Roots
TV Show • 1977 • Drama
ReportSynopsis
The epic tale of celebrated Pulitzer-prize winning author Alex Haley's ancestors as portrayed in the acclaimed twelve hour mini-series Roots, was first told in his 1976 bestseller Roots: The Saga of an American Family. The docu-drama covers a period of history that begins in mid-1700s Gambia, West Africa and concludes during post-Civil War United States, over 100 years later. This 1977 miniseries eventually won 9 Emmy awards, a Golden Globe award, and a Peabody award, and still stands as the most watched miniseries in U.S. history.
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Both
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Your Triggers
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9
Needs More Answers
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Abandonment
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8
Does someone leave without saying goodbye?
10 supporters
Yes
3
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8
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silverchair
Kunta is kidnapped and doesn't get to say goodbye to his family
1 comment | Add comment
Is a child abandoned by a parent?
1 supporters
Yes
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8
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KristenC
S1
E6
Two kid's dad are forcibly taken from them
1 comment | Add comment
Abuse
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3
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7
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8
Yes
2
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6
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KristenC
S1
E6
A woman throws a cup of water in her man's face for being disrespectful
1 comment | Add comment
Are there abusive parents?
70 supporters
Yes
1
No
8
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KristenC
S1
E5
Bell slaps her daughter
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
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8
Yes
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8
Is someone abused with a belt?
35 supporters
Yes
1
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9
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KristenC
Characters are frequently beaten with whips, however
1 comment | Add comment
Does the abused become the abuser?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
34 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
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7
Yes
3
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5
Addiction
Yes
1
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7
Does someone abuse alcohol?
22 supporters
Yes
3
No
6
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silverchair
The captain drinks lots of alcohol to cope with his decisions
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
3
No
7
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KristenC
S1
E7
Old George smokes a pipe
2 comments | Add comment
Animal
Are animals abused?
283 supporters
Yes
1
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8
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KristenC
S1
E6
Chicken fighting is depicted and chickens are fighting/intimidating each other frequently
1 comment | Add comment
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9
Yes
4
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6
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KristenC
S1
E6
A chicken
1 comment | Add comment
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9
Were animals harmed in the making?
208 supporters
Yes
1
No
8
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KristenC
S1
E6
Chicken fighting is depicted and chickens are genuinely fighting/intimidating each other frequently
1 comment | Add comment
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9
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KristenC
S1
E6
But there is c**k fighting
1 comment | Add comment
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Are there bugs?
44 supporters
Yes
4
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6
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KristenC
S1
E5
A bee is shown at the beginning
1 comment | Add comment
Are there sharks?
9 supporters
Yes
1
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9
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KristenC
S1
E1
Mentioned but not shown.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
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8
Yes
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9
Assault
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9
Yes
7
No
3
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KristenC
S1
E3
Described but not shown
2 comments | Add comment
Is there pedophilia?
158 supporters
Yes
5
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6
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KristenC
S1
E2
It is unclear how old Aurelia is, but she looks young.
2 comments | Add comment
Is rape mentioned?
112 supporters
Yes
5
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6
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KristenC
S1
E1
Not the word but the act certainly is
4 comments | Add comment
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8
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Yes
1
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7
Yes
8
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2
Does a woman get slapped?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
32 supporters
Add comment
Yes
3
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6
Is someone beaten up by a bully?
27 supporters
Yes
3
No
5
0
KristenC
S1
E7
Offscreen
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
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8
Bodily Harm
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
9
Is someone tortured?
116 supporters
Yes
11
No
2
0
Qcdman
In an infamous scene, Kunta is whipped until he accepts his new name.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there genital trauma/mutilation?
111 supporters
Yes
2
No
6
0
KristenC
S1
E1
Circumcision is described and part of the African village's manhood training. It happens to the main character, but it is not shown onscreen.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
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No
9
Is there finger/toe mutilation?
71 supporters
Yes
2
No
8
1
Qcdman
Half of Kunta’s foot is cut off, but it’s not actually shown onscreen.
2 comments | Add comment
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Yes
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7
Is there cannibalism?
46 supporters
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9
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Qcdman
No but a slave ship navigator states that African people eat their own kind (this is obviously done to show how ignorant and racist he is)
1 comment | Add comment
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9
Yes
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9
Is there amputation?
44 supporters
Yes
3
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7
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KristenC
S1
E3
Partial foot amputation
1 comment | Add comment
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9
Yes
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5
Yes
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Yes
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9
Is someone choked?
26 supporters
Yes
3
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6
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silverchair
The slaves are tied with ropes around their necks
1 comment | Add comment
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8
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10
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9
Yes
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9
Yes
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8
Yes
2
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7
Children
Is a minor sexualized?
125 supporters
Yes
3
No
6
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KristenC
S1
E2
It is unclear how old Aurelia is, but she looks young. Kizzy is raped as a teenage girl.
1 comment | Add comment
Does a kid die?
95 supporters
Yes
2
No
8
0
KristenC
Episode 7 a baby dies in childbirth and is given a funeral
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Creepy Crawly
Yes
0
No
8
Death
Does a major character die?
32 supporters
Yes
5
No
5
0
KristenC
S1
E7
Offscreen
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone die?
19 supporters
Yes
7
No
3
0
KristenC
S1
E7
Offscreen
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Does a non-human character die?
1 supporters
Yes
2
No
9
0
Qcdman
A sheep is attacked by a leopard in the first episode but it’s not shown in graphic detail.
1 comment | Add comment
Disability
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0
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8
Is someone disabled played by able-bodied?
33 supporters
Yes
3
No
5
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KristenC
S1
E5
Dr. Reynolds uses a cane and Kunta walks with a limp and partially missing foot
2 comments | Add comment
Drugs/Alcohol
Yes
0
No
8
Family
Does a parent die?
33 supporters
Yes
4
No
6
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KristenC
S1
E7
Offscreen
2 comments | Add comment
Does someone cheat?
29 supporters
Yes
3
No
6
0
KristenC
S1
E6
Mr. Moore sleeps with his slaves. His wife is suspicious and obviously disapproving.
3 comments | Add comment
Does a family member die?
27 supporters
Yes
3
No
6
0
KristenC
S1
E6
Kizzy learns that her father has died
2 comments | Add comment
Is someone kidnapped?
13 supporters
Yes
5
No
5
0
silverchair
Kunta and other African people are kidnapped by other Africans and white people and are enslaved
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
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8
Fear
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
0
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9
Is there a shower scene?
14 supporters
Yes
1
No
8
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KristenC
S1
E1
Slaves have buckets of water tossed on them as a means of bathing. Only the women are nude from the waist up.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
4
No
6
Yes
0
No
8
Gross
Does someone vomit?
150 supporters
Yes
3
No
7
1
sundew
On the slave ship, people v* very very often, and the slaves are frequently, if not always, shown with v* on their faces or bodies.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Does someone wet/soil themselves?
28 supporters
Yes
1
No
7
0
KristenC
S1
E1
Described but not shown.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Does someone spit?
16 supporters
Yes
2
No
7
0
KristenC
S1
E6
A man spits out a seed while eating fruit. At the end, a woman spits into another woman's cup, but we only hear the sound.
1 comment | Add comment
Large-scale Violence
Yes
0
No
12
Law Enforcement
Yes
0
No
8
Is there incarceration?
5 supporters
Yes
11
No
0
0
Qcdman
Africans are chained in a slave ship and put in large cages.
1 comment | Add comment
LGBTQ+
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Loss
Yes
0
No
9
Medical
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
9
Mental Health
Yes
4
No
7
1
Qcdman
One of the captives on the slave ship willing jumps overboard.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
2
No
7
0
sundew
Someone on the slave ship jumps overboard.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
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9
Yes
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8
Yes
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8
Yes
0
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8
Yes
1
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8
Yes
0
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8
Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
37 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
1
No
8
Yes
1
No
8
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
4
No
6
Yes
0
No
8
Does someone have a meltdown?
12 supporters
Yes
5
No
5
0
silverchair
Kunta screams and has a breakdown in the chamber after someone next to him dies
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Noxious
Yes
2
No
7
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
6
No
5
Yes
8
No
3
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
10
No
0
Paranoia
Yes
2
No
6
Yes
0
No
11
Pregnancy
Is a baby stillborn?
49 supporters
Yes
2
No
7
0
KristenC
Episode 7
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone miscarry?
40 supporters
Yes
2
No
7
0
KristenC
Episode 7
1 comment | Add comment
Is there childbirth?
37 supporters
Yes
6
No
5
1
silverchair
First movie, first scene, a woman gives birth, its not very graphic but there are scenes of the woman's face and grunting and screaming, but there is no nudity.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Are there babies or unborn children?
21 supporters
Yes
7
No
4
0
Qcdman
Kunta and Kizzy are both introduced as infants.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Prejudice
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
13
No
0
Is there hate speech?
44 supporters
Yes
10
No
0
0
silverchair
Lots of use of the N word by men who are enslaving the Africas
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Does the black guy die first?
30 supporters
Yes
5
No
4
0
KristenC
S1
E1
Most of the cast of this series are black, however.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
1
No
7
Race
Yes
0
No
8
Relationships
Is there a large age gap?
1 supporters
Yes
3
No
5
0
KristenC
S1
E2
Mr. Ames is much older than Aurelia, who he assaults
3 comments | Add comment
Religious
Yes
0
No
10
Is religion discussed?
1 supporters
Yes
6
No
4
0
silverchair
Lots of people praying to Allah and lots of Islamic culture, the white men also pray to Jesus.
1 comment | Add comment
Sex
Yes
0
No
10
Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
103 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Is there sexual content?
78 supporters
Yes
6
No
2
0
KristenC
S1
E6
We see a couple in bed after having sex
6 comments | Add comment
Are there nude scenes?
61 supporters
Yes
5
No
6
1
silverchair
There are scenes of women with no shirts on, it's not sexual, though.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
6
No
2
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
1
No
7
Sexism
Yes
0
No
8
Sickness
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
2
No
6
Social
Yes
1
No
8
Yes
1
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Spoiler
Yes
2
No
5
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
1
No
8
Vehicular
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
0
No
9
Violence
Yes
6
No
3
Is there gun violence?
41 supporters
Yes
5
No
5
1
sundew
Durning most of the scenes where the slaves are working, the white slave masters have guns, and point them at the slaves
3 comments | Add comment
Does someone drown?
37 supporters
Yes
5
No
5
0
KristenC
S1
E2
The drowning isn't shown, but someone throws themselves off the side of the ship into the ocean and another man is thrown
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
11
Where to Watch
