kunta kintae. >> the character that i got to portray in roots was a dream role. >> it was really geniusion dads in the roles of the white slave owners and the villains. >> i'll be by to fetch ya in the morning, captain. sleep well. >> it is difficult to explain in today's culture how unprecede unprecedented "roots" was. >> it may be the first time that television allowed an embracing of black pride. >> them is free. is free today. >> one of the reasons that "roots" was so incredibly popular was not because abc had so much faith in it. but because abc didn't. >> earlier broadcasts were weekly installments. and abc executives did he recalled if "roots" were to fail, they could just be done with it in seven or agt nights. >> it was high risk, high reward. you were a lot of tv time and not a lot of people watching. >> the television viewing attracted the largest audience in the history of media. >> there was something about it that touched all human beings. it transcends age and race. >> entertainment was humanity. that's the primary value to lead humanity forward. >> if there's legacy of t

. >> kunta, kunta kintae. >> television should not just be entertainment. >> congress has no right to interfere in the media. >> excuse me. >> responsibility to complete the audience what it tuned in to see. >> we simpltly develop more demanding standards. >> when i look at tv i think of the '70s. >> what is the world coming to. >> the american public was hungry for more. >> more was allowed that hadn't been before. >> it was the last decade where it was a campfire television, where there was one in the living room. >> i want to watch an all black show for a change. >> oh, where are you going to find one? >> here's one -- the los angeles lakers against the milwaukee bucks. >> young people were interested in relevant things. so television began to reflect that. >> this is cbs. >> really it was very simple. you had three channels plus pbs. the '70s, television was very rural. >> hee haw! >> the beverly hill billies. >> cbs had bevery hillbillies. green acres. >> petticoat junction. >> mayberryisms. >> the hill billy shows were everywhere and then they weren't. >> fred silverman who was

. >> kunta kintae. >> it was a dream to cast america's favorite television dads in the roles of the white will be by in the morning, captain. sleep well. >> it is difficult to explain in today's culture how unprecedented "roots" was. no one had ever seen the story of slavery before told from the point of the view of africans. it may be the first time that television allowed an embracing of black pride. one of the reasons "roots" was so popular is not because abc had so much faith in it but because abc didn't. >> earlier mini series were broadcast in weekly installments than abc executives determined if "roots" were to fail they could just be done with it in seven or eight nights. >> it was high-risk/high reward. if it didn't work you were out a lot of tv time and not a lot of people watching. >> the television premier attracted the largest audience in the history of the media. there's something about it that seems to touch all human beings. it transcends age and race. >> reporter: entertainment was meeting humanity and i think that's the primary value, to lead humanity forward. if there's

kunta kintae. >> the character that i got to portray in "roots" was a dream role. >> it was really geniusdads in the roles of the white slave owners and the villains. >> i'll be by to fetch you in the morning, captain. sleep well. >> it is difficult to explain in today's culture how unprecedented "roots" was. no one had ever seen the story of slavery before told from the point of view of the africans. >> it may be the first time that television allowed an embracing of black pride. >> them is freed. free today. >> one of the reasons that "roots" was so incredibly popular was not because abc had so much faith in it but because abc didn't. >> earlier miniseries were broadcasts in weekly installm t installments. and abc executives determined if "roots" were to fail, they could just be done with it in seven or eight nights. >> it was high risk, high reward. you were a lot of tv time and not a lot of people watching. the television premiere on the eighth consecutive night attracted the largest audience in the history of media. >> there was something about it that touched all human beings. it tr