If you’re a fan of the original Roots series, or weren’t old enough to remember the iconic mini-series, then you’re in luck. Today WB has announced a new blu-ray set to bring the entire series to blu-ray with loads of special features that dive into the heart of the story on June 7, 2016. All the details are below:
The groundbreaking, acclaimed television miniseries that captivated the entire nation and won multiple awards, Roots, will be released on Blu-ray™ for the first time, by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) on June 7, 2016. The legendary family saga, which follows the inspiring story of Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton, Transformers: Rescue Bots, Star Trek: The Next Generation) a West African teen who is captured and sold into slavery, has been beautifully remastered in eye-catching 1080p high definition from its original eight 1977 broadcast masters. Roots’ original broadcast was watched by an estimated 140 million viewers total, more than half of the US population and was the largest viewership ever attracted by any television series at the time. This release marks the powerful, Emmy®, Golden Globe® and Peabody Award-winning series’ 40th anniversary.
Roots: The Complete Original Series will also be available to own in Digital HD for the very first time via purchase from digital retailers on May 16th, 2016. Consumers can enjoy the classic original series and all new HD special features before the premiere broadcast of the remake of Roots airs on cable television.
Adapted from author, Alex Haley’s best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Roots: The Complete Original Series chronicles the expansion of Haley’s own family across many generations. The eight-part series follows the legacy of Kunta Kinte, (portrayed by Burton, who earned a Primetime Emmy® Award nomination for his role), a young, 18th century African warrior who is brought to the United States and sold into slavery. The saga follows the generations of his descendants in the United States through the Civil War and beyond, and shows the heartbreaking struggles they face trying to survive slavery and attain their freedom.
Roots: The Complete Original Series features an all-star cast that includes John Amos, Maya Angelou, Edward Asner, Lloyd Bridges, Georg Stanford Brown, LeVar Burton, Macdonald Carey, Olivia Cole, Gary Collins, Chuck Connors, Scatman Crothers, Ji-Tu Cumbuka, Brad Davis, Sandy Duncan, Lynda Day George, Louis Gossett Jr., Lorne Greene, Moses Gunn, George Hamilton, Hilly Hicks, Burl Ives, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, Carolyn Jones, Doug McClure, Ian McShane, Lynne Moody, Vic Morrow, Thalmus Rasulala, Robert Reed, Harry Rhodes, Richard Roundtree, Raymond St. Jacques, John Schuck, Paul Shenar, O.J. Simpson, Madge Sinclair, Beverly Todd, Cicely Tyson, Leslie Uggams, Ben Vereen, Ralph Waite, William Watson and Ren Woods.
Originally premiering in 1977, Roots earned an impressive 37 Emmy® Award nominations, which resulted in nine Emmy® wins. The series also won a Golden Globe® Award for Best Television Series – Drama. Roots was additionally honored with a prestigious George Foster Peabody Award in 1978.
Bonus Material:
· Roots: The American Story Continues (New Featurette) – Whoopi Goldberg, James Earl Jones, Blair Underwood, Debbie Allen, Tavis Smiley, Shonda Rhimes and Reverend Al Sharpton reveal how Roots impacted their lives and the thinking of the world. Dr. Rex Ellis of the Smithsonian Institution shares with us how the story chronicled by Alex Haley in Roots lives on in Washington’s new Museum of African American History and Culture; and Christopher Haley recalls his uncle Alex, whose legacy he continues as a slavery historian.
· The Cast Looks Back (New Featurette) – Original cast members LeVar Burton, John Amos, Louis Gossett Jr., Ben Vereen, Cicely Tyson, Ed Asner, Sandy Duncan, Georg Stanford Brown and Lynne Moody share emotional stories about the 1976 filming of Roots. They also discuss how making the miniseries changed their lives, why it endures, and why for some it remains their greatest artistic experience.
· Crossing Over: How Roots Captivated an Entire Nation (Featurette)
· Connecting With the Past (Featurette)
· The Struggle to Make Roots (Featurette)
· LeVar Burton: Original Screen Test (Screen Test)
· Alex Haley Interview by David Frost (Featurette)
· Roots: One Year Later (Featurette)
Will you be picking up Roots on June 7th?
-Jordan
