PBS' genealogical history series Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr., which will launch its 12th season next year, has assembled a number of Broadway favorites to join host Gates and learn about their surprising ancestry. The season begins airing on PBS stations January 6, 2026.

Featured in episodes this season will be Broadway alum Kristin Chenoweth, Liza Colón-Zayas, Darren Criss, Tracy Letts, Spike Lee, Sanaa Lathan, Barry Diller, and Delroy Lindo, along with Lizzy Caplan, Danielle Deadwyler, America Ferrera, Flea, Rhiannon Giddens, Wiz Khalifa, Lizzo, Spike Lee, Brittney Griner, Chris Paul, Sara Haines, and Hasan Minhaj.

The series invites celebrities to learn about their family backgrounds, with a team of genealogical experts digging into the people that came before them and uncovering the often untold stories from their past.

“I am thrilled to announce another season of Finding Your Roots filled with inspiring stories from our wonderful guests that further show us that at the level of the genome, we are all 99% the same despite the forces that try to divide us," says Gates in a statement. "It’s especially important to all of us at Finding Your Roots that our viewers know, despite the loss of federal funding for public television, our show, and PBS are not going anywhere. We encourage everyone to support PBS by becoming a member of your local PBS station if you aren’t already, and continuing to spread the word about the great work PBS is doing.”