This movie was so well done and the actors a superb cast of actors. It was hard to believe that this was a TV mini series. I was 13 in 1977 and I get goose bumps Everytime I see it. Music score was done by Quincy Jones.
Actually Quincy Jones only did part of the first instalment... he was taking so long they had to get Gerald Fried to score the bulk of it (including, the main theme.
Same here--grade 8 in 1977 and love Quincy Jones'. "Ai No Corrida," is my favorite song. I think the Roots goosebumps might be for the same reason I got them--because the actors were TOO good --Sandy Duncan said she couldn't go out in public for years because people kept spitting on her--I was even convinced she was Missy Ann Reynolds. I'm still waiting for a show this good.
If memory serves me correctly, everyone knew and understood what a moment in time this mini series was going to be. Most of the well renowned actors and actresses of the day were stepping up and wanting to be a part of this. I was in the 7th grade at the time and had to do a book report on Roots. All of America was glued to the television each night it premiered. There weren’t any VCRs or video stores back then, so no one knew when it be on TV again or if ever again. So many felt if you missed it, you missed out on a possible once in a lifetime event.
I also found another amazing discovery that Three Actors who were in Roots were also guest Stars on Cannon. Harry Rhoades, William Watson and Thalmus Rasulala. Before doing Roots Thalmus Rasulala and Cicely Tyson played Mother/Son in The Autobiography Of Miss Jane Pittman.
Highly accomplished actor, director, and teacher - he earned a masters degree from Columbia. He was also a respected athlete (he played football for the US Army) and theater actor.
Here's another fact. When Michael Fassbender was in 12 Years A Slave and he Whipped Patsy played by Oscar Winner Lupita N'yongo he felt absolutely awful and apologized over and over the same way Chuck Connors apologized to Leslie Uggams.
Yes. Just before we see the Credits of The Actors/Actresses Alex Haley tells what happened to His Maternal Family. Matilda died first then Chicken George. Tom and his Daughter Cindy married Will Palmer who took over the Lumberyard in Hennings, TN., they had a daughter named Bertha who went to Lane College (The First In The Family To Do So), and met Simon Alexander Haley. She married him and together they had Three Sons, Alex, George, & Julius. When Bertha died of Cancer Simon Remarried a Lady and had a Daughter named Lois.
Thank you. When I was a Kid I couldn't watch it but it's like a Fine Wine it gets better with time. I meant to say Tom Harvey's Wife was named Irene Cindy was the Daughter. There is still Roots: The Next Generations that continues from the 1890's to when Alex goes back to Africa and "meets" his Distant Relatives.
Sadly Three Of The Actors would die of AIDS Related Illness. Robert Reed (Dr. William Reynolds), Brad Davis (Ol George Johnson), and John Shenar (Mr. Carrington). I had no idea that Ben Vereen like Debbie Allen, Liza Minelli & even Ann Reinking were the proteges of The Late Bob Fosse. To go from doing Broadway (Pippin) to such a dramatic Role may have been quite an experience.
@@Cjnw We are lucky and blessed so far. William Watson was also on Dallas where Willard "Digger" Barnes admitted that he wasn't Pam's Real Father but Hutch McKinney was who stole from Jock Ewing.
No disrespect to the 2016 mini series but i taught myself about slavery from this series both my middle school and high school never taught us about slavery every black history month I always watch this
Also Lorne Greene was in the miniseries as John Reynolds who is from Canada. This year marks the 70th Anniversary of The CBC (Canadian Broadcasing Company debuting) on January 15th. He started out as an Announcer, then he played the lawyer in peyton place.
One has to love how the score momentarily (if subtly and coincidentally) becomes less uplifting and more ominous around the time that he appears in the end credits.
Sorry..But the new version of Roots is not as good compared to the 1977 version. Being mixed race British/Jamaican. I never really saw this as a child until i was a teenager growing up in mid 1990s london.... I think if you were to ask people? The transa-lantic slave trade was in most ways far far worse than the 1940s nazi holocaust.
"Sorry..But the new version is not as good compared to the 1977 version." Media (regarding race/gender) was of the best quality during the 70's. This was the US' latter "Reconstruction Era consciousness" period when "Affirmative Action" and the "Equal Opportunity" efforts were still fresh and, for a little while, there was a real desire to make some change. By 1980 and the beginning of the Reagan era, all of that positive sentiment was gone and the country had fallen back into the sentiment that has led to Trump and a major resurgence of White Nationalism.
@whateverwhatever4476 How? They had Kunta Kinte fighting for the British (didn't happen), Kunta and Bell get married in an African ceremony on the plantation with their White.master watching (REALLY?), Kizzy helping the master's wife read recipes (major death wish, didn't happen), Chicken George was sold away and his son, Tom, resents HIM for leaving the family (ridiculous concept, not a part of the Haley family history), Tom's wife (Irene) was raped repeatedly by White overseers while pregnant (TV sensationalism, not a part of the Haley family history). The ROOTS reboot sucked artistically and informatively.