The Family Tree By Terence L. Day Terence L. Day, genealogist and journalist, is on the Washington State University faculty. Ancestors may be the greatest boon to genealogy since Roots , the television series based on Alex Haley's 1976 historical novel that traced the author's roots to an African village in 1750 and sent interest in genealogy into orbit. Twenty years later, the genealogical world is bracing for a tidal wave of new interest in genealogical research that could be triggered by a new Public Broadcasting System series scheduled for release to 351 member stations across the country in January. Ancestors is a series of 10 KBYU-TV programs about genealogy and family history. In it, experts follow powerful stories of people whose lives have been changed through family history research.
Practical instruction is incorporated on how viewers can begin searching for their roots.
Amateur genealogists Jim and Terry Willard, of Turner, Maine, are hosts for the series and introduce the topic of each 30-minute episode. Since high school, the couple have pursued their love for each other - and for genealogy. They have traced their families back 15 generations on both sides. Jim has found ancestors who fought on opposite sides of the French and Indian War, and both found they are sixth cousins through their French-Canadian heritage. Ancestors goes on location to visit with family historians of various social, economic and ethnic backgrounds.