‘Finding Your Roots’ to Return to PBS Following Dramatic Exit

By Kenrya Rankin Oct 20, 2015

Four months after PBS suspended production on “Finding Your Roots,” it has been added back to the lineup. The show, which features host Henry Louis Gates Jr. tracing the family trees of celebrities, was pulled after the Sony Hack revealed that Gates bowed to pressure from Ben Affleck to suppress evidence that his family once owned slaves. At the time of the suspension, PBS said that the show could not return until the staff added another researcher and contracted with an independent genealogist to review all episodes for accuracy.

Yesterday, PBS announced its winter and spring lineup, which shows that “Finding Your Roots” will return for its third season on January 5, 2016. Keenan Ivory Wayans and Shonda Rhimes will be among the 28 featured guests.