Descendants, a new interview series from Sleepy Hollow-based creator Charlie Taney, premieres on YouTube on Monday, Oct. 26. Each episode is a conversation with living relatives of a historically significant American figure, exploring the family stories that didn’t make the history books. The show’s tagline sums up the idea: Family Stories of American Legends.
The first two episodes release together. In the Thomas Jefferson episode, author and journalist Lucian Truscott IV, a Jefferson descendant, discusses his family’s legacy. The Jesse James episode features James family members Joe Hall, Monte Griffey and Marylue Bowers. New episodes of 20 to 30 minutes then follow every two weeks.
Taney was inspired to create the show by the family histories he uncovered during the reconciliation of the families of Dred Scott and Chief Justice Roger B. Taney.
“Every famous name in American history belongs to a real family, and those families carry stories you won’t find anywhere else,” said Taney. “Descendants gives them the chance to tell those stories in their own words.”
Launch season
| Release date | Episode |
| October 26 | Ep. 1: Thomas Jefferson |
| October 26 | Ep. 2: Jesse James |
| November 2 | Ep. 3: Sally Hemings |
| November 16 | Ep. 4: Roger B. Taney |
| November 30 | Ep. 5: Dred Scott |
| December 14 | Ep. 6: Jim Thorpe |
| December 28 | Ep. 7: John Brown |
Descendants is free to watch on YouTube at @DescendantsPodcast, where a two-minute trailer is available now. Viewers can sign up for updates at descendantspodcast.com.
