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African American Lives
MINISERIES: PBS, begins Wednesday 2/1 at 9:00p


10.0

based on 10 reviews
read critic reviews
how did we calculate this?

based on 5 votes
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Official Show Site

Starring Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (host)

Eight prominent African Americans--including Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones and Whoopi Goldberg--trace their lineage in this 4-hour PBS special.

GENRE(S):	Biography, History, Science & Nature
FIRST AIR DATE:	February 1, 2006
LAST AIR DATE:	February 8, 2006
ALSO ON:	Concludes Wed 2/8 at 9:00p

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

The New York Times Virginia Heffernan

It's the most exciting and stirring documentary on any subject to appear on television in a long time.

Baltimore Sun David Zurawik

It is all done so skillfully, thanks to the self-deprecating grace of Gates, that the series never loses its sense of adventure.

Chicago Sun-Times Doug Elfman

What makes the awful past easy to handle here is that it's delivered with graceful and quiet storytelling by its directors, by scholarly host Henry Louis Gates Jr. and by nine subjects.

Chicago Tribune Maureen Ryan

[An] intriguing, if occasionally abrupt, series.

Boston Globe Joanna Weiss

If nothing else, this is a stunning historical undertaking, a massive and detailed project tracing genealogical records and analyzing DNA, swiped from celebrity cheeks. But the program's greater power comes from the past itself. With minimal use of talking-head experts, it tells the small stories that make history feel more true.

Washington Post Chip Crews

Mostly absorbing.

Los Angeles Times Robert Lloyd

If a little repetitious and scattered, and a tad too insistent on Moments of Surprise, it is plenty interesting and often moving.

San Jose Mercury News Charlie McCollum

Although a bit repetitive at times, this is a fascinating few hours that says a lot about how our country came to be.

Philadelphia Inquirer Ellen Gray

There's a surprising amount of fun in Gates' sometimes meandering journey toward his and his subjects' roots.

Hollywood Reporter Barry Garron

The first hour plays more like something on the Biography Channel, but the longer you watch, the higher up the family trees Gates climbs and the more incredible the view.

The average user rating for this tv show is 10.0 (out of 10) based on 5 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Vivian L gave it a10:
An a amazing documantry about tracing steps through time and figuring out what was impossible-- now possible throught DNA.

Bathsheba T gave it a10:
It answered many questions I had about my own family's migration west.

Pau W gave it a10:
One of the best programs I have ever seen on genealogy and particularly that of African Americans. I found it facinating - and helpful. I am currently helping someone trace their African American family tree. I am only disappointed in the fact that our Detroit PBS station is airing the show at 4am in the morning. I would like to see it again and would love for others to see it as well. I plan on buying my own copy. thank you

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African American Lives MINISERIES: PBS, begins Wednesday 2/1 at 9:00p

African American Lives
MINISERIES: PBS, begins Wednesday 2/1 at 9:00p