Roots.

One of the biggest media successes of the 1970s was the television miniseries. Such shows, essentially made-for-television movies influenced by the British "limited series," extended over more than two nights and attracted millions of viewers. One of the first popular miniseries, ABC's Rich Man, Poor Man (1976), showed that such programming could work. No miniseries was more successful, however, than Roots.

Breaking Records.

Broadcast in January 1977 over eight successive nights, the twelve-hour Roots was based on the nonfiction book by Alex Haley in which he traces his family history from its African origins through years of slavery and emancipation. Featuring an impressive cast (including John Amos, Ed Asner, Maya Angelou, Chuck Connors, Louis Gossett, Jr., Lome Greene, O. J. Simpson, Cicely Tyson, Leslie Uggams, Ben Vereen, and newcomer LeVar Burton) and a vast historical sweep, Roots captivated an estimated...