PBS America has picked up the UK broadcast rights to Finding Your Roots, a new 10-part genealogy series that originally aired on America’s PBS stations last year. The ten part series is set to receive its UK premiere on PBS America on Sunday February 24th at 8pm.
Hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr, Finding Your Roots follows Gates and his production team as they work with leading US genealogists and ancestry experts from around the world and comb through family stories to discover unknown histories and relatives the guests never knew existed. When paper trails end for each story, the team turns to top geneticists and DNA diagnosticians to analyze each participant’s genetic code, tracing their bloodlines and occasionally debunking their long-held notions and beliefs. The ten-part series features a number of guests who become the focus of episodes, such guest include Samuel L. Jackson, former National Security Adviser and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Barbara Walters, Robert Downey Jr & More.
Speaking of the series, Henry Louis Gates Jr said: “Finding Your Roots is a moving, uplifting, entertaining and enlightening experience for viewers. Genealogy is more popular than ever, but it’s far more than a solitary pastime. It’s a fascinating endeavor that can drastically alter both history and the way we think of ourselves. The series isn’t just about genealogy and genetics, but a broader dialogue about what race really means.”
You can watch PBS America’s trailer for the series below: