Editor Reviews:

Amazon.com essential video:
From the moment the young Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton) is stolen from his life and ancestral home in 18th-century Africa and brought under inhumane conditions to be auctioned as a slave in America, a line is begun that leads from this most shameful chapter in U.S. history to the 20th-century author Alex Haley, a Kinte descendant. The late Haley's acclaimed book Roots was adapted into this six-volume television miniseries, which was a widely watched phenomenon in 1977. The programs cover several generations in the antebellum South and end with the story of "Chicken" George, a freed slave played by Ben Vereen whose family feels the agony of entrenched racism and learns to fight it. Between the lives of Kunta and George, we meet a number of memorable characters, black and white, and learn much about the emotional and physical torments of slavery, from beatings and rapes to the forced separation of spouses and families. Nothing like this had ever confronted so many mainstream Americans when the series was originally broadcast, and the extent to which the country was nudged a degree or two toward enlightenment was instantly obvious. Roots still has that ability to open one's eyes, and engage an audience in a sweeping, memorable drama at the same time. --Tom Keogh

Rating : - THE NATION'S ROOTS AS WELL!!
Perhaps the most famous TV miniseries of all time. Played for eight straight evenings in January of 1977. The country practically came to a halt during that time slot every evening. Over 130 million views tuned in to watch this amazing story of Alex Haley's family's roots and history. It has been translated into 28 languages since. While the story and technology may seem a little outdated today (how can it not?), this is one story worth watching to gain a better understanding our country's history and where we have come from. In many ways it is the story of our nation from the days of slavery through the great struggles for freedom for all. Kunta Kinte is the main character who was captured and forced into slavery as a young man and brought to America. Perhaps the most poignant moment in the movie is where he has refused to give up his African name and be called Toby, the name his master has given him. He is beaten until, finally, he verbally says his name is Toby. While he may no longer be Kunta Kinte on the outside, he retains his African identity inside and longs to be free to be himself. He tries to pass that heritage down to the next generation. Although slavery obviously plays a major role in the story, it is first and foremost a story of family and what gets passed down from generation to generation. I understand the request for family records from archive sources skyrocketed after the series played. Haley spent over 12 years researching his family's roots before writing the best-selling book that was the basis for the movie. The movie rights were actually purchased before the book was finished and the screenplay was written and finished at the same time as the book. It is a 12 hour investment of your time but something you will not regret. You don't need to watch it all at once-spread it out. Get some friends together. Enjoy. www.lusreviews.blogspot.com