots
Wednesday
Sep 18
1 Hour
Brittany P. Cunningham and Anita Hill explore their family history. -
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Finding Your Roots
Activists Roots
Wednesday
Sep 18
1 Hour
Brittany P. Cunningham and Anita Hill explore their family history. -
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Finding Your Roots
Activists Roots
Saturday
Sep 21
1 Hour
Brittany P. Cunningham and Anita Hill explore their family history. -
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Finding Your Roots
Activists Roots
Sunday
Sep 22
1 Hour
Brittany P. Cunningham and Anita Hill explore their family history. -
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Finding Your Roots
Activists Roots
Sunday
Sep 22
1 Hour
Brittany P. Cunningham and Anita Hill explore their family history. -
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Finding Your Roots
Activists Roots
Sunday
Sep 22
1 Hour
Brittany P. Cunningham and Anita Hill explore their family history. -
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Finding Your Roots
Activists Roots
Monday
Sep 23
1 Hour
Brittany P. Cunningham and Anita Hill explore their family history. -
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Finding Your Roots
Activists Roots
Tuesday
Sep 24
1 Hour
Brittany P. Cunningham and Anita Hill explore their family history. -
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Finding Your Roots
Mexican Roots
Tuesday
Sep 24
1 Hour
Mario Lopez and Melissa Villaseñor look at the Mexican American experience through their family histories. -
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Finding Your Roots
Mexican Roots
Tuesday
Sep 24
1 Hour
Mario Lopez and Melissa Villaseñor look at the Mexican American experience through their family histories. -
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Finding Your Roots
Mexican Roots
Wednesday
Sep 25
1 Hour
Mario Lopez and Melissa Villaseñor look at the Mexican American experience through their family histories. -
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Finding Your Roots
Mexican Roots
Wednesday
Sep 25
1 Hour
Mario Lopez and Melissa Villaseñor look at the Mexican American experience through their family histories. -
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Finding Your Roots
Mexican Roots
Sunday
Sep 29
1 Hour
Mario Lopez and Melissa Villaseñor look at the Mexican American experience through their family histories. -
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Finding Your Roots
Activists Roots
Sunday
Sep 29
1 Hour
Brittany P. Cunningham and Anita Hill explore their family history. -
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Finding Your Roots
Activists Roots
Monday
Sep 30
1 Hour
Brittany P. Cunningham and Anita Hill explore their family history. -
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Finding Your Roots
Activists Roots
Monday
Sep 30
1 Hour
Brittany P. Cunningham and Anita Hill explore their family history.
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