WATERTOWN, NY; January 4, 2023 – Now the #1 Nielsen rated non-drama program on PBS, FINDING YOUR ROOTS with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. returns with Season 9 on WPBS-TV Tuesday, January 3 at 8:00 pm.
10 exciting new episodes will feature today’s most compelling personalities discovering the surprising stories in their own family trees and the deep connections that bind us together. Mixing cutting-edge DNA research and old-school genealogical sleuthing, FINDING YOUR ROOTS uncovers long-buried secrets, hidden identities, and lost ancestors from Africa and Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Ireland, Italy, Ukraine, and the most distant corners of North America.
EPISODES INCLUDE:
901: “Hidden Kin” – Tuesday, January 3 at 8:00 PM
Henry Louis Gates explores the roots of actors Edward Norton and Julia Roberts, using DNA analysis and genealogical detective work to travel back centuries, revealing his guest’s hidden connections to American history—and each other.
902: “Salem’s Lot” – Tuesday, January 10 at 8:00 PM
Henry Louis Gates 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.
903: “Secret Lives” – Tuesday, January 17 at 8:00 PM
Henry Louis Gates 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.
904: “Far From Home” – Tuesday, January 24 at 8:00 PM
Henry Louis Gates 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.
905: “Rising From The Ashes” – Tuesday, January 31 at 8:00 PM
Henry Louis Gates 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.
906: “Family: Lost And Found” – Tuesday, February 7 at 8:00 PM
Henry Louis Gates 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.
907: “Chosen” – Tuesday, February 14 at 8:00 PM
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.
908: “And Still I Rise” – Tuesday, February 21 at 8:00 PM
Henry Louis Gates 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.
909: “Anchormen” – Tuesday, March 28 at 8:00 PM
Henry Louis Gates 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.
910: “Out Of The Past” – Tuesday, April 4 at 8:00 PM
Henry Louis Gates 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.
In response to the overwhelming comments from fans asking for a non-celebrity guest to be featured in the series, FINDING YOUR ROOTS will be casting a viewer for Season 10 of the long-running PBS series. The nationwide casting call will conclude on or around January 27, 2023. The series is looking for anyone with a “family mystery” that the team from FINDING YOUR ROOTS can help solve. The chosen viewer will be publicly announced in the summer of 2023, and will appear on Season 10, which is expected to premiere in early 2024. Interested participants can submit their stories at findingyourrootscasting.com through January 27, 2023.
FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR., Season Nine is a production of McGee Media, Inkwell Media, Kunhardt Films and WETA Washington, D.C. Corporate support for FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR., Season Nine is provided by Ancestry and Johnson & Johnson. Major support is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Support is also provided by Ford Foundation; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; Candace King Weir; and by The Inkwell Society and its members Jim and Susan Swartz; Hayward and Kathy Draper; Mitch Kapor and Freada Kapor Klein; Nicole Commissiong and Darnell Armstrong; and Anne Wojcicki.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
