‘Roots’ Remake Coming To History Channel
Are you ready to revisit Roots? The 1977 miniseries that starred Levar Burton is getting a reboot for the History Channel. Back when it first aired as a television mini series, Roots was considered a controversial show for its depiction of slavery. Fast forward to the year 2013 and we are now making exciting films of the very same nature that push the envelope even further.
This year alone we have 12 Years A Slave and Lee Daniels’ The Butler, both deal with the storytelling of slaves in two very different ways. The year before, Quentin Tarantino took his turn at telling a story about a slave hero with Django Unchained. Recent no holds barred features cement that we as a society still hungry to explore these themes and to reveal the true stories that came out of our history.
It’s not a surprise that the History channel would want to capture the success of recent films with a reboot of Roots. Now more than ever, it seems to be appropriate to give it a try. History’s EVP and GM Dirk Hoogstra said of the Roots reboot:
“We would like to revive that cultural icon for a new audience. History in general is in the zeitgeist, which is great for us being a network whose name is History.”
The History Channel snatching the Roots reboot makes sense as the network has a major role in bringing historical pieces to the forefront. This includes television mini seriesHatfields & McCoys, The Vikings, and the controversial series The Bible.
Premiering on ABC in 1977, Roots aired over the span of eight nights and brought in 100 million viewers. This was seen as a big accomplishment given that the cast was largely African American. The mini series went on to earn 36 Emmy nominations, and grabbed nine wins for its efforts.
Are you excited to see what the History channel will bring with its rebooted Roots?
