Today’s leading artists, authors, politicians, activists, business moguls, architects and journalists will discover their fascinating family stories going back many generations in the new third season of the critically acclaimed series FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. The ten-part series will begin airing on PBS on January 2016.
Professor Gates, the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, continues exploring the mysteries, surprises and revelations hidden in the family trees of 28 of today’s most intriguing cultural trailblazers.
In the third season of FINDING YOUR ROOTS, broadcast journalists and commentators Bill O’Reilly, Bill Maher and Soledad O’Brien look into their shared Irish roots and learn of the formidable obstacles that their forbears faced.
MODERN FAMILY’s Ty Burell seeks answers about his possible African lineage and political organizer Donna Brazile wants to find clues to the mystery of her unusual surname.
Neil Patrick Harris learns that his bravery as a performer can be traced to a courageous 11th great-grandfather who was one of the first settlers in colonial Virginia, and Gloria Steinem discovers that she was not the first in her family to embrace feminism.
Three of the most successful and influential figures in entertainment—Maya Rudolph, Shonda Rhimes and Keenen Ivory Wayans—gain a new understanding of the struggle for freedom that binds their families and the roles each plays in this trajectory.
While Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Hader and Norman Lear share a gift for comedy, they also share a history of family tragedies, and Lear, whose characters have been inspired by his embittered parents, learns information about their origins in Russia that completely changes his perspective.
The family histories of Julianne Moore, Patricia Arquette and Senator John McCain are steeped in military service throughout the centuries, from which each has inherited a distinctively independent sense of strength and integrity.
Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow last shared the screen in 1969; in FINDING YOUR ROOTS, they share a history of tragic deaths that their ancestors endured, providing the building blocks of two of the great Hollywood success stories.
And Sean “Puffy” Combs and LL Cool J learn of family histories long shrouded in mystery that shakes them both to their cores.
“There is something essential in human nature that drives us to wonder where we came from,” said Professor Gates. “We can’t truly know ourselves until we know something of our origins. With new DNA technology we can learn more about this past and go further back than ever before, and we hope that the new season will inspire people to find out more about their own personal family stories, and spark an interest among young people in genetics, anthropology, history, and the pursuit of science.”
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1: “The Stories We Tell” airs Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. - Discover the unsolved mysteries behind the family stories of political organizer Donna Brazile, actor Ty Burrell and artist Kara Walker as they learn how the legacy of slavery has shaped their identities.
Episode 2: “The Irish Factor” airs Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. - Explore the shared Irish ancestry of Soledad O’Brien, Bill O’Reilly and Bill Maher and how they have been deeply influenced by their Irish roots.
Episode 3: “In Search Of Freedom” airs Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. - Learn how the ancestors of Maya Rudolph, Shonda Rhimes and Keenen Ivory Wayans struggled for freedom, and how each of these cultural trailblazers gains a new understanding of how they fit into this proud trajectory.
Episode 4: “Tragedy + Time = Comedy” airs Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. - Uncover a history of tragedies and triumphs in the families of three of America’s funniest men—Jimmy Kimmel, Norman Lear and Bill Hader—as they learn how comedy truly has its place in all aspects of life.
Episode 5: “Visionaries” airs Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. - Discover how the ancestors of business mogul Richard Branson and architects Maya Lin and Frank Gehry took audacious risks to create opportunities, and how their luck, ingenuity and chutzpah was passed on to these three visionaries.
Episode 6: “War Stories” airs Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. - Uncover a long history of military service in the families of Patricia Arquette, Julianne Moore and John McCain, and how this has instilled in each of them an enduring spirit of strength and integrity.
Episode 7: “Family Reunions” airs Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. - Uncover family mysteries about two legends of hip hop, Sean Combs and LL Cool J, through the use of DNA technology that reveals information that shakes their very foundations.
Episode 8: “The Pioneers” airs Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. - Discover how Neil Patrick Harris, Gloria Steinem and Sandra Cisneros are connected to pioneers who broke new ground and paved the way for their modern-day descendants to continue shaping our culture.
Episode 9: “The Long Way Home” airs Tuesday, March 1 at 8 p.m. - Discover how actress Julianna Marguiles, author Azar Nafisi and chef Lidia Bastianich are bound together by their ancestors' singular and deeply human desire to preserve their most cherished traditions.
Episode 10: “Maps Of Stars” airs Tuesday, March 8 at 8 p.m. & repeats Friday, March 11 at 9 p.m. - Learn how Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow, who last shared the screen together in 1969, also share a history of tragic deaths in their families that played major roles in shaping future generations.
WATCH ON YOUR SCHEDULE:
Past episodes and clips from this series are available for online viewing.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
FINDING YOUR ROOTS is on Facebook, and you can follow @HenryLouisGates on Twitter.
The Long Way Home
"Discover how actress Julianna Margulies
Family Reunions
"Uncover family mysteries about two legends of hip hop
War Stories
"Watch the full episode of "War Stories" from Finding Your Roots: Season Three. Patricia Arquette
CREDITS:
FINDING YOUR ROOTS: Season 3 is a production of McGee Media, Inkwell Films, Kunhardt Films and WETA Washington, D.C. in association with Ark Media.
