History's "Roots" (2016 Event Series)

[detective392]

A New Roots is Heading to Television in 2016

History, A&E and Lifetime today announced that they have greenlit the scripted event series “Roots” for a new generation of viewers to simulcast on all three flagship brands. Will Packer (Ride Along, Think Like A Man) joins as executive producer and original “Roots” cast member and Emmy-award winning LeVar Burton boards as co-executive producer. Mark Wolper also serves as executive producer. An A+E Studios production in association with Marc Toberoff and The Wolper Organization, “Roots” is slated to air in 2016.

The classic miniseries “Roots” was a television phenomenon that had an indelible effect on American culture. A+E Networks and The Wolper Organization – the company that produced the original – are making a version of Alex Haley’s American family origin story based around the life of Kunta Kinte. Lawrence Konner (“Boardwalk Empire,” “The Sopranos”), Mark Rosenthal (Mona Lisa Smile, Planet of the Apes), Alison McDonald (“Alpha House,” “Nurse Jackie”) and Charles Murray (“Sons of Anarchy,” “Luke Cage”) are writing. Vickie Thomas (Hateful Eight, Top Five) is casting director. “Roots” will be an original, contemporary production, incorporating more material from Haley’s novel, “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” as well as carefully researched new scholarship of the time.

The networks also are already working closely with many prominent historians in the fields of African and African-American history, as well as diverse leaders from across the country, to use this powerful story to stimulate discussion and awareness about this important origin story that informs our American culture today.

“Roots” offers a historical portrait of American slavery, recounting the journey of one family’s will to survive, endure and ultimately carry on their legacy despite enormous hardship and inhumanity. Spanning multiple generations, the lineage begins with young Kunta Kinte who is captured in his homeland in The Gambia and transported in brutal conditions to colonial America where he’s sold into slavery. Throughout the series, the family continues to face adversity while bearing witness and contributing to notable events in U.S. history – including the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, slave uprisings and eventual emancipation. The story of Kunta Kinte and the women and men who came after him echoes through the history of millions of Americans of African descent, and reveals powerful truths about the universal resilience of the human spirit.

“‘Roots’ was a groundbreaking television milestone that has had an enduring effect on American culture. We are privileged to be stewards of this universal story and will undertake its retelling with extreme care,” says Dirk Hoogstra, History’s EVP and general manager. “We are proud to bring this saga to fans of the original, as well as to a new generation that will experience this powerful and poignant tale for the first time. Audiences will once again feel the impact of Kunta Kinte’s indomitable spirit.”

“Kunta Kinte began telling his story over 200 years ago and that story went through his family lineage, to Alex Haley, to my father, and now the mantle rests with me,” adds Wolper. “Like Kunta Kinte fought to tell his story over and over again, so must we.”

“The opportunity to present one of America’s most powerful stories to a generation that hasn’t seen it is tremendously exciting. Contemporary society needs this story and I’m proud to be a part of it,” says Packer.

“My career began with ‘Roots’ and I am proud to be a part of this new adaptation,” says Burton. “There is a huge audience of contemporary young Americans who do not know the story of ‘Roots’ or its importance. I believe now is the right time to tell this story so that we can all be reminded of its impact on our culture and identity.”

“Roots” is an A+E Studios production in association with Marc Toberoff and The Wolper Organization. Will Packer, Marc Toberoff, Marc Wolper, Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal serve as executive producers. LeVar Burton and Korin Huggins are co-executive producers. Dirk Hoogstra, Julian P. Hobbs and Michael Stiller serve as Executives in Charge of Production for History. “Roots” is distributed internationally by A+E Networks under the A+E Studios International banner.

[chris_sc77]

Hope they get some very good actors involved to make it worth watching

[Walts Ghost]

Very interesting. I'll be keeping an eye on this.

[doctorD]

Um...OK. Well Alex Hailey's Roots was based on his family tree and was quite the event in the 70's. Will keep an eye on this as well.

[PLG1962]

I'd prefer to see the original this doesn't need a remake
Who they going to get for Kunta Kinte Kevin Hart sheesh

[MTRodaba2468]

Well, hopefully the remake will help get the ball rolling on a Blu-Ray release for the original miniseries...

[Michael24]

Originally Posted by PLG1962

I'd prefer to see the original this doesn't need a remake
Who they going to get for Kunta Kinte Kevin Hart sheesh

Although I think the original is fine, I understand their reasoning behind a remake. Levar Burton said that the original featured many of the top television stars of the time, but nowadays young audiences have no idea who they are and it can make it hard for them to want to watch. So Burton felt if they could make a new version featuring top stars of today, there would be a sense of familiarity that would make the new audience more likely to watch. I'll be curious to see who they cast, especially as Kunta Kinte.

[detective392]

Roots: Official Trailer | Premieres Memorial Day 2016 | History - YouTube

[Walts Ghost]

It looks great. I'm looking forward to it.

[JamesKurtovich]

I loved the original. Count me in.

[Elbie]

Wow...

I had no idea all these peple were in this. I know T.I. Was so I shrugged it off, but saw this post was updated. Definitely interested to see this since it features legit acting talent.

Also I will never stop lauging at T.I. Not using his real name like it's not publicly known.

[Michael24]

Well, I gotta say that looks a lot better than I expected. I doubt it (or any mini-series these days) could ever pull in the numbers the original did, given how fragmented today's TV audience is, but it definitely looks worth checking out.

[Member-275053]

Excellent reviews. I can't wait until tomorrow!



Metacritic

[Will.]

Originally Posted by JWFORD

Excellent reviews. I can't wait until tomorrow!

[Show spoiler]

Metacritic

Wonderful. I'm kicking myself for not revisiting the original series before starting this, but it can't be helped.

[Member-275053]

Originally Posted by Will.

Wonderful. I'm kicking myself for not revisiting the original series before starting this, but it can't be helped.

You can always watch it afterwards. It is being released on Blu-ray Jun. 7.

[Michael24]

Thoughts on Part 1?

I had to miss the first airing but caught the encore. Haven't read the book or seen the original mini-series since high school but I thought this was really well done. I liked the actor playing Kunta Kinte and when has Forest Whitaker ever been anything less than stellar? Strong production values and a terrific score, too. But man, that whipping scene at the end was brutal to watch.

[Member-275053]

Originally Posted by Michael24

Thoughts on Part 1?

I had to miss the first airing but caught the encore. Haven't read the book or seen the original mini-series since high school but I thought this was really well done. I liked the actor playing Kunta Kinte and when has Forest Whitaker ever been anything less than stellar? Strong production values and a terrific score, too. But man, that whipping scene at the end was brutal to watch.

Well, I think the remake is fantastic! A well-executed update to the original. I haven't read the novel or seen the original miniseries in its entirety, but the remake seems respectful of its source material. I'm excited for part two tonight!

[Michael24]

I can't remember if it was in the original but I loved the part where the slaves were using song to plot how to take the ship. That was a very well done sequence. And did anybody spot Levar Burton's blink-and-you'll-miss-him cameo in Part 1?

[Show spoiler]Shortly after Fiddler is introduced and Kunta is down on the ground, some slaves are ordered into a horse-drawn cage and taken off. One of the men looking out as they're taking away is Burton.

[Member-275053]

Originally Posted by Michael24

I can't remember if it was in the original but I loved the part where the slaves were using song to plot how to take the ship. That was a very well done sequence. And did anybody spot Levar Burton's blink-and-you'll-miss-him cameo in Part 1?

[Show spoiler]Shortly after Fiddler is introduced and Kunta is down on the ground, some slaves are ordered into a horse-drawn cage and taken off. One of the men looking out as they're taking away is Burton.

Wow! I didn't catch that at all.

Not sure if that scene was in the original. But, I thought last night's episode directed by Mario Van Peebles was fantastic!

[Michael24]

Yeah, I thought part two was even better. I had no idea Mario Van Peebles had become a director but he did an outstanding job. His son, who played Noah, looks almost just like him. Really liked Emyri Crutchfield as Teen Kizzy, too. I'm looking forward to seeing Erica Tazel. I loved her on Justified.