After controversy, ‘Finding Your Roots’ will return to PBS in 2016

After a controversy over a segment about Ben Affleck’s ancestors that led to the postponement of its third season, “Finding Your Roots” will return to PBS on Jan. 5.

The show, which traces the family trees of celebrities, came under fire earlier this year when hacked emails between host Henry Louis Gates and Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton became public. In the emails, Gates, a renowned historian, asked Lynton for advice dealing with Affleck, who had asked producers not to include information about a slaveholding ancestor.

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After an internal review, in June PBS determined that Gates had inappropriately caved to pressure from the “Gone Girl” star and said it would postpone the series’ return in order to enact corrective measures, including expanded fact-checking and the hiring of an independent genealogist.

The new season of “Finding Your Roots” will feature Julianne Moore, Shonda Rhimes, Julianna Margulies and Neil Patrick Harris.

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