Skip to main content
Donate

Up Next

Hold the Laughter

Hold the Laughter

Season 10 Episode 5
52:09
Extended Trailer

Extended Trailer

Preview
3:15
Season 10 Inside Look

Season 10 Inside Look

Preview
0:30
Finding Your Roots Season 12

American Dreams

Season 12 Episode 1
52:09
Great Migrations

Great Migrations

Season 12 Episode 2
52:09
Caribbean Roots

Caribbean Roots

Season 12 Episode 3
52:09
The Road We Took

The Road We Took

Season 12 Episode 4
52:09
Love & Basketball

Love & Basketball

Season 12 Episode 5
52:09
Westward Bound

Westward Bound

Season 12 Episode 6
52:09
Family Harmonies

Family Harmonies

Season 12 Episode 7
52:09
Artistic Roots

Artistic Roots

Season 12 Episode 8
52:09
Song of the South

Song of the South

Season 12 Episode 9
52:10
Back to Show
Finding Your Roots

Hold the Laughter Preview

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncovers the roots of comedians Bob Odenkirk and Iliza Shlesinger—two very funny people whose family trees brim with stories that are more drama than comedy. Moving from Napoleonic France to Nazi-occupied Poland to the castle of a European duke, Gates introduces them to relatives who took great risks and overcame enormous hardships for the sake of their families.
Support Provided By
This Land Is My Land
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:41
Season 6 Episode 4
This Land Is My Land
Queen Latifah and Jeffrey Wright discover unexpected family trees.
Homecomings
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:41
Season 6 Episode 3
Homecomings
Sterling K. Brown, Jon Batiste, and Shasheer Zamata learn their family histories.
Off the Farm
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:36
Season 6 Episode 2
Off the Farm
Dr. Gates helps Melissa McCarthy and Eric Stonestreet answer family mysteries.
Hollywood Royalty
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:41
Season 6 Episode 1
Hollywood Royalty
Anjelica Huston, Mia Farrow, and Isabella Rosselini learn their family histories.
All in the Family
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:11
Season 5 Episode 10
All in the Family
Host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the stories of Ty Burrell and Joe Madison.
The Eye of the Beholder
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:41
Season 5 Episode 9
The Eye of the Beholder
Marina Abramović, Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Kehinde Wiley learn their family histories.
Hard Times
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:41
Season 5 Episode 8
Hard Times
Dr. Gates explores the stories of Laura Linney, Michael Moore and Chloë Sevigny.
No Laughing Matter
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:41
Season 5 Episode 7
No Laughing Matter
Dr. Gates reveals the histories of comedians Seth Meyers, Tig Notaro and Sarah Silverman.
Roots in Politics
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:41
Season 5 Episode 6
Roots in Politics
The family histories of politicians Tulsi Gabbard, Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan.
Freedom Tales
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:41
Season 5 Episode 5
Freedom Tales
Dr Gates traces the family history of S. Epatha Merkerson and Michael Strahan.
Dreaming of a New Land
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:41
Season 5 Episode 4
Dreaming of a New Land
Dr. Gates reveals the family history of Kal Penn, Sheryl Sandberg and Marisa Tomei.
Reporting on the Reporters
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:41
Season 5 Episode 3
Reporting on the Reporters
Journalists Christiane Amanpour, Ann Curry and Lisa Ling learn their family histories.
Show more
Active loading indicator