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FINDING YOUR ROOTS: Stranger Than Fiction

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and poet Rita Dove.
PBS
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and poet Rita Dove.

Stream now with KPBS Passport on KPBS+ / Watch Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV

The acclaimed series returns with Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. exploring the mysteries, surprises and revelations hidden in the family trees of popular figures.

Amy discovers records of her father's immigration from China and his many accomplishments.

On this episode, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the family trees of two award-winning writers: novelist Amy Tan and poet Rita Dove—traveling across China and the American South to uncover long lost stories of the ancestors who inspired their work.

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Rita learns about her grandfather's criminal charges and trying adulthood.

The guest roster for Season 11 includes actors Kristen Bell, Laurence Fishburne, Debra Messing, Michael Imperioli, Melanie Lynskey, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lea Salonga, Amanda Seyfried, Dax Shepard, and Sharon Stone; celebrity chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman; novelist Amy Tan; poet Rita Dove; historian Lonnie Bunch; talk show host Joy Behar; musician Rubén Blades; journalist Natalie Morales; and model Chrissy Teigen.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the family tree of novelist Amy Tan.
PBS
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the family tree of novelist Amy Tan.

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.

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.

Watch On Your Schedule: FINDING YOUR ROOTS "Stranger Than Fiction" is available to stream with KPBS Passport, on KPBS+, a new free streaming video app designed for ease and enjoyment everywhere you watch including Roku, smart TVs and mobile devices. It’s locally curated for San Diego by the KPBS programming team. With a clean and intuitive design, discovering and enjoying KPBS and PBS content on-demand has never been easier.

You can also tune in live to watch our four TV channels in real time: KPBS, KPBS 2, Create, KPBS Kids 24/7. We also added a new channel - FNX (First Nation Experience). Your KPBS Passport member benefit works on KPBS+ too! You’ll have access to even more great shows when you simply log in with your KPBS Passport account.

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