Finding your next "Finding Your Roots" fix. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for TV series about the fascinating world of genealogical research and ancestral histories.
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00:00A lot has been stolen from black Americans. A lot has been hidden from black Americans.
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for TV series about the fascinating world of genealogical research and ancestral histories.
00:15With these clues, Natalie Macklethoff begins a quest to fulfill her father's dying wish.
00:22Number 10. Strange Inheritance.
00:25Strange Inheritance, which premiered on the Fox Business Network in January 2015,
00:30followed host Jamie Colby as she met with people with interesting family heirlooms.
00:35I'm going to meet a man whose strange inheritance begins with his family's powerful connection
00:40to a future president. The old items were often acquired from relatives,
00:45though sometimes regular avenues for antiquing like auctions.
00:49She explains that fate has handed her a very unusual inheritance,
00:54in the form of a two and a half by four inch antique baseball card.
00:59The series covered everything from baseball cards to antique weapons.
01:03Unlike Finding Your Roots, celebrities aren't featured on the show.
01:07However, many of the inherited collections are connected to world-famous figures
01:11such as John F. Kennedy, as well as infamous criminals Bonnie and Clyde.
01:16Dad loved the whole Bonnie and Clyde story, didn't he?
01:18Loved the story. As we all do, it still holds up to today.
01:21While some subjects share details about their genealogical journeys,
01:25others talk more about the auction process.
01:28Number 9. Relative Race.
01:30BYUtv's long-running series Relative Race is a mix between the genealogical discovery
01:36aspect of Finding Your Roots and the speedy competition of The Amazing Race.
01:41I've never met anybody that has the same blood as I do.
01:44The one relative I hope to find, I think my mom would be super special.
01:49Using their results from ancestry DNA, couples, siblings, extended family members,
01:54and friends get into teams to complete challenges and race to the finish,
01:59while also finding their relatives along the way.
02:02Meeting my younger sister Robin for the first time, um, I was not expecting to cry that hard.
02:10The winning prize is $50,000, but the participants gain a lot more than money.
02:15They get the closure they've longed for, and have lifelong questions answered.
02:20The race element can be exciting,
02:22but it's the emotional meetings that are the highlight of the series.
02:25It's gonna be an emotional rollercoaster in the best way possible.
02:28Oh my goodness!
02:29Number 8. A New Leaf.
02:31In NBC's Saturday morning show A New Leaf,
02:34everyday people look to their pasts to guide their futures.
02:38Hey! Hi! So nice to finally meet you!
02:41Peter! Hi! How are you guys? So good to meet you!
02:46We're so excited that you're here!
02:48As they prepare to hit milestones like birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries,
02:52participants are curious about their family history.
02:55Before they go on their exciting genealogical journey,
02:58they make a list of key questions they want answered,
03:01many of which are based on family rumors and stories.
03:04And the family rumor has been that Carnegie's a made-up last name.
03:09I just want to know once and for all, are we or are we not Scottish?
03:14Is my last name even Carnegie?
03:16And I just want to know the answer to like, am I related to Andrew Carnegie?
03:19With the help of Ancestry and host Daisy Fuentes,
03:23they learn more about their ancestors,
03:25and the findings have a profound effect on their current lives.
03:28So tell me a little bit about yourselves.
03:30I want to learn a little bit here before we get into the nitty-gritty of your family history.
03:36How did you guys meet?
03:37Number 7. Roots Less Traveled
03:40This next one is for those who love travel shows just as much as they love history and genealogy.
03:46I think digging deeper into my family history
03:49will help me with my own personal identity and connection.
03:53Most series about Ancestry center on one person digging into their past,
03:58but Roots Less Traveled involves bringing together two family members
04:02separated by miles or years.
04:04Together, the duo then embarks on a journey into their family history with host Farouk Taheed.
04:10You guys have a rich family legacy that we're going to go back to right in Tennessee.
04:15That's amazing! Oh my God!
04:16He takes them on a trip to significant locations around North America,
04:20where they learn new things about their ancestors.
04:22The discoveries are just as surprising and emotional as the ones on Finding Your Roots.
04:27While providing some cool scenery.
04:30Thank you! This is so wonderful.
04:32Number 6. My Family Secrets Revealed
04:35People interested in their family history are often trying to solve old mysteries.
04:39Thank you so much for joining us today.
04:41It's a pleasure.
04:42And bringing us a real conundrum on your paternal side.
04:46Yes.
04:46That's exactly the focus of the UK-based series,
04:50My Family Secrets Revealed, another show sponsored by AncestryDNA.
04:54Historians and genetic research experts get to the bottom of familial drama dating back centuries.
05:01And while people don't always get the news they hoped for,
05:04they still find out the truth of long-time uncertainties.
05:07Amazing. To actually get a personal letter from the king. Wow. Speechless.
05:13Harrowing stories of war, scandal, injustice, and strength in the face of adversity
05:19will keep even casual history buffs engaged.
05:22You won't find celebrity guests on this show,
05:24but the discoveries sometimes involve notable connections.
05:27Let's have a look.
05:32We are actually related to him. That's incredible.
05:35Oh wow, thank you so much.
05:37Number 5. The Genetic Detective
05:40Self-taught genetic genealogy researcher C.C. Moore
05:43works as one of the experts for finding your roots.
05:46Returning back to the DNA databases, C.C. was able to do just that
05:53by building family trees for each of the matches that she'd found.
05:56However, she's also made appearances on programs such as The Today Show,
06:00Dateline NBC, and her own show on ABC called The Genetic Detective.
06:05The majority of the six episodes detail cold cases
06:08eventually solved through Moore's genetic research.
06:10You know this Hitler case, how old was it?
06:1630 years. It was the highest profile cold case in Indiana history.
06:20While it's mostly in true crime territory,
06:23her unique work in DNA profiling will appeal to fans of genealogy.
06:27Season one premiered in 2020, but as of 2024,
06:30there hasn't been an update about a second season.
06:33My work has always been about providing answers
06:36and trying to help a family move beyond something.
06:40Something that's painful or something that's been burdening them.
06:43Number 4. Genealogy Roadshow
06:46Several shows on our list involve traveling to historical places
06:49connected to someone's family tree.
06:51But on Genealogy Roadshow, the history comes to them.
06:55I came here to find out about my grandfather,
06:57who was born during the Mexican Revolution.
07:00I really don't know much about my family at all.
07:03I was probably going to start a family tree,
07:05and I figured this was a good place to start.
07:07Similar to Antiques Roadshow, the PBS series would set up shop
07:11in culturally diverse American cities such as Detroit, New Orleans, and Philadelphia.
07:16This gave people the chance to explore their family trees
07:19with the help of a trio of genealogists.
07:21Each episode covers multiple stories, with some going more in-depth,
07:25depending on the history.
07:27Some participants bring along family photos and heirlooms to aid in the research.
07:32And came upon a family crest that a distant cousin had.
07:37Number 3. Long Lost Family
07:40TLC's Long Lost Family is all about reuniting relatives,
07:44whether they're estranged or completely unknown to each other.
07:47Any mother would be devastated being forced to place their child for adoption.
07:52She's asked for our help to find him.
07:54Many stories follow adoptees tracking down their birth parents and vice versa,
07:59or people searching for their siblings.
08:01The research process itself is emotional,
08:04especially since they're often separated under tragic circumstances.
08:08This has been, this search and this, this, um,
08:11this child has been a sort of a defining part of your life.
08:14Absolutely.
08:14Without doubt.
08:15Yeah.
08:16Um, I hope that we can bring you some sort of closure.
08:19I hope so too.
08:20Hosts Chris Jacobs and Lisa Joyner, both adoptees themselves,
08:25meet with family members separately before they initiate the face-to-face meetings,
08:29which always get the tears flowing.
08:31Both the UK and Australia had their own versions of the series,
08:35with the US series following the former's formula quite closely.
08:39No matter which one you watch, grab the tissues because it's a real tearjerker.
08:44I'm so happy to see you.
08:49Number 2. African American Lives
08:52Due to decades of slavery and segregation,
08:54there's an extra level of difficulty when tracing Black ancestors.
08:58Sooner or later, for almost all African Americans,
09:03there are no houses, no records, no names.
09:07And avid watchers of ancestry shows know that there's a point
09:11in researching African American family trees when you hit a roadblock.
09:14From actors to athletes, historian and host of Finding Your Roots,
09:19Henry Louis Gates Jr. uses DNA research to explore their Black lineage
09:24in both America and Africa.
09:26Now according to this test, Linda Johnson Rice,
09:30you have an extraordinary amount of European ancestry for an African American, 40%.
09:35He gives them a better understanding of their personal histories
09:38and reveals shocking discoveries.
09:41Notable guests include Morgan Freeman, Tina Turner, and Maya Angelou.
09:45In 2007, Oprah Winfrey had her own special episode, Oprah's Roots.
09:51Over the next hour and a half, we will explore the remarkable journey of the Winfrey family.
09:56And take you behind the scenes to reveal how we unearth these stories.
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10:17Number 1. Who Do You Think You Are?
10:20Next to Finding Your Roots, Who Do You Think You Are?
10:22is arguably the most well-known show about genealogy.
10:26Is that Daniel?
10:27Yes.
10:28Daniel. So my great-grandfather's name is Daniel. I didn't even know that much.
10:32The series originated in the UK and inspired Friends alum Lisa Kudrow
10:37to executive produce an American adaptation.
10:40It has a similar setup to other Ancestry-sponsored shows,
10:44but focuses on the history of celebrities,
10:46some of whom also appeared on Finding Your Roots like Marissa Tomei and Regina King.
10:51You have no idea how much joy this journey has been,
10:58and to put a pin in this journey at this place is magical.
11:07Kudrow herself starred in the first season, where she traveled to Iliya, Belarus,
11:12and learned more about the devastating history of her Jewish ancestors.
11:16Whether the celebs are just curious about family history or on the hunt to solve a mystery,
11:21stories on Who Do You Think You Are are fascinating.
11:24If I can find anything that he doesn't know and fill in
11:28gaps that are possible to fill in, then that will be a huge success.
11:31Have you seen any of these shows? How do they stack up against Finding Your Roots?
11:36Let us know in the comments.
11:37I've said wow a lot, but I mean it. It's a sincere wow.
11:41Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from MsMojo,
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