# Who Do You Think You Are? (American TV series)

Who Do You Think You Are? is an American genealogy documentary series that is an adaptation of the British series of the same name that airs on the BBC. In each episode, a celebrity participant researches their family history. The participant often travels to locations both domestically and internationally to research family stories.
The series is a partnership between Shed Media and Ancestry.com, with executive producers including Alex Graham, Pam Healey, Lisa Kudrow, Dan Bucatinsky, Stephanie Schwam and Al Edgington.

## Production

In early 2009, it was announced that NBC had ordered an American adaptation of the British series Who Do You Think You Are?. It was reported that Lisa Kudrow was set to executive produce the series as well as participate in one of the first-season episodes. The show premiered on NBC on March 5, 2010, as one of the replacement shows for The Jay Leno Show at the ten o'clock hour.
NBC renewed the series for two subsequent seasons before cancelling it in 2012. The series was then picked up by TLC, where it aired for six additional seasons. On August 25, 2017, TLC renewed the series for a tenth season.
On May 6, 2019, it was announced that the series would return to NBC. The eleventh season premiered on July 10, 2022. On October 10, 2022, it was reported that NBC shelved the series indefinitely.

## Series overview

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released | Network |
| 1 | 7 | 7 | March 5, 2010 (2010-03-05) | April 30, 2010 (2010-04-30) | NBC |
| 2 | 8 | 8 | February 4, 2011 (2011-02-04) | April 8, 2011 (2011-04-08) | NBC |
| 3 | 12 | 12 | February 3, 2012 (2012-02-03) | May 18, 2012 (2012-05-18) | NBC |
| 4 | 8 | 8 | July 23, 2013 (2013-07-23) | September 10, 2013 (2013-09-10) | TLC |
| 5 | 13 | 13 | July 23, 2014 (2014-07-23) | April 26, 2015 (2015-04-26) | TLC |
| 6 | 5 | 5 | July 26, 2015 (2015-07-26) | August 30, 2015 (2015-08-30) | TLC |
| 7 | 6 | 6 | April 3, 2016 (2016-04-03) | May 1, 2016 (2016-05-01) | TLC |
| 8 | 8 | 8 | March 5, 2017 (2017-03-05) | April 24, 2017 (2017-04-24) | TLC |
| 9 | 6 | 6 | May 21, 2018 (2018-05-21) | June 18, 2018 (2018-06-18) | TLC |
| 10 | 4 | 4 | December 3, 2018 (2018-12-03) | December 17, 2018 (2018-12-17) | TLC |
| 11 | 6 | 6 | July 10, 2022 (2022-07-10) | August 14, 2022 (2022-08-14) | NBC |

## Episodes
### Season 1 (2010)

| No. overall | No. in season | Featured celebrity | Locations visited | Original release date |
| 1 | 1 | "Sarah Jessica Parker" | Cincinnati, Ohio; El Dorado County, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Danvers, Massachusetts | March 5, 2010 (2010-03-05) |
| 2 | 2 | "Emmitt Smith" | Pensacola, Florida; Burnt Corn, Alabama; Claiborne, Alabama; Boydton, Virginia; Ouidah, Benin | March 12, 2010 (2010-03-12) |
| 3 | 3 | "Lisa Kudrow" | Minsk, Belarus, Ilya, Belarus; Gdynia, Poland | March 19, 2010 (2010-03-19) |
| 4 | 4 | "Matthew Broderick" | Jersey City, New Jersey; New York City, New York; Forest of Argonne, France; Hartford, Connecticut; Atlanta, Georgia; Marietta National Cemetery, Cobb County, Georgia | March 26, 2010 (2010-03-26) |
| 5 | 5 | "Brooke Shields" | Newark, New Jersey; New York City, New York; Rome, Italy; Augerolles, France; Paris, France | April 2, 2010 (2010-04-02) |
| 6 | 6 | "Susan Sarandon" | Virginia; New York City, New York; Florence; Coreglia Antelminelli; Rockland County, New York | April 23, 2010 (2010-04-23) |
| 7 | 7 | "Spike Lee" | Atlanta, Georgia; Twiggs County, Georgia; Arlington, Texas | April 30, 2010 (2010-04-30) |

### Season 2 (2011)

NBC ordered a second season for the reality series on April 5, 2010. The second season of the series began on February 4, 2011, and consisted of eight episodes. The first episode featured Vanessa Williams. Following episodes featured Tim McGraw, Rosie O'Donnell, Kim Cattrall, Lionel Richie, Steve Buscemi, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashley Judd. Cattrall's episode is an edited version of the original one that she made for the British series in 2009.
| No. overall | No. in season | Featured celebrity | Locations visited | Original release date |
| 8 | 1 | "Vanessa L. Williams" | Chappaqua, New York; Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York; Washington, D.C.; Johns Island, South Carolina; Baltimore, Maryland; Memphis, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee | February 4, 2011 (2011-02-04) |
| 9 | 2 | "Tim McGraw" | Kansas City, Missouri; Big Stone Gap, Virginia; Rye Cove, Virginia; Richmond, Virginia; Shenandoah Valley; Washington, D.C.; New York City, New York; Franklin, Tennessee | February 11, 2011 (2011-02-11) |
| 10 | 3 | "Rosie O'Donnell" | Nyack, New York; Jersey City, New Jersey; New York City, New York (Manhattan and Brooklyn); Secaucus, New Jersey; Montreal, Quebec; Dublin, Ireland; County Wicklow, Ireland; Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland; Birr, County Offaly, Ireland | February 18, 2011 (2011-02-18) |
| 11 | 4 | "Kim Cattrall" | Liverpool, England; Derbyshire, England; Durham, County Durham, England; Tudhoe, County Durham, England; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | February 25, 2011 (2011-02-25) |
| 12 | 5 | "Lionel Richie" | Los Angeles, California; Tuskegee, Alabama; Nashville, Tennessee; Chattanooga, Tennessee | March 4, 2011 (2011-03-04) |
| 13 | 6 | "Steve Buscemi" | Brooklyn, New York; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Camden, New Jersey | March 25, 2011 (2011-03-25) |
| 14 | 7 | "Gwyneth Paltrow" | Manhattan, New York City, New York; Bridgetown, Barbados | April 1, 2011 (2011-04-01) |
| 15 | 8 | "Ashley Judd" | Louisville, Kentucky; Frankfort, Kentucky; Saltville, Virginia; Boston, Massachusetts; York, England; Boston, Lincolnshire, England; Cambridge, England; Plymouth, Devon, England | April 8, 2011 (2011-04-08) |

### Season 3 (2012)

The show was renewed for a third season by NBC on February 22, 2011, and aired during the 2011–2012 television season. The 12 celebrities included in season 3 were Marisa Tomei, Rob Lowe, Paula Deen, Rashida Jones, Jerome Bettis, Reba McEntire, Helen Hunt, Edie Falco, Rita Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Martin Sheen and Blair Underwood. The show returned on February 3, 2012.
| No. overall | No. in season | Featured celebrity | Locations visited | Original release date |
| 16 | 1 | "Martin Sheen" | Malibu, California; Dublin, Ireland; Madrid, Spain; Pamplona, Navarre, Spain; Tui, Galicia, Spain; La Coruña, Galicia, Spain; Parderrubias, Galicia, Spain | February 3, 2012 (2012-02-03) |
| 17 | 2 | "Marisa Tomei" | Manhattan, New York City, New York; Livorno, Tuscany, Italy (Cecina, Rio nell'Elba, Portoferraio and Castiglioncello); Lucca, Tuscany, Italy | February 10, 2012 (2012-02-10) |
| 18 | 3 | "Blair Underwood" | Los Angeles, California; Petersburg, Virginia; Richmond, Virginia; Lynchburg, Virginia; Babungo, Northwest Region, Cameroon | February 24, 2012 (2012-02-24) |
| 19 | 4 | "Reba McEntire" | Stringtown, Oklahoma; Aberdeen, Mississippi; Raleigh, North Carolina; Oxford, North Carolina; Tappahannock, Virginia; Cheshire, England | March 2, 2012 (2012-03-02) |
| 20 | 5 | "Jerome Bettis" | Detroit, Michigan; Paducah, Kentucky; Calloway County, Kentucky | March 9, 2012 (2012-03-09) |
| 21 | 6 | "Helen Hunt" | Los Angeles, California; Pasadena, California; San Francisco, California; Portland, Maine | March 23, 2012 (2012-03-23) |
| 22 | 7 | "Rita Wilson" | Los Angeles, California; Oraio, Greece; Smolyan, Bulgaria; Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Sofia, Bulgaria | March 30, 2012 (2012-03-30) |
| 23 | 8 | "Edie Falco" | Long Island, New York; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; England (Fulham; Penzance) | April 6, 2012 (2012-04-06) |
| 24 | 9 | "Rob Lowe" | Santa Barbara, California; Washington, D.C.; Trenton, New Jersey; Newtown, Pennsylvania; Germany (Marburg; Hessisch Lichtenau) | April 27, 2012 (2012-04-27) |
| 25 | 10 | "Rashida Jones" | Los Angeles, California; New York City, New York; Dublin, Ireland; Latvia (Riga; Aizpute; Rumbula) | May 4, 2012 (2012-05-04) |
| 26 | 11 | "Jason Sudeikis" | New York City, New York; Overland Park, Kansas; Chicago, Illinois; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | May 11, 2012 (2012-05-11) |
| 27 | 12 | "Paula Deen" | Savannah, Georgia; Albany, Georgia; Morrow, Georgia; Athens, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; Leesburg, Georgia | May 18, 2012 (2012-05-18) |

### Season 4 (2013)

After being cancelled by NBC, TLC picked up the series and the new season began on July 23, 2013. The celebrities taking part in the fourth season were Christina Applegate, Cindy Crawford, Zooey Deschanel, Chelsea Handler, Kelly Clarkson, Trisha Yearwood, Jim Parsons and Chris O'Donnell.
| No. overall | No. in season | Featured celebrity | Locations visited | Original release date |
| 28 | 1 | "Kelly Clarkson" | Columbus, Ohio; Decatur, Georgia; Andersonville, Georgia; Marietta, Ohio; Coal Run, Ohio | July 23, 2013 (2013-07-23) |
| 29 | 2 | "Christina Applegate" | Trenton, New Jersey | July 30, 2013 (2013-07-30) |
| 30 | 3 | "Chelsea Handler" | Bochum, Germany; Herne, Germany; Berlin, Germany; Saint-Raphaël, France; Algona, Iowa | August 6, 2013 (2013-08-06) |
| 31 | 4 | "Zooey Deschanel" | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Christiana, Pennsylvania | August 13, 2013 (2013-08-13) |
| 32 | 5 | "Chris O'Donnell" | St. Louis, Missouri; Washington, D.C.; Annapolis, Maryland; Baltimore, Maryland | August 20, 2013 (2013-08-20) |
| 33 | 6 | "Cindy Crawford" | Boston, Massachusetts; Hartford, Connecticut; Taunton, England; London, England; Aachen, Germany | August 27, 2013 (2013-08-27) |
| 34 | 7 | "Trisha Yearwood" | Nashville, Tennessee; Hampshire, England; Kew, England; Atlanta, Georgia | September 3, 2013 (2013-09-03) |
| 35 | 8 | "Jim Parsons" | New Orleans, Louisiana; Paris, France; Versailles, France | September 10, 2013 (2013-09-10) |

### Season 5 (2014–15)

TLC renewed the show on September 10, 2013. The season premiered on July 23, 2014, and featured Cynthia Nixon, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Rachel McAdams, Valerie Bertinelli and Kelsey Grammer. Initially, an episode featuring Lauren Graham was planned but cancelled. Just like Kim Cattrall's episode, the network chose to air an edited version of an episode that Minnie Driver had made for the original BBC series in 2013.
| No. overall | No. in season | Featured celebrity | Locations visited | Original release date |
| Season |||||
| 36 | 1 | "Cynthia Nixon" | Manhattan, New York City, New York; Washington, D.C.; Jefferson City, Missouri; Leasburg, Missouri | July 23, 2014 (2014-07-23) |
| 37 | 2 | "Jesse Tyler Ferguson" | Albuquerque, New Mexico; Annapolis, Maryland; Evanston, Illinois; Wrangell, Alaska | July 30, 2014 (2014-07-30) |
| 38 | 3 | "Rachel McAdams" | Plymouth, Devon, England; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada; Toronto, Ontario, Canada | August 6, 2014 (2014-08-06) |
| 39 | 4 | "Valerie Bertinelli" | Scranton, Pennsylvania; Lanzo, Torino, Italy; London, United Kingdom | August 13, 2014 (2014-08-13) |
| 40 | 5 | "Kelsey Grammer" | Beverly Hills, California; San Francisco, California; Oakland, California; Portland, Oregon; Baker City, Oregon; Salem, Oregon; Benton County, Oregon | August 20, 2014 (2014-08-20) |
| Special |||||
| – | – | "Minnie Driver" | Weybridge, England; Darlington, England | August 27, 2014 (2014-08-27) |
| Season |||||
| 41 | 6 | "Julie Chen" | Los Angeles, California; Singapore; Penglai, Anxi County, Fujian, China | March 8, 2015 (2015-03-08) |
| 42 | 7 | "Josh Groban" | Los Angeles, California; Stuttgart, Germany | March 15, 2015 (2015-03-15) |
| 43 | 8 | "Angie Harmon" | Charlotte, North Carolina; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Harrodsburg, Kentucky | March 22, 2015 (2015-03-22) |
| 44 | 9 | "Sean Hayes" | Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; Dublin, Ireland; Tarbert, Ireland | March 29, 2015 (2015-03-29) |
| 45 | 10 | "Tony Goldwyn" | Los Angeles, California; Albany, New York; Nunda, New York; Portland, Oregon; The Dalles, Oregon; Salem, Oregon; Hood River, Oregon | April 5, 2015 (2015-04-05) |
| 46 | 11 | "America Ferrera" | New York City, New York; La Esperanza, Intibucá, Honduras; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; San Jerónimo, Copán, Honduras | April 12, 2015 (2015-04-12) |
| 47 | 12 | "Bill Paxton" | Los Angeles, California; Washington, D.C.; Blacksburg, South Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Warren County, Missouri | April 19, 2015 (2015-04-19) |
| 48 | 13 | "Melissa Etheridge" | Los Angeles, California; Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; Chester, Illinois; Kaskaskia, Illinois; Ste. Genevieve, Missouri | April 26, 2015 (2015-04-26) |

### Season 6 (2015)

Season 6 premiered on July 26, 2015. This season featured Ginnifer Goodwin, J. K. Rowling, Alfre Woodard, Bryan Cranston and Tom Bergeron. Rowling's episode was an edited version of her appearance on the original BBC series in 2011.
| No. overall | No. in season | Featured celebrity | Locations visited | Original release date |
| 49 | 1 | "Ginnifer Goodwin" | Los Angeles, California; Batesville, Arkansas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Shreveport, Louisiana | July 26, 2015 (2015-07-26) |
| 50 | 2 | "J. K. Rowling" | Edinburgh, Scotland; Paris, France; Brumath, Alsace, France | August 2, 2015 (2015-08-02) |
| 51 | 3 | "Alfre Woodard" | Los Angeles, California; Perry, Georgia; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson Parish, Louisiana | August 9, 2015 (2015-08-09) |
| 52 | 4 | "Into the Archives" | Some of the biggest emotional and shocking highlights from past seasons. | August 16, 2015 (2015-08-16) |
| 53 | 5 | "Bryan Cranston" | Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; Springfield, Illinois; Montreal, Quebec; Dayton, Ohio | August 23, 2015 (2015-08-23) |
| 54 | 6 | "Tom Bergeron" | Portsmouth, New Hampshire; La Rochelle, France; Quebec City, Quebec | August 30, 2015 (2015-08-30) |

### Season 7 (2016)

Season 7 premiered on April 3, 2016. The list of celebrity participants included Aisha Tyler, Scott Foley, Lea Michele, Chris Noth, Katey Sagal and Molly Ringwald.
| No. overall | No. in season | Featured celebrity | Locations visited | Original release date |
| 55 | 1 | "Aisha Tyler" | Oberlin, Ohio; Cleveland, Ohio; Austin, Texas | April 3, 2016 (2016-04-03) |
| 56 | 2 | "Scott Foley" | Washington, D.C.; Boston, Massachusetts; Salem, Massachusetts | April 10, 2016 (2016-04-10) |
| 57 | 3 | "Katey Sagal" | New York, New York; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | April 17, 2016 (2016-04-17) |
| 58 | 4 | "Molly Ringwald" | Brooklyn, New York; Lund, Sweden; Höganäs, Sweden; Washington County, Nebraska; Arlington, Nebraska | April 24, 2016 (2016-04-24) |
| 59 | 5 | "Chris Noth" | Chicago, Illinois; London, England; Elvas, Portugal; County Cavan, Ireland | May 1, 2016 (2016-05-01) |
| 60 | 6 | "Lea Michele" | Bronx, New York; Ellis Island | May 1, 2016 (2016-05-01) |

### Season 8 (2017)

On June 9, 2016, the series was renewed for an eighth season consisting of 8 episodes which premiered on March 5, 2017. The list of celebrities that participated included Jessica Biel, Julie Bowen, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Grey, Smokey Robinson, John Stamos, Liv Tyler and Noah Wyle.
| No. overall | No. in season | Featured celebrity | Locations visited | Original release date |
| 61 | 1 | "Courteney Cox" | Los Angeles, California; Gloucestershire, England; London, England | March 5, 2017 (2017-03-05) |
| 62 | 2 | "Julie Bowen" | Chicago, Illinois; Washington, Pennsylvania | March 12, 2017 (2017-03-12) |
| 63 | 3 | "Jennifer Grey" | Brooklyn, New York | March 19, 2017 (2017-03-19) |
| 64 | 4 | "Noah Wyle" | Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Beauvoir (Biloxi, Mississippi) | March 26, 2017 (2017-03-26) |
| 65 | 5 | "Jessica Biel" | Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; St Louis, Missouri; Miller County, Missouri; Washington, D.C.; Alton, Illinois | April 2, 2017 (2017-04-02) |
| 66 | 6 | "Smokey Robinson" | Los Angeles, California; Memphis, Tennessee; Washington, D.C.; Fayette County, Tennessee | April 9, 2017 (2017-04-09) |
| 67 | 7 | "John Stamos" | Athens, Greece; Levidi, Greece; Nafplio, Greece; Kakouri, Greece | April 16, 2017 (2017-04-16) |
| 68 | 8 | "Liv Tyler" | Plattsburgh, New York; Washington D.C.; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Schuylerville, New York | April 24, 2017 (2017-04-24) |

### Season 9 (2018)

The series was renewed for a ninth season that premiered on May 21, 2018. The list of celebrity participants included Hilary Duff, Jean Smart, Jon Cryer, Laverne Cox, Megan Mullally and Molly Shannon.
| No. overall | No. in season | Featured celebrity | Locations visited | Original release date |
| 69 | 1 | "Jon Cryer" | New York City, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Edinburgh, Scotland; Dunbar, Scotland; Durham, England | May 21, 2018 (2018-05-21) |
| 70 | 2 | "Laverne Cox" | Los Angeles, California; Mobile, Alabama; Montgomery, Alabama; Selma, Alabama; Cahaba, Alabama | May 21, 2018 (2018-05-21) |
| 71 | 3 | "Megan Mullally" | Los Angeles, California; Morrow, Georgia; Washington, D.C.; Macon, Georgia | May 28, 2018 (2018-05-28) |
| 72 | 4 | "Hilary Duff" | Los Angeles, California; Williamsburg, Virginia; Richmond, Virginia; Bath, North Carolina; Edinburgh, Scotland; Dunfermline, Scotland | June 4, 2018 (2018-06-04) |
| 73 | 5 | "Molly Shannon" | Los Angeles, California; Dublin, Ireland; Achill Island, Ireland (Dugort & Bunnacurry) | June 11, 2018 (2018-06-11) |
| 74 | 6 | "Jean Smart" | Los Angeles, California; Essex County, Massachusetts | June 18, 2018 (2018-06-18) |

### Season 10 (2018)

The tenth season premiered on December 3, 2018. The list of celebrity participants included Mandy Moore, Regina King, Josh Duhamel and Matthew Morrison.
| No. overall | No. in season | Featured celebrity | Locations visited | Original release date |
| 75 | 1 | "Mandy Moore" | Los Angeles, California; Sydney, Australia; Cashel, Ireland | December 3, 2018 (2018-12-03) |
| 76 | 2 | "Josh Duhamel" | Los Angeles, California; Cambridge, England; London, England | December 10, 2018 (2018-12-10) |
| 77 | 3 | "Regina King" | Los Angeles, California; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Montgomery, Alabama | December 17, 2018 (2018-12-17) |
| 78 | 4 | "Matthew Morrison" | Los Angeles, California; Charleston, South Carolina; Wilkes County, Georgia; Greenwood County, South Carolina | December 17, 2018 (2018-12-17) |

### Season 11 (2022)

| No. overall | No. in season | Featured celebrity | Locations visited | Original release date |
| 79 | 1 | "Billy Porter" | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; Lynchburg, Virginia | July 10, 2022 (2022-07-10) |
| 80 | 2 | "Nick Offerman" | Albany, New York; Fonda, New York; Johnstown, New York; Danube, New York | July 17, 2022 (2022-07-17) |
| 81 | 3 | "Allison Janney" | Bermuda; Jamestown, Virginia; Plymouth, Massachusetts | July 24, 2022 (2022-07-24) |
| 82 | 4 | "Zachary Levi" | St. Louis, Missouri; Washington, D.C.; Fairfield, Connecticut; Stamford, Connecticut | July 31, 2022 (2022-07-31) |
| 83 | 5 | "Bradley Whitford" | Washington, D.C.; Vicksburg, Mississippi; Nebraska City, Nebraska | August 7, 2022 (2022-08-07) |
| 84 | 6 | "Zachary Quinto" | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; College Park, Maryland; Reggia di Caserta, Italy; Lenola, Italy | August 14, 2022 (2022-08-14) |

## Reception
### Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Result |
| 2012 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Structured Reality Program | Nominated |
| 2014 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Structured Reality Program | Nominated |
| 2016 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured or Competition Reality Program (for "Bryan Cranston") | Won |
| 2017 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Structured Reality Program | Nominated |
| 2018 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Structured Reality Series | Nominated |
| 2018 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Structured Reality Program | Nominated |
| 2019 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Structured Reality Program | Nominated |

### Ratings
#### Season 1: 2010

| No. | Episode | Rating/share (18-49) | Viewers (millions) | Rank (timeslot) | Rank (night) |
| 1 | "Sarah Jessica Parker" | 1.6/6 | 6.85 | 2 | 5 (tied) |
| 2 | "Emmitt Smith" | 1.8/6 | 7.15 | 2 | 5 (tied) |
| 3 | "Lisa Kudrow" | 1.7/7 | 7.14 | 2 | 5 |
| 4 | "Matthew Broderick" | 1.5/2 | 6.21 | 3 | 8 |
| 5 | "Brooke Shields" | 1.4/6 | 5.90 | 1 | 6 (tied) |
| 6 | "Susan Sarandon" | 1.3/5 | 6.35 | 1 | 2 (tied) |
| 7 | "Spike Lee" | 1.2/5 | 5.21 | 2 | 8 |

#### Season 2: 2011

| No. | Episode | Rating/share (18-49) | Viewers (millions) | Rank (timeslot) | Rank (night) |
| 1 | "Vanessa Williams" | 1.3/4 | 7.31 | 3 (tied) | 6 (tied) |
| 2 | "Tim McGraw" | 1.4/5 | 6.59 | 2 | 4 (tied) |
| 3 | "Rosie O'Donnell" | 1.3/5 | 5.88 | 3 (tied) | 8 (tied) |
| 4 | "Kim Cattrall" | 1.2/4 | 6.18 | 3 (tied) | 9 (tied) |
| 5 | "Lionel Richie" | 1.2/4 | 6.11 | 2 | 6 |
| 6 | "Steve Buscemi" | 1.3/5 | 6.55 | 3 | 7 |
| 7 | "Gwyneth Paltrow" | 1.3/5 | 6.01 | 1 | 4 (tied) |
| 8 | "Ashley Judd" | 1.3/4 | 5.76 | 1 | 6 |

#### Season 3: 2012

| No. | Episode | Rating/share (18-49) | Viewers (millions) | Rank (timeslot) | Rank (night) |
| 1 | "Martin Sheen" | 1.1/4 | 6.02 | 4 | 9 (tied) |
| 2 | "Marisa Tomei" | 1.3/4 | 5.59 | 4 (tied) | 10 (tied) |
| 3 | "Blair Underwood" | 1.0/3 | 4.99 | 4 | 11 |
| 4 | "Reba McEntire" | 1.5/5 | 7.60 | 3 | 7 |
| 5 | "Jerome Bettis" | 1.0/3 | 5.05 | 3 (tied) | 10 (tied) |
| 6 | "Helen Hunt" | 1.0/4 | 5.79 | 3 (tied) | 5 (tied) |
| 7 | "Rita Wilson" | 0.8/3 | 5.08 | 4 | 11 |
| 8 | "Edie Falco" | 0.8/3 | 4.54 | 4 | 11 |
| 9 | "Rob Lowe" | 1.0/4 | 5.25 | 4 | 10 (tied) |
| 10 | "Rashida Jones" | 0.9/3 | 4.96 | 4 | 10 (tied) |
| 11 | "Jason Sudeikis" | 0.8/3 | 4.76 | 4 | 11 |
| 12 | "Paula Deen" | 1.0/4 | 5.38 | 2 | 6 |

#### Season 4: 2013

| No. | Episode | Rating (18-49) | Viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Kelly Clarkson" | 0.4 | 1.61 |
| 2 | "Christina Applegate" | 0.6 | 2.19 |
| 3 | "Chelsea Handler" | 0.5 | 1.80 |
| 4 | "Zooey Deschanel" | 0.5 | 1.87 |
| 5 | "Chris O'Donnell" | 0.5 | 1.69 |
| 6 | "Cindy Crawford" | 0.5 | 1.82 |
| 7 | "Trisha Yearwood" | 0.3 | 1.54 |
| 8 | "Jim Parsons" | 0.6 | 2.09 |

#### Season 5: 2014–15

| No. | Episode | Rating (18-49) | Viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Cynthia Nixon" | 0.4 | 1.50 |
| 2 | "Jesse Tyler Ferguson" | N/A | 1.24 |
| 3 | "Rachel McAdams" | 0.4 | 1.37 |
| 4 | "Valerie Bertinelli" | 0.3 | 1.48 |
| 5 | "Kelsey Grammer" | 0.4 | 1.55 |
| Special | "Minnie Driver" | 0.3 | 1.34 |
| 6 | "Julie Chen" | 0.4 | 1.47 |
| 7 | "Josh Groban" | 0.3 | 1.36 |
| 8 | "Angie Harmon" | 0.3 | 1.40 |
| 9 | "Sean Hayes" | 0.4 | 1.53 |
| 10 | "Tony Goldwyn" | 0.2 | 1.19 |
| 11 | "America Ferrera" | 0.4 | 1.31 |
| 12 | "Bill Paxton" | 0.3 | 1.23 |
| 13 | "Melissa Etheridge" | 0.3 | 1.27 |

#### Season 6: 2015

| No. | Episode | Rating (18-49) | Viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Ginnifer Goodwin" | 0.3 | 1.43 |
| 2 | "J.K. Rowling" | 0.3 | 1.53 |
| 3 | "Alfre Woodard" | 0.2 | 1.21 |
| 4 | "Into the Archives" | 0.3 | 1.25 |
| 5 | "Bryan Cranston" | 0.2 | 1.27 |
| 6 | "Tom Bergeron" | 0.3 | 1.62 |

#### Season 7: 2016

| No. | Episode | Rating (18-49) | Viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Aisha Tyler" | 0.2 | 0.94 |
| 2 | "Scott Foley" | 0.2 | 1.35 |
| 3 | "Katey Sagal" | 0.3 | 1.39 |
| 4 | "Molly Ringwald" | 0.3 | 1.56 |
| 5 | "Chris Noth" | 0.3 | 1.33 |
| 6 | "Lea Michele" | 0.2 | 1.33 |

#### Season 8: 2017

| No. | Episode | Rating (18-49) | Viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Courteney Cox" | 0.2 | 1.35 |
| 2 | "Julie Bowen" | 0.2 | 1.33 |
| 3 | "Jennifer Grey" | 0.3 | 1.39 |
| 4 | "Noah Wyle" | 0.2 | 1.32 |
| 5 | "Jessica Biel" | 0.2 | 1.33 |
| 6 | "Smokey Robinson" | 0.3 | 1.45 |
| 7 | "John Stamos" | 0.4 | 1.59 |
| 8 | "Liv Tyler" | 0.3 | 1.23 |

#### Season 9: 2018

| No. | Episode | Rating (18-49) | Viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Jon Cryer" | 0.2 | 0.81 |
| 2 | "Laverne Cox" | 0.1 | 0.62 |
| 3 | "Megan Mullally" | 0.2 | 0.99 |
| 4 | "Hilary Duff" | 0.2 | 0.89 |
| 5 | "Molly Shannon" | 0.2 | 0.87 |
| 6 | "Jean Smart" | 0.1 | 0.87 |

#### Season 10: 2018

| No. | Episode | Rating (18-49) | Viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Mandy Moore" | 0.1 | 0.63 |
| 2 | "Josh Duhamel" | 0.1 | 0.69 |
| 3 | "Regina King" | 0.2 | 0.80 |
| 4 | "Matthew Morrison" | 0.1 | 0.60 |

#### Season 11: 2022

| No. | Episode | Rating/share (18-49) | Viewers (millions) | Rank (timeslot) | Rank (night) |
| 1 | "Billy Porter" | 0.1/2 | 1.30 | 5 | 16 (tied) |
| 2 | "Nick Offerman" | 0.2/3 | 1.92 | 3 | 10 |
| 3 | "Allison Janney" | 0.2/2 | 1.89 | 4 | 11 (tied) |
| 4 | "Zachary Levi" | 0.2/3 | 2.01 | 4 | 10 (tied) |
| 5 | "Bradley Whitford" | 0.1/1 | 1.61 | 6 | 22 |
| 6 | "Zachary Quinto" | 0.2/2 | 1.62 | 4 | 16 |

## DVD releases

| Complete season | Release dates | Release dates | Release dates | DVD extras and bonus features | Number of discs |
| Complete season | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | DVD extras and bonus features | Number of discs |
| Season 1 | March 15, 2011 | February 1, 2011 | August 12, 2010 | None | 2 |
| Season 2 | May 1, 2012 | February 20, 2012 | TBA | TBA | 2 |

## International distribution

* In Australia, season 1 began airing on the Nine Network on April 28, 2010. Season 2 and reruns of season 1 will now air on sister channel, GEM. For a reason unexplained by Nine, the episodes featuring Spike Lee and Emmitt Smith were not aired in initial Australian screenings.
* In the Republic of Ireland, the first season of the US version began airing on RTÉ One on Thursday, May 27, 2010, at 22:25. The second series premiered on RTÉ One on Monday, July 4, 2011, at 22:40.
* In the United Kingdom, the first season of the US version began airing on BBC One on Sunday, June 13, 2010, at 21:15. The show received the same voice-over as the UK original series. The second series, premiered on Wednesday, November 16, 2011, at 22:45. The first episode shown was that following Steve Buscemi. The fourth series premiered on BBC1 at midnight on Tuesday, January 14, 2014. The order of celebrity is changed in the opening credits to Applegate, Clarkson, O'Donnell, Deschanel, Crawford and Parsons. Handler and Yearwood are not featured as they have little profile in the UK.
* In Sweden, the first season of the US version began airing with Swedish subtitles on SVT on Tuesday, September 14, 2010, at 13:20.
* In Greece, the first season of the US version began airing with Greek subtitles on Fox Life on Thursday, October 14, 2010, at 21:55.
* In Finland, the first season of the US version began airing with Finnish subtitles on MTV3 on Thursday December 30, 2010, at 20:00, called Sukujuuria etsimässä, "Looking for family roots".
* In Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Former Yugoslav republics, the US version airs on Universal Channel, the British version airs on Viasat History.
* In Romania, both versions began airing on January 1, 2019, only on Național 24 Plus.
* In The Netherlands, the US versions of season 1 and 2 aired on August 8, 2013.
* In Italy, the show began airing on Studio Universal on February 4, 2013. Reruns of season 2 and season 1 began airing on LaEFFE since May 2013.
* In Germany, it began airing on RTL Living on November 25, 2011. The network also aired the British version of the series on January 6, 2012.