Miniseries · ABC
Roots
The Saga of an American Family.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
LeVar Burton
Kunta Kinte
2 eps
Olivia Cole
Mathilda
3 eps
Ben Vereen
Chicken George Moore
3 eps
Cicely Tyson
Binta
1 eps
Louis Gossett Jr.
Fiddler
3 eps
Ji-Tu Cumbuka
Wrestler
2 eps
Chuck Connors
Tom Moore
2 eps
Carolyn Jones
Mrs. Moore
1 eps
Leslie Uggams
Kizzy Reynolds
3 eps
O. J. Simpson
Kadi Touray
1 eps
Maya Angelou
Nyo Boto
1 eps
Moses Gunn
Kintango
1 eps
Thalmus Rasulala
Omoro
1 eps
Hari Rhodes
Brima Cesay
1 eps
William Watson
Gardner
1 eps
Ernest Lee Thomas
Kailuba
1 eps
Lorne Greene
John Reynolds
2 eps
Ralph Waite
Slater
2 eps
Lynda Day George
Mrs. Reynolds
3 eps
Paul Shenar
John Carrington
1 eps
Tina Andrews
Aurelia
1 eps
Ren Woods
Fanta
2 eps
Sandy Duncan
Missy Anne Reynolds
2 eps
Richard Roundtree
Sam Bennett
1 eps
Macdonald Carey
Squire James
1 eps
Scatman Crothers
Mingo
1 eps
George Hamilton
Stephen Bennett
1 eps
Ian McShane
Sir Eric Russell
1 eps
Pat Corley
Referee
1 eps
Macon McCalman
Poston
1 eps
Robert Phalen
Rufus Jackson
1 eps
Wayne Heffley
Telegrapher
1 eps
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
Noah
2 eps
John Schuck
Ordell
1 eps
Brion James
Slaver
1 eps
Richard Farnsworth
Trumbull
1 eps
Raymond St. Jacques
The Drummer
1 eps
Tanya Boyd
Genelva
2 eps
Thayer David
Harlan
2 eps
Ed Asner
Capt. Thomas Davies
2 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Roots actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Roots reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Serialized.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
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.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E01
Part I
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.
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Writing
- Alex HaleyWriter
Direction
- John ErmanDirector
- Marvin J. ChomskyDirector
- David GreeneDirector
- Gilbert MosesDirector
Music
- Gerald FriedOriginal Music Composer
Recognition
Awards
4 wins
Primetime Emmy Awards
2 wins · latest 1977
- WinnerPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Miniseries1977
Roots · Roots
- WinnerPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)1977
Roots · Roots
Directors Guild of America Awards
1 win · latest 1977
- WinnerDirectors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series1977
Roots · Roots
Peabody Awards
1 win · latest 1977
- WinnerPeabody Awards1977
Roots · Roots
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
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Never stop watching
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