Henry Louis Gates Jr. reveals his ‘Finding Your Roots’ dream guests, including this TODAY anchor

Henry Louis Gates Jr. has a running list of dream guests for the show "Finding Your Roots," and TODAY's own Al Roker tops the list.

The host of the PBS series stopped by the 3rd Hour of TODAY on Jan. 2 to speak about the show's 10th season.

When Sheinelle Jones asked Gates about his dream guests, his answer was quick: "Let me see ... Al Roker!" he said, turning toward the TODAY weatherman.

Gates said he and Roker had previously spoken about him coming on the PBS show.

"I had begged him. He'd say yes, then he called and said he changed his mind," Gates said.

Craig Melvin later joked, "I can't wait to until this one sits at the table," pointing at Al.

"Is this a commitment?" Gates asked Al.

Al then weighed in on his potential "Finding Your Roots" episode: "Yeah, we will talk about this. Seriously."

First, though, Al said he had to talk to his siblings.

Other potential future guests include Dolly Parton, Johnny Mathis, Clint Eastwood and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Martin Scorsese was also on the list, to which Gates added: "I would love (to get him). He's like God to me."

Gates said his list is made up of "people who are heroes" to him, whom he admires.

Season 10, out Jan. 2, includes Valerie Bertinelli, Danielle Brooks, LeVar Burton, Ciara, Michael Douglas, Lena Dunham, Brendan Fraser, Sammy Hagar, Sunny Hostin, Tracy Morgan, Alanis Morissette, Ed O’Neill, Bob Odenkirk, Anthony Ramos, Iliza Shlesinger, Wes Studi, Dionne Warwick and Jesse Williams.

Guests on “Finding Your Roots” often face unexpected revelations while sitting across from Gates, thumbing through a book of ancestry findings. Last season, for example, actor Joe Manganiello learned he was part Black, and Niecy Nash found out she wasn’t biologically related to the man she thought was her grandfather.

Gates tells TODAY.com the shock and surprise on guests’ faces is always genuine.

"We've never had a guest who wasn't moved," he says.

He hopes the show inspires viewers to do their family tree, because to Gates, "knowing about your ancestors is a way of knowing about yourself.’

"Stephen Hawking, one of my heroes, has a quote that I share with each of my guests. It is the past that tells us what we are. Without knowledge of the past, we lose our identity. And I think that's true," he says.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com