While the original 1977 miniseries remains a cultural phenomenon unlike any other before or since, it’s also true that for most modern viewers who were not yet born when Roots fever took hold, it doesn’t quite maintain the emotional punch it once had. This probably has something to do with how popular culture has responded to and parodied the series for nearly 40 years now. In this video, we consider the various television and film riffs on the miniseries, and how they impacted its legacy today.
