Based on Alex Haleys best-selling novel about his African ancestors, Roots followed several generations in the lives of a slave family. The saga began with Kunta Kinte (Burton), a West African youth captured by slave raiders and shipped to America in the 1700s. The familys saga is depicted up until the Civil War where Kunte Kintes grandson gained emancipation. Roots made its greatest impression on the ratings and widespread popularity it garnered. On average, 80 million people watched each of the episodes and over 100 million - almost half the country at the time - saw the final episode. Chronicles a black mans search for his heritage and reveals an epic panorama of Americas past.
