Roots poster

Roots

★ 8.4 20K votes 1977–1977 1 season · 8 episodes Ended ABC
Event miniseriesPrestige limited television built as an event.This show: 10/10Real historyReal historical events and figures woven into the story.This show: 10/10Emotionally heavyDemands real emotional stamina from the viewer.This show: 10/10Period pieceSet meaningfully in a past era.This show: 10/10Gut punchWilling to devastate you, and remembered for it.This show: 9/10Family sagaBonds and fractures across generations of one family.This show: 9/10BleakGrim and heavy, with little easy relief. These shows sit with suffering instead of softening it.This show: 8/10Social commentaryDeliberate critique of how society works.This show: 8/10
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Starring
LeVar BurtonRobert ReedJohn AmosLouis Gossett Jr.Lynda Day GeorgeOlivia Cole
Starring
LeVar BurtonRobert ReedJohn AmosLouis Gossett Jr.Lynda Day GeorgeOlivia Cole
Ratings per Episode
246810
Votes per Episode
0150300450600

Roots Episode Ratings Heatmap

AvgE1E2E3E4E5E6E7E8
S18.18.38.38.18.17.98.08.18.1

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About

"The miniseries that changed what TV could confront"

Roots traces one Black family's history across generations, beginning with Kunta Kinte's capture in Africa and following his descendants through the brutal reality of American slavery. Adapted from Alex Haley's novel, it was a genuine television event when it aired, watched by tens of millions over consecutive nights. The tone is somber and unflinching, built on strong performances rather than stylistic flash, and the pacing is deliberate, almost novelistic, letting each generation's story breathe. It's not comfortable viewing, but it's historically vital, and its cultural impact on American television is hard to overstate.

Watch it for

the generational scope and performances that made this a defining cultural moment in television history.

Maybe skip if

you're not prepared for sustained, unflinching depictions of slavery's brutality.

Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.

All Seasons

▼
Miniseries1977
8.13K89h 52m
EpTitleRatingYoursVotesRuntime
▶1Part I8.3
50797 min
▶2Part II8.3
42397 min
▶3Part III8.1
38850 min
▶4Part IV8.1
38151 min
▶5Part V7.9
35451 min
▶6Part VI8.0
35599 min
▶7Part VII8.1
33251 min
▶8Part VIII8.1
34096 min

Full Cast & Crew

Cast

LeVar Burton Kunta Kinte, Toby
Robert Reed Dr. William Reynolds
John Amos Older Kunta Kinte, Toby
Louis Gossett Jr. Fiddler
Lynda Day George Mrs. Reynolds
Olivia Cole Mathilda, Matilda Moore
Madge Sinclair Bell Reynolds
Ben Vereen Chicken George Moore
Leslie Uggams Kizzy Reynolds, Kizzy Reynolds Moore
Lloyd Bridges Evan Brent

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