ROOTS (1977)
A David L. Wolper Production, Warner Bros. Television, A Warner Communications Company
Behind the Scences
In 1972, David L. Wolper met the distinguished black actress Ruby Dee at the Moscow Film Festival. Later, Wolper invited Ruby Dee and her husband, Ossie Davis, to dinner at his home in Los Angeles.
Wolper got Lou Blau (left),
Alex Haley's attorney, on the phone. He worked on convincing him
that "ROOTS" could not be contained in a single motion
picture film for theatrical release, but required the length and
scope that only special series treatment on television could permit.
Blau agreed. Wolper next approached
Barry Diller, the head of ABC Movies for Television division, and
his assistants Brandon Stoddard (right) and Lou Rudolf. They decided
it would be a solid idea to follow up the network's 12-hour adaptation
of Irwin Shaw's "Rich Man , Poor Man". They then convinced
Martin Starger, President of ABC Entertainment and ABC's top management.On
August 18, 1974, two years and three months after Wolper first heard
of the project he signed his agreement to do the show on ABC. To produce "ROOTS",
Wolper chose veteran staff producer Stan Margulies (right), who
had just completed Wolper's TV film "I Will Fight No More,
Forever".
And the rest is television history. 9 Emmy
Awards for ROOTS
Miss Dee told Wolper
about a book her friend was writing, a painfully researched reconstruction
of his black family through eight generations, back to their origins
in Africa. It had the potential for an authentic film on the period
of slavery in America and as a generational epic.
Episodes
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
NETWORK
ABC
