In association with Amazon.com All ProductsApparelBabyBeautyBooksClassical MusicDVDDigital MusicElectronicsGourmet FoodHealth & Personal CareJewelryKitchen & HousewaresMagazinesMiscellaneousMusicMusic TracksMusical InstrumentsOffice ProductsOutdoor LivingPC HardwarePet SuppliesPhotoRestaurantsSoftwareSporting GoodsTools & HardwareToysVHSVideo (DVD & VHS)Video GamesWirelessWireless Accessories     starring: LeVar Burton, Tina Andrews, Grand L. Bush, Henry Butts, Brooks Clift directed by: David Greene, Gilbert Moses, John Erman, Marvin J. Chomsky See Larger Image Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 5014780136731 Format: PAL Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 573 minutes Theatrical Release Date: January 23, 1977 Related Items: Roots - The Next Generations Alex Haley's Queen North and South - The Complete Collection Roots: The Saga of an American Family The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition) see more Editorial Review: Amazon.com essential video: From the moment the young Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton) is stolen from his life and ancestral home in 18th-century Africa and brought under inhumane conditions to be auctioned as a slave in America, a line is begun that leads from this most shameful chapter in U.S. history to the 20th-century author Alex Haley, a Kinte descendant. The late Haley's acclaimed book Roots was adapted into this six-volume television miniseries, which was a widely watched phenomenon in 1977. The programs cover several generations in the antebellum South and end with the story of "Chicken" George, a freed slave played by Ben Vereen whose family feels the agony of entrenched racism and learns to fight it. Between the lives of Kunta and George, we meet a number of memorable characters, black and white, and learn much about the emotional and physical torments of slavery, from beatings and rapes to the forced separation of spouses and families. Nothing like this had ever confronted so many mainstream Americans when the series was originally broadcast, and the extent to which the country was nudged a degree or two toward enlightenment was instantly obvious. Roots still has that ability to open one's eyes, and engage an audience in a sweeping, memorable drama at the same time. --Tom Keogh Customer Reviews Average Rating: Rating: - Roots This was purchased as a Christmas present for a friend of mine...the gift was enjoyed even though the Post Office didn't deliver it properly...he is very happy with this gift Rating: - Wonderful Amazon is fantastic. I ordered many items from them and I've always received them quick and in excellent condition. Of course, I always order new. Thank you Amazon. Margaret Bryan Rating: - A classic It was great fun revisiting this classic. I wanted to have a version for my younger adult children and my grandkids who missed it on television in the seventies. What a remarkable story! Brilliantly told on the screen... Rating: - THE NATION'S ROOTS AS WELL!! Perhaps the most famous TV miniseries of all time. Played for eight straight evenings in January of 1977. The country practically came to a halt during that time slot every evening. Over 130 million views tuned in to watch this amazing story of Alex Haley's ... Read More see more Browse for similar items by category: Drama - Genres - VHS - Video - General AAS