The show that started it all...
My first research into family history began when I was assigned a heritage report project in middle school. For me, that was in the early 1980s. But, as I continue my research now and hear about how new shows like "Who do you think you are" are inspiring a new batch of genealogists, I'm left to wonder more about a miniseries that is often cited as inspiration for researchers that are my age and older. "Roots" first aired in 1977 and then received 36 Emmy nominations, of which the show won nine as well as a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. The final episode, which originally aired on 30 January 1977, saw a record viewership and remains today the third-highest rated television program in the US of all time, according to the show's Wikipedia entry. Today, I will see for myself what all the hubbub was about, because the first disk of the 7-disk DVD set has reached the top of my Netflix queue and I'll be watching it tonight.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Watching a decades-old show like Roots today is fascinating because there is the surface story - which is about family heritage etc., but then the show can also be seen as a period piece. Sometimes it's hard for people who weren't alive then to make the jump.
For instance, when my offspring (born in the 80s) see something like MASH or All In The Family, they don't alway get the subtext!
Evelyn
A Canadian Family
(Festival of Postcards)
Post a Comment