PBS’s flagship genealogy series, “Finding Your Roots,” returns for its eleventh season, and while the formula remains the same – famous people discover interesting things about their ancestors – the appeal hasn’t diminished. This time around, Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, the voice of Disney’s Mulan, and Amanda Seyfried, Emmy-winner for “The Dropout,” are the subjects.
Part of the fun is seeing how these celebrities react to the often surprising revelations about their family histories. Will Salonga’s lineage include Filipino revolutionaries? Did Seyfried’s ancestors arrive on the Mayflower? Okay, probably not the Mayflower, but you get the idea. Host Henry Louis Gates Jr., with his avuncular charm and genuine enthusiasm for genealogical deep dives, is the perfect guide through these historical journeys.
The series is a reminder that even the most glamorous figures have regular folks in their past, struggling with everyday life just like the rest of us. And occasionally, those regular folks did some extraordinary things. Tune in to see what skeletons (or hidden treasures) Salonga and Seyfried unearth from their family trees.
“Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr.” airs Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at 8 PM ET on PBS.
