“Who Do You Think You Are” on NBC

Who Do You Think You Are on NBC will will return tonight at 8/7 Central time. Watching the trailer has me quite excited to tune in for the rest of this season. These programs are the PERFECT example of why I do what I do in the genealogy field. If this season is anything like previous seasons I promise.. No, I guarantee that at least half, if not almost all of the episodes will in the least entertain, touch you and might even move you.

Pardon the passionate introduction to this program (for those of you not familiar with the series), but if you’re so inclined this might be one of the best shows to watch with your family. This season begins with the ancestry study of Martin Sheen. Anyone interested in family tree research must tune in for this program that is sure to be an inspirational show.

I’ve included a short description of the individuals below and a link to their Wikipedia page because everyone is always curious about who some of the individuals are. The names are in no particular order and do not correspond to the order of the episodes:

Martin Sheen – Actor with a long career from 1967 to the present. Father of well-known actors Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen.
Blair Underwood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blair_Underwood) Actor best known for his roles in The Event, LA Law and other television titles. He has also appeared in dozens of other television shows and motion pictures.

Marisa Tomei – Requiring little introduction this sweetheart began appearing in As the World Turns in 1983 followed by several other appearance before breaking out big for the film My cousin Vinny in 1992, earning her an Academy Award. Still active in film and still making people smile.

Helen Hunt – Another incredibly well-known actress, Helen is widely famous for the television series Mad About You and feature motion pictures such as Twister, As Good as It Gets, What Women Want and many others.

Rob Lowe – Excuse the book prop (I’m not being compensated for it) but the connection between Rob Lowe and the Sheen/Estevez family from the first episode is one of the many fascinating parts of his recent book Stories I Only Tell My Friends – is Excellent. The film and TV star has a resume too long to list but we’ll say it begins with the movie The Outsiders in 1983 and the television film Drew Peterson: Untouchable from this year.

Edie Falco – Best known for her multi-award winning performance in the HBO series The Sopranos has also appeared in numerous other television and film works.

Reba McEntire – The unmistakable voice of Reba returns to television in the third season of Who Do You Think You Are. This country music icon and well-respected actress won’t be acting or singing this time (is there a song involved?) – We’ll see the real Reba McEntire as she follows the clues to bring her back to her roots.

Jerome Bettis – A.K.A The Bus is one of the most well-known Pittsburg Steelers of the generation, playing ball in Pittsburgh from 1996 to 2006. A first round draft pick in 1993, retired after winning the Super Bowl in 2006. The 6th-leading rusher of all time in the NFL will be exploring his genealogical past with up this season.

Rita Wilson – Well-known actress and wife of over 20 years to Tom Hanks will likely be investigating her family tree overseas with roots in Greece and Albania. First appearing in an episode of The Brady Bunch in 1972, she has been a highly successful actress, Broadway performer, musician and film producer.

Rashida Jones – Daughter of Quincy Jones, Rashida has made a name for herself. This Harvard graduate has starred in many recent television and movie efforts you might have heard of such as The Office, Boston Public and a movie called The Social Network.

Jason Sudeikis – Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock star also appeared in films such as What Happens in Vegas and in Horrible Bosses.

Paula Deen – Celebrity cook and restaurateur, author of numerous cookbooks and occasional guest judge on television reality series Top Chef.

Visit the NBC Who Do You Think You Are web page here.