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Roots(TV show/series, 1977)

FSK: 16+ years
| 1h 30min per episode | Genres: Drama, Documentary

Mini series in 1 season with 8 episodes

RootsRating: 3.7/5 (with 104 votes)
Roots is a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haley's 1976 novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family, set during and after the era of slavery in the United States. The series first aired on ABC in January 1977 over eight consecutive nights. A critical and ratings success over the course of its run, Roots received 37 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won nine. It also won a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. It received unprecedented Nielsen ratings for the finale, which holds the record as the third-highest-rated episode for any type of television series, and the second-most-watched overall series finale in U.S. television history. A sequel, Roots: The Next Generations, first aired in 1979, and a second sequel, Roots: The Gift, a Christmas television film, starring LeVar Burton and Louis Gossett Jr., first aired in 1988. A related film, Alex Haley's Queen, is based on the life of Queen Jackson Haley, who was Alex Haley's paternal grandmother. In 2016, a remake of the original miniseries, with the same name, was commissioned by the History channel and screened by the channel on Me... ()
Poster of Roots

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Awards & Nominations for Roots

Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Peabody Awards Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series

About Roots

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.

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Trailer for Roots + Featurettes/Teaser/Clips

ROOTS miniseries premiere - January 1977 ABC-TV(Trailer, 1:51)

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Roots Seasons and Episodes

01/23/1977Season 1 - 8 episodes
#1 | 01/23/1977Part I
2.0/5 (with 1 vote)
In Gambia, West Africa, Kunta Kinte, son of Omoro and Binta, distinguishes himself in manhood training rituals. But he does not enjoy his new status long: slave traders sweeping the countryside seize him. Chained with other captives, Kunta begins an agonized odyssey to the New World.
#2 | 01/24/1977Part II
2.0/5 (with 1 vote)
Despite a violent rebellion, the slave ship Lord Ligonier completes its voyage and Kunta Kinte endures the indignity of an Annapolis slave auction. Fiddler, the slave in charge of Kunta's training, becomes his only friend, a friendship that's tested when Kunta plans his escape.
#3 | 01/25/1977Part III
1.5/5 (with 1 vote)
In 1776, a nation fights for freedom - but not for all. Still driven by his memories as a Mandinka "fighting man," Kunta (now renamed Toby) escapes once more.
#4 | 01/26/1977Part IV
1.5/5 (with 1 vote)
After Genelva's nighttime dalliance with Junta deflects suspicion so she can flee with her lover, Kunta forms a romantic attachment to the worldly-wise Bell, whom he marries.
#5 | 01/27/1977Part V
The teenage Kizzy, well-versed in Mandinka history, falls in love with young Noah, who's determined to escape.
#6 | 01/28/1977Part VI
Chicken George is sent to England as payment for his owner's gambling debt.
#7 | 01/29/1977Part VII
Chicken George returns to North Carolina to find his sons have married and started families - and to learn about a state law that says his status as a free man is forfeited if he stays more than 60 days. Meanwhile, the nation erupts in Civil War.
#8 | 01/30/1977Part VIII
The Civil War is over but night riders terrorize ex-slaves. By marking his clients' horseshoes, Tom identifies the raiders but endangers his own life. Chicken George, who fought for the Union, rejoins his family. He leads them to a new home in Tennessee.
?Specials - 8 episodes

Additional Information

Production country: United States of America (USA)
Plays in: Virginia
Original language: English (EN)
Spoken languages: English (EN)
Translated into 19 languages: Bosnian (BS), Czech (CS), Danish (DA), German (DE), Greek (EL), English (EN), Spanish (ES), Persian (FA), French (FR), Hebrew (HE), Hungarian (HU), Italian (IT), Korean (KO), Polish (PL), Portuguese (PT), Romanian (RO), Russian (RU), Swedish (SV), Chinese (Mandarin) (ZH)
Status: Ended
First episode released on: 01/23/1977
Last episode released on: 01/30/1977
Appearing Characters: Kunta Kinte
Producer: David L. Wolper
Screenwriter: Alex Haley
Film Editor: Neil Travis
Composer: Quincy Jones
Performer: Quincy Jones
Alternative titles in other countries (from previews, ads etc.):
"Racines"
"Korzenie"

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Similar TV shows/series

Other TV shows/series with this title: Roots (US, 2016), Roots (FR, 2022)

WatchPlayStream ID: SHOWS:3290, Added: 05/12/2018, Last updated: 03/07/2024