QNYC Event Highlight: Making Roots, Making TV History

Image Source: Museum of the Moving Image

The TV miniseries Roots is based on an historical novel by Alex Haley, who traced his family’s history from Western Africa through slavery in the U.S. past post-Civil War emancipation. First aired in 1977, the groundbreaking show broke Nielsen ratings records and received 36 Emmy Award nominations. The final episode had more than 100 million viewers. On February 4, several of the stars — LeVar Burton, Ben Vereen, Lou Gosset Jr. and Leslie Uggams — will participate in a discussion about the show’s legacy at the Museum of the Moving Image. As this event is presented in collaboration with the PBS series Pioneers of Television, Donald Thoms, vice president of programs at PBS, will moderate.