Stars: Lloyd Bridges, Edward Asner, Chuck Connors, Cicely Tyson, Doug McClure, Vic Morrow, George Hamilton, Lorne Greene

Director: Marvin J. Chomsky

Summary: The television drama which tells the story of the abduction of a black native and his transportation to the States.

In 1977, the miniseries ROOTS aired, changing the face of television--and American culture--forever. This highly acclaimed series, based on Alex Haley's best-selling novel, follows the lineage of Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton), an African man abducted from his village and sold into slavery in the United States. There he contends with the cruel hardships of slavery, while trying to escape to make a better life for himself and his family. The programme features a veritable cast of thousands, including Ed Asner, Ben Vereen, John Amos, Madge Sinclair, Cicely Tyson, and Louis Gossett, Jr.

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Based on Alex Haley's bestseller, the 1977 TV mini-series Rootstold the harrowing story of one man's ancestors, commencing with African warrior Kunta Kinte, captured, transported to America, stripped of his dignity, his rights, and even his name. He tries but fails to escape before accepting he can never return to Africa. He marries and bears a daughter, Kizzy, who is callously sold, then raped by her new "master". However, her son, Chicken George, a resourceful dab hand with gamecocks, lives long enough to see his own children attain a liberty of sorts following the Civil War.

Rootsis told in the same, accessible televisual language as The Waltonsor Bonanza, yet it is never bland or evasive. It leaves no doubt as to the torment and abuse suffered by blacks, and although the series' conclusion is fictionally satisfying, for many of the black characters their only hope lies in generations yet unborn.

It is sturdy enough drama but its greatest, most revolutionary effects were social. It persuaded American audiences to regard their history from a black perspective, and to see how--against odds far more desperate than those the pilgrims faced--Africans laid claim to their status as free African-Americans. Rootswas massively popular, triggering a craze for genealogy and paving the way for series like 1979's Holocaust, which similarly raised the public's awareness of the slaughter of the Jews under Hitler. Most importantly, Rootschanged forever the way black people were depicted on American TV.

On the DVD:Rootsis presented in 1:33:1 format and is visually extremely well-preserved. Extra features include a "Roots Family Tree", a copious, informative audio commentary featuring members of cast and crew, and a documentary, "Remembering Roots". Although this consists only of interviews, these convey the extraordinary emotional grip this project had on those who took part in it.--David Stubbs

Aspect Ratio:	4:3
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Three Feature Length Audio Commentaries With Video Inserts By The Producer And Cast And Crew, Remembering Roots Documentary, Roots Family Tree, Web Enabled
Subtitles:	Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish
Year:	1977
Release Date:	September 30, 2002
Runtime:	580 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 037456
Keywords:	Roots, General, Edition, Series, Three, Original, Anniversary, Mini, Tv, Drama, Discs, 25th
Genre:	Drama