Art + Culture
Genealogy Roadshow, New PBS Series, Tracks Family History
September 23, 2013·By BLAC Editorial
Curious about ancestry? This show, airing Sept. 23-Oct. 14, 2013, travels the country to get answers – and features a Detroit based episode on Sept. 30.
September 23, 2013
The new PBS series "Genealogy Roadshow" plays heritage detective for willing participants who want to learn more about their family lineage. Beginning at 9 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23, the show, which follows a similar format to the popular "Antiques Roadshow," will travel to four cities-appraising ancestry instead of antiques.
"Everybody wants answers to questions about their own histories to help make sense of their lives today," says Phillip McGovern-executive producer of Big Mountain Productions, the original producer of the show- in a press release. "We've had a lot of interest in the format internationally and are delighted PBS has picked it up."
For the Sept. 30, 2013 episode, the series lands in Detroit to trace the lineages of two Michigan residents: Michile Stoutenburg and Charissa Joy Los, according to Detroit News writer Melody Baetens.
"Stoutenburg, who is a lifelong Michigan resident, will find out if she is a descendant of Abraham Lincoln," Baetens writes, "while Los, a student at Wayne State University, will discover the history of her birth parents."
Participants for this initial season were chosen from the cities of Nashville, Austin, Detroit and San Francisco because of the area's cultural backgrounds, according to the PBS release.
Beth Hoppe, chief programming executive for PBS, describes the show as an engaging, innovative program that "reveals the bigger picture of America's past, present, and future."
"Genealogy Roadshow" airs Mondays at 9 p.m., Sept. 23-Oct. 14, 2013 on Channel 56. The Detroit-centered episode airs Monday, Sept. 30.
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