Affleck effect delays third Roots run

Affleck: Embarrassed
by revelations

US pubcaster PBS has postponed a third run of celebrity genealogy series Finding Your Roots after the show omitted “embarrassing” details about Hollywood star Ben Affleck’s ancestry.

A review of the episode, which aired in October, found that the Gone Girl star persuaded producers to cut out details about his slave-owning ancestors.

PBS said its producers violated network standards by allowing Affleck to have “improper influence” over the show. Affleck has since apologised and said he was embarrassed about the revelation when he found out.

The broadcaster said it was also not yet committing to a fourth season “until we are satisfied that the editorial standards of the series have been successfully raised to a level in which we can have confidence.”

The show is similar to UK series Who Do You Think You Are?, which was remade in the US for Discovery’s female-skewing lifestyle net TLC.