Roots

From the moment the young Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton) is stolen from his ancestral home in 18th-century Africa and brought under inhumane conditions to be auctioned as a slave in America, a line begins that leads from this most shameful chapter in U.S. history to the 20th-century author Alex Haley, a descendant of Kinte. Haley's acclaimed 1976 book Roots was adapted into this six-volume 1977 television miniseries, which was watched by an estimated 140 million viewers (more than half of the U.S. population). The series covers several generations in the antebellum South, winding towards a close with the story of "Chicken" George, a freed slave played by Ben Vereen, whose family experiences the agony of entrenched racism and learns to fight back. Between the lives of Kunta and George, a number of other memorable characters are introduced—black and white—in this series that directly dealt with the physical and emotional torments of slavery, from beatings and rapes, to the forced separation of spouses and families. Mainstream America had never before been confronted with anything like Roots before, and the extent to which the country was nudged a degree or two toward enlightenment became instantly obvious. Today, Roots still has that ability to open eyes while engaging viewers in a sweeping, memorable drama. Making its Blu-ray debut in a 40th anniversary edition, extras include archival behind-the-scenes featurettes and Burton's screen test, as well as a pair of new featurettes with original cast members and commentators including Whoopi Goldberg, Blair Underwood, and Debbie Allen. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (T. Keogh)