Roots

Synopsis

The epic tale of celebrated Pulitzer-prize winning author Alex Haley's ancestors as portrayed in the acclaimed twelve hour mini-series Roots, was first told in his 1976 bestseller Roots: The Saga of an American Family. The docu-drama covers a period of history that begins in mid-1700s Gambia, West Africa and concludes during post-Civil War United States, over 100 years later. This 1977 miniseries eventually won 9 Emmy awards, a Golden Globe award, and a Peabody award, and still stands as the most watched miniseries in U.S. history.

First Air Date: 1977-01-23

Last Air Date: 1977-01-30

Number of Seasons: 1

Number of Episodes: 8

Created By: Alex Haley

Networks: ABC

View Technical Specifications on IMDb

Top Cast

Robert Reed as Dr. William Reynolds
Olivia Cole as Mathilda
Ben Vereen as Chicken George Moore
Louis Gossett Jr. as Fiddler
Leslie Uggams as Kizzy Reynolds
Lynda Day George as Mrs. Reynolds
John Amos as Kunta Kinte
Madge Sinclair as Bell Reynolds
LeVar Burton as Kunta Kinte
Ji-Tu Cumbuka as Wrestler

Seasons

Specials

No overview available for this season.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: The Phenomenon of Roots

Author of "Roots" Alex Haley goes on a voyage to his ancestral home village in Africa and to the grave site of his relative Kunta Kinte in Virginia with LeVar Burton who portrayed Kinte in "Roots". Narrated by Louis Gossett, Jr.
Ep. 2: Crossing Over: How Roots Captivated an Entire Nation (2007-05-22)

An examination of "Roots" impact on society in the 1970's from a modern perspective.
Ep. 3: Roots: One Year Later

Hosted by Louis Gossett Jr.
Ep. 4: Remembering Roots (2007-05-22)

25th-anniversary 3 DVD edition bonus. New interviews with key cast members.
Ep. 5: The Struggle to Make Roots

No overview for this episode.
Ep. 6: 30th anniversary (2007-05-22)

'The American Story Continues' is a new interview series with celebrities discussing how important the original series 'ROOTS' was and continues to be in this day and age. Whoopi Goldberg, James Earl Jones, Blair Underwood, and more make an appearance
Ep. 7: Cast Interviews

'The Cast Looks Back' is a new bonus video that features interviews with most of the cast of the original miniseries. They talk about making the series and how it has transformed their lives.
Ep. 8: The Gift (1988-12-11)

The characters of Kunta Kinte and Fiddler from Roots are back in this movie. In this movie the two of them accompany their owner to another plantation at Christmas time and they learn that the son of the owner helps slaves escape. And the two of them try to help him and also see this as an opportunity to escape themselves.