Jan. 19--"Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal" creator Shonda Rhimes, who grew up in the south suburbs, traces her ancestry to the Civil War era on the PBS show "Finding Your Roots."
Rhimes, 46, and comedians Maya Rudolph and Keenen Ivory Wayans learn their lineage in Tuesday's episode, set to air at 8 p.m. on WTTW-Ch. 11. Rhimes follows her family's footsteps from the South to her "southern-feeling" household in University Park.
In a preview clip, Rhimes reviews the 1870 federal census taken after the end of the Civil War with "Finding Your Roots" host Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
The census lists Annie and Matilda Watson, believed to be Rhimes' great-great grandmother and great-great-great grandmother. Rhimes, a mother of three daughters, cries as she recalls wanting to name a daughter Matilda.
"Finding Your Roots" airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. An episode exploring the ancestry of Chicago-born Patricia Arquette is scheduled to air Feb. 9.
