I’m not sure why I’ve never really watched PBS’ Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. before. I think I originally became aware of it when Who Do You Think You Are? was on NBC and didn’t see the need to be watching two of these shows.

Then Who Do You Think You Are? moved to TLC (I don’t subscribe to cable) and I watched it online occasionally. Just this week, I realized that full episodes of the (perhaps slightly more erudite) PBS show are available to watch on PBS’s website.

I think one of the reasons I enjoy these shows so much is that it gets me really excited about doing my own research and making my own discoveries. Watching an episode can be a real motivator to doing research, especially right now when I’m so busy with clients I don’t have much time at my desk.

(One could argue that my desk time is better spent doing research than watching Finding Your Roots, but sometimes my energy level is more suited to passive endeavors.)

It appears that the new season of Who Do You Think You Are? premieres July 23. Assuming I can watch it online, it looks like I’ll have plenty of televised genealogy research to keep me entertained this summer!