Roots (TV miniseries)

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Roots was a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haley's work Roots: The Saga of an American Family, his critically acclaimed genealogical novel.

Roots was a ground-breaking event in U.S. television history. It won 9 Emmys, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody Award. It received unprecedented Nielsen Ratings (with the finale still standing as the 3rd highest rated U.S. program ever [1]) and captivated American television audiences, successfully crossing racial lines and piquing the interest of families in all ethnic groups. Some viewers reportedly took the telephone off the hook for the eight consecutive nights of the broadcast.

The series and its 1979 sequel Roots: The Next Generations featured many African American actors at all levels of experience. The program introduced LeVar Burton in the role of Kunta Kinte. It also starred Louis Gossett Jr. as Fiddler. A second sequel, Roots: The Gift, was also produced as a Christmas movie and is widely considered inferior to the other two entries in the series, despite the fact that Levar Burton stars.

Roots and the book it was adapted from revived interest in oral and genealogical history among all segments of the population. It also spurred an interest in African or African sounding names; 'Kizzy' (played by Leslie Uggams), for example, became popular for African-American baby girls, notwithstanding that the name was often ascribed to the children of slaves, even those with no direct connection to Africa. Even an entire generation later, famous black American comedian Dave Chappelle satirized the TV series in a popular sketch aired on his Chappelle's Show.

The series was directed by Marvin J. Chomsky, John Erman, David Greene and Gilbert Moses. It was produced by Stan Margulies; David L. Wolper was executive producer. The now-familiar score was composed by Gerald Fried and Quincy Jones.