ROOTS - have you seen it?

[Dr Rock]

As far as I know, the series (or two series?) has only been shown once in the UK. I saw it around late 70s, and it was very powerful and nothing like it has been done since. As most of it is set in the olden days, you could show it now and it wouldn't look dated... so has anyone under fucking 45-50 ever seen it?

[NoSleep]

There were copyright issues raised against the book which may have put paid to reshowing the TV series. Or maybe it's just dated badly.

https://www.nytimes.com/1978/12/15/archives/roots-plagiarism-suit-is-settled-roots-plagiarism-suit-is-settled.html

Marlon Brando got an Emmy for his portrayal of a white supremacist in the follow up series "Roots: The Next Generations":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8SxzNdX1MQ

[EOLAN]

There were copyright issues raised against the book which may have put paid to reshowing the TV series.

https://www.nytimes.com/1978/12/15/archives/roots-plagiarism-suit-is-settled-roots-plagiarism-suit-is-settled.html

It has been shown this year on terrestrial TV very late at night in Ireland. Though haven't watched it myself. 

[guppypie]

We had to watch it at school in year 8 history
We also had to do a role play of a slave auction but that's neither here nor there

[Satchmo Distel]

It was an important formative experience in my life.* The book is harrowing, even if we now know it's fiction. When I see clips, the acting is very uneven but there are some amazing performances. The frequent use of the N-word might make it problematic for network telly in 2021. And it's probably been surpassed by 12 Years A Slave, etc.

*I am now an academic whose field includes the topic of white supremacy

[A Hat Like That]

Marlon Brando got an Emmy for his portrayal of a white supremacist in the follow up series "Roots: The Next Generations":

This has been on a satellite channel at some point recently - caught the Brando scenes, they're good and its James Earl Jones doing the interviewing.

Reading the synopsis, I've also seen the WW1 episode as well, which I solidly enjoyed.

[Egyptian Feast]

I watched it a few years back when my partner got the box set (which reminds me, we've still not watched 'The Next Generations' yet). I don't think it's dated too badly, but the 70s TV movie production values coupled with frequent racist unpleasantness is quite jarring at first. There was a remake in 2016, but I've not heard much about it.

Not long before I opened this thread, I was listening to a Jungle Brothers track with a sample of Alex Haley talking about how difficult it is to research the history of a marginalised people and it got me thinking about Roots again, so it was a little weird seeing this thread at the top of the page.

[Replies From View]

Any show with a main character called CUNTA KINTAY is just automatically better than most other things.  Smart move from the casting directors if you ask me.

[touchingcloth]

Any show with a main character called CUNTA KINTAY is just automatically better than most other things.  Smart move from the casting directors if you ask me.

Everybody wants to cunt the legs off him.

[chveik]

Everybody wants to cunt the legs off him.

bravo

[Gulftastic]

Yes, watched it back in the day. I remember crying when Chicken George's bird lost and denied him his freedom.

My childhood dog was called Toby, and some of my friends took great glee in saying 'Your name is Toby! My name is Kunte Kinte!'

The recentish remake was pretty good. There weren't quite so many slave owners with hearts of gold to make the white viewers feel better about themselves.

[Malcy]

I picked up the boxset for about £1 a few years ago and still not watched it although I have vague memories of seeing it. Not at an age where I could appreciate it though. Can remember it being repeated on loop on one of the digital channels a few years back.

[Stone Cold Steve Austin]

We had to watch it at school in year 8 history

Same

We also had to do a role play of a slave auction but that's neither here nor there

Not same

[Dex Sawash]

Can see everyone's roots these days with the salons all locked down

[Harry Badger]

Not long before I opened this thread, I was listening to a Jungle Brothers track with a sample of Alex Haley talking about how difficult it is to research the history of a marginalised people and it got me thinking about Roots again, so it was a little weird seeing this thread at the top of the page.

Another Roots related sample on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFcF6Kl3kIY

[Glebe]

[tag]Arthur Atkinson gers racial.[/tag]

[Astronaut Omens]

I think the unique achievement of Roots is that it wraps its profoundly serious message in brilliantly entertaining bubblegum. People watch it all the way through because they're hooked on the plot, not because they're diligently doing their history homework. For that reason, I think its more likely to have actually changed people's minds than more gruelling arthouse type pieces like 12 Years A Slave, which I'm guessing was mostly seen by an older, more historically informed and less politically diverse audience.

[timebug]

We watched it when it was first shown. I had problems with it as it continued, mainly around the fact(s) that the African village was immaculate, with G-Plan huts and manicured bits of lawn;no sign of clutter/rubbish/crap anywhere. Then all the black cast were shown as being noble, civilised, cultured semi-intellectuals, whilst all the slavers/plantation owners were sadistic bastards with no redeeming qualities whatsoever (apart from the compulsory good guy, to even things up!)
I am not denying that the slave trade was a vile and disgusting period of human failure, and all the stuff about the plagiarism of the book had not come to light at that stage, but it just felt somehow sterilised, despite the nastiness that was sometimes shown, and more often implied. Gripping stuff, at the time, sadly (IMO) it dated very quickly and lost it's initial shock value.

[Replies From View]

What was the 1979 follow-up series like?  I haven't seen it.


There was also a Christmas movie apparently, called The Gift.  Hmm, I feel like I have some catching up to do.