Roots (1977)

The original 1977 television miniseries Roots consists of exactly eight consecutive episodes. It aired over the course of eight consecutive nights on the ABC television network in January 1977. The broadcast captivated an estimated 130 million viewers by its finale, breaking numerous television records.

The adult version of Kunta Kinte was portrayed by actor John Amos in the 1977 ABC miniseries. The younger version of the character, enslaved as a teenager, was famously played by LeVar Burton in his breakout acting role. Both actors received widespread critical acclaim and Emmy nominations for their performances.

The 1977 miniseries is a direct television adaptation of Alex Haley’s 1976 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Roots: The Saga of an American Family. The book traces Haley's own ancestry back to an African man named Kunta Kinte, who was captured in Gambia and brought to America. The novel spent weeks atop the New York Times Best Seller list.

The Roots miniseries was nominated for an incredible 37 Primetime Emmy Awards in 1977 and ultimately won nine. Its victories included Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series. The widespread acclaim also resulted in a Golden Globe win for Best TV Series – Drama.