topic Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots in Community Chat

PBS show Finding Your Roots

songbird — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 17:27:38 GMT

There is a PBS show (I rarely catch it) called Finding Your Roots. They usually have a famous celebrity and they reveal his "roots" with DNA. Michael Douglas was on recently. He found he was related to Scarlett Johansson! Turns out he is a DNA cousin of hers. Interesting show. In the past, Julia Roberts found out she's a cousin to Edward Norton. She also learned that her ancestors owned slaves. Also one of her great grand parents changed the last name of Mitchell to Roberts. So there are some outstanding surprises.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

AnjalenaQVC — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 17:57:11 GMT

This post has been removed by QVC because it is unkind

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

spiderw — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:00:08 GMT

I always enjoy this show and have been watching since it began. Of course some of the guests back rounds are more interesting than others but it is amazing how the show traces ancestry. It is another well done TV show on PBS which gives us Masterpiece Theater, Mysteries, documentaries and many other gems!!!!!!

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

50Mickey — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:05:14 GMT

I enjoy that show. A number of years ago Sarah Jessica Parker was a guest. She found out that she was related to one of the women who was accused of being a witch in the Salem witch trials. I thought that was interesting because of her role in Hocus Pocus. It is fascinating how far back they can trace someone's ancestry.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

CelticCrafter — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:19:14 GMT

I've seen it as I'm going through the channel guide but have never watched it because I thought it was like the TLC show Who Do You Think Your Are, tracing celebrity roots back to their 23X's great grandparents. I always thought it was a bit over the top.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

ahoymate — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:20:27 GMT

I'm stating my opinion! It's an old, old show and I dislike it!!!!!!

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

Love my grandkids — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:22:18 GMT

I watched it once a long time ago. Waste of time. I was totally underwhelmed.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

WRXtoo — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:34:38 GMT

I watch it when I have a chance. It's fascinating how they can trace a family's history. I often don't know the celebrities but hearing people's histories and thinking about how knowing your own true history might or might not affect your own thoughts and perceptions today is really interesting. Love Henry Louis Gates, Jr. too.

An "old" show? They just started another new season.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

ahoymate — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:42:09 GMT

@WRXtoo wrote:
I watch it when I have a chance. It's fascinating how they can trace a family's history. I often don't know the celebrities but hearing people's histories and thinking about how knowing your own true history might or might not affect your own thoughts and perceptions today is really interesting. Love Henry Louis Gates, Jr. too.

An "old" show? They just started another new season.

New season or not, its' the same ole, same ole.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

okaywitheasypay — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:45:42 GMT

@songbird We love watching it. It shows what a melting pot the planet is and how we all have pretty basic wants and needs.

If you have Roku you can stream all seasons of it and choose past episodes.(free). I remember watching Kevin Bacon and Keira Sedgewick's (SP?) and found it very interesting.

@WRXtoo Well put.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

Alsace Gal — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:45:44 GMT

@CelticCrafter wrote:
I've seen it as I'm going through the channel guide but have never watched it because I thought it was like the TLC show Who Do You Think Your Are, tracing celebrity roots back to their 23X's great grandparents. I always thought it was a bit over the top.

I like Finding Your Roots, however TLS's Who Do You Think You Are is my favorite. There was more time allocated to each. One of my favorites is Martin Sheen, Charlie Sheen's father. He has Irish and Spanish roots, his sister is a professor and lives in Spain. Excellent show before TLC went down the drain.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

CelticCrafter — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 19:04:05 GMT

@Alsace Gal you got that right about TLC going down the drain!

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

bmorechick — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 19:56:02 GMT

I love watching when I catch it. I wish I could dive that deep into mine and my husbands. He's got roots in different continents so that would be interesting!

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

catter70 — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 20:33:10 GMT

I always enjoyed it but no longer get PBS.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

Shelbelle — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 20:36:55 GMT

My coworker is very into this show and her own Ancestry.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

wagirl — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 20:38:50 GMT

I like it too and have been watching it for a few years now.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

kze — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 21:08:13 GMT

It's one of my all time favorite shows and I don't care who the guests are. Love Dr Gates. I've watched all episodes twice. Ì don't get PBS now but have ROKU and I'll subscribe to one of the streaming services that has the show when more of them accumulate.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

PickyPicky3 — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 22:27:02 GMT

I've always enjoyed this show but am now getting a little bored.

For me, the star of the show is genealogy and not the host or guests.

I would like to see different ethnic groups represented, even if they're not famous. For example, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, people who lived in early California (Mexico), and ways to detect migration across the land bridge from Russia.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

sunshine 919 — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 23:28:42 GMT

@spiderw wrote:
I always enjoy this show and have been watching since it began. Of course some of the guests back rounds are more interesting than others but it is amazing how the show traces ancestry. It is another well done TV show on PBS which gives us Masterpiece Theater, Mysteries, documentaries and many other gems!!!!!!

I agree with you an excellent show. I love it when people find out they are distant relatives to other celeberties. I would love to know the average time it takes to trace and put these things altogether. It is a fascinating show and well done. The host is amazing.

Re: PBS show Finding Your Roots

sunshine 919 — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 23:30:53 GMT

@WRXtoo wrote:
I watch it when I have a chance. It's fascinating how they can trace a family's history. I often don't know the celebrities but hearing people's histories and thinking about how knowing your own true history might or might not affect your own thoughts and perceptions today is really interesting. Love Henry Louis Gates, Jr. too.

An "old" show? They just started another new season.

This is their 10th season. Henry Gates was on the view a couple weeks ago celebrating it's 10th season.