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Roots

Television Programming Landmarks

A 1977 ABC television miniseries based on Alex Haley's 1976 novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family, tracing his family's history from an ancestor's capture in West Africa through slavery to emancipation. An estimated 130 to 140 million viewers, more than half the 1977 United States population, watched some part of the series, and its finale alone drew 100 million viewers, the largest audience any American television series had ever attracted at the time.

Facts
Release Year
1977 1
Country
United States 1
Classification
Original Language
English 1
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Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Landmark Status section
    The final episode was watched by 100 million viewers and an average of 80 million viewers watched each of the last seven episodes.
  • Roots, Description, original language
    An estimated 130 to 140 million viewers, more than half the 1977 United States population, watched some part of the series, and its finale alone drew 100 million viewers, the largest audience any American television series had ever attracted at the time.
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