Fresh off its first-ever Emmy nomination for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special,Finding Your Rootsis gearing up for an exciting Season 11premiere this January. But this time, there’s a twist. Host and beloved historian ProfessorHenry Louis Gates, Jr. will switch sides and become the guest, unraveling a long-standing family mystery of his own.
If you’ve been keeping up with the show, you know the series doesn’t shy away from delivering jaw-dropping revelations. Over the years, celebs likeBen Affleck,Joe Manganiello, andPharrell Williamshave uncovered everything from uncomfortable connections to heartbreaking truths about their ancestry. Even the whole “six degrees of Kevin Bacon” thing isn’t as wild as it sounds.
Season 11 is set to deliver more of that powerful, sometimes complicated storytelling. Gates and his top-notch research team use everything from genealogical detective work to groundbreaking DNA analysis to peel back the layers of history. War heroes, criminals, bigamists, and royalty—no stone is left unturned as they explore the journeys of immigrants and survivors alike.
Across 10 brand-new episodes in 2025, 19 celebrity guests will step into the hot seat, their family trees revealing stories that celebrate America’s melting pot. Whether it’s uncovering extraordinary legacies or piecing together hidden histories, here’s where you can watch and streamFinding Your RootsSeason 11.
Is ‘Finding Your Roots’ Season 11 Premiering on TV?
Yes!Finding Your RootsSeason 11 officially premieres on Tuesday, January 7 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on PBS. Without giving away too many spoilers, actressesLea SalongafromMulanandThe Dropout’sAmanda Seyfriedare among the first guests to appear in the episode.
In each one-hour episode, there will be a pair of stars discovering how their relatives survived heart-wrenching ordeals.
Is ‘Finding Your Roots’ Season 11 Streaming Online?
Amanda Seyfried is seated across from Henry Louis Gates, Jr., smiling brightly during her session on Finding Your Roots Season 11. She’s wearing a light-colored sweater.
You can catch all the drama live at thirteen.org/live, or tune in on the THIRTEEN Explore and PBS apps, no matter which device you’re using. New episodes drop every Tuesday from January 7 through February 28, with the final two episodes returning on April 1 and April 8.
Does the Show Have a Trailer or Synopsis?
Check out the trailer forFinding Your RootsSeason 11, which offers a glimpse of Seyfried learning that one of her ancestors met a shocking end. TheMamma Mialead finds out their ancestors “are every bit as dramatic as the characters they’ve played on stage and screen.”
“Oh my God, what? Oh my God,” Seyfried said as she read the article revealing that her great-grandfather’s grandfather had been fatally shot at his home one night in 1905.
The trailer also reveals a guest roster which includes the likes ofKristen Bell,Laurence Fishburne,Melanie Lynskey,Sheryl Lee Ralph, andChrissy Teigen.
PBS also promisesthat host Gates will finally find “the solution to a mystery that has haunted [his] family for generations.” Visibly moved, Gates says the discovery was “deeply emotional.”
Over the course of ten seasons, the series has unearthed hundreds of fascinating family connections for its A-list guests, but fans especially love when unexpected DNA overlaps pop up.
We’ve seen everything fromJulia RobertsandEdward Nortonsharing a branch of the family tree toLarry DavidandBernie Sandersbeing distant relatives.Michael DouglasandScarlett Johansson,Bill HaderandCarol Burnett,Cory BookerandRuPaul, andMarisa TomeiandJulianne Moorehave all had similarly jaw-dropping links revealed. The big question is, will there be more of these surprising pairings in the upcoming season? Stay tuned.
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What Other Shows Can I Watch Like This One?
‘Who Do You Think You Are?’
Who Do You Think You Are?
This hit American remake of the British series of the same name follows celebrities on a journey to uncover the twists and turns of their own family histories. Top stars interview relatives, flip through old pictures, and journey to their ancestral hometowns, making for some seriously captivating genealogy sleuthing.
The guest list features Hollywood heavyweights likeGwyneth Paltrow,Stephen Fry,Matthew Broderick,Spike Lee,Sarah Jessica Parker,Susan Sarandon,Rashida Jones,Rob Lowe,Aisha Tyler,Jim Parsons, andMandy Moore—just to drop a few names. You may be surprised to learn thatFriendsstarLisa Kudrow, aka Phoebe Buffay, is one of the show’s executive producers.
As for where to watch, the show has hopped around networks over the years, moving from NBC to TLC and then back again for its 11th season in 2022. You can stream seven TLC seasons on Discovery+ via Amazon Prime, while Seasons 4 through 11 are available on NBC. The show aired in the US from 2010 to 2022, while the UK version is still going strong, having just wrapped its 21st season.
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO
‘Long Lost Family’
Long Lost Family
Long Lost Familyis another American spin-off, this time from the Dutch seriesSpoorloos. Get ready to reach out for some tissues with this harrowing series hosted by adopteesChris JacobsandLisa Joyner. Across six emotional seasons, they bring together families who’ve been separated by adoption (anyone rememberThree Identical Strangers?), foundling situations, kids switched at birth, and even unknown birth fathers (including a sperm donor or two).
Armed with DNA tests, public records, and just about any other lead they can find, Jacobs and Joyner offer support and guidance every step of the way. Finally, in deeplymoving reunions, people meet the loved ones they’ve been searching for. Cue the tears!
‘The Genealogy Roadshow’
Think of thisPBSseries as anAntiques Roadshow, but instead of dusty relics, it’s all about unraveling long-lost family stories. Genealogy expertsD. Joshua Taylor,Kenyatta Berry, andMary Tedescohit the road, stopping in cities like Austin, Boston, Nashville, and New Orleans. Their mission is to collect unverified family legends from local residents, then use documents, DNA, and other detective work to see what’s really going on.
When the truth comes to light, the hosts sit down with each guest and share the sometimes surprising, sometimes heartwarming revelations. If you have a PBS Passport subscription, you may stream some episodes on the PBS website. You can also find the show onTubi TV, Pluto TV, or purchase episodes onApple TVor Amazon Prime Video.
