TUNE-IN ALERT: 'ROOTS' remake to air on Memorial Day 40 years after the original
buzzz worthy. . #rootsNEW YORK, NY -- HISTORY(R) premieres "Roots" on Memorial Day 2016, airing over four consecutive nights at 9 p.m. beginning Monday, May 30, announced Paul Buccieri, President of A&E and HISTORY. The four-night, eight-hour event series developed by HISTORY, from A+E Studios, is a historical portrait of American slavery recounting the journey of one family and their will to survive and ultimately carry on their legacy despite hardship. "Roots" will be simulcast on A&E and Lifetime, in addition to HISTORY.
The stellar cast includes Academy Award(R) winners Forest Whitaker ("Fiddler") and Anna Paquin ("Nancy Holt"); Academy Award(R) nominee and Emmy Award(R) winner Laurence Fishburne ("Alex Haley"); Golden Globe Award(R) winning and Emmy Award(R) nominated actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers ("Tom Lea"); Tony Award(R) winner Anika Noni Rose ("Kizzy"); Grammy Award(R) winner Tip "T.I." Harris ("Cyrus"); Emayatzy Corinealdi ("Belle"); Matthew Goode ("Dr. William Waller"); Mekhi Phifer ("Jerusalem"); James Purefoy ("John Waller") and introduces Regé-Jean Page ("Chicken George") and Malachi Kirby ("Kunta Kinte").
"'Roots' will allow new audiences to experience this epic family saga with a new vision that is both incredibly inspiring and tremendously entertaining," said Buccieri. "We are proud that HISTORY will be able to bring new life to this incredible story that remains as important today as it did when the original 'Roots' first premiered."
"Nearly 40 years ago I had the privilege to be a part of an epic television event that started an important conversation in America," said LeVar Burton, Co-Executive Producer. "I am incredibly proud to be a part of this new retelling and start the dialogue again, at a time when it is needed more than ever."
Related: "Roots" for the Black Lives Matter Era
