History Series / Roots2016

**

** The original miniseries presented Juffre, as a small village, which is what it was like when Alex Haley visited it in the 20th century. Subsequent research, however, had since proven that during the 18th century Juffre was a thriving large town and major port for commerce on the river. Many Europeans such as the Portugese and the English themselves had trading missions in or around Juffre - as the opening voiceover narration explains, they were trading European guns to the Mandinka tribes in exchange for slaves, which fueled an increasingly aggressive demand for more slaves. Thus the Mandinka were familiar with firearms and used them regularly. Kunta Kinte himself was also probably quite well educated, and would have to have been able to speak three or four different languages from living in a major trade hub.

* ShownTheirWork: One of several major reasons for producing the remake, as LeVar Burton explained, is that the intervening four decades' worth of historical scholarship have greatly refined understanding of these time periods (much of this scholarship outright inspired by the original miniseries). Among these refinements:

* AgonyOfTheFeet: Much like the original miniseries and the novel, [[spoiler:Kunta Kinte suffers this when bounty hunters capture him during the American Revolution]].

The 8-hour, four episode miniseries began airing on May 30, 2016 on Creator/TheHistoryChannel. The 2016 MiniSeries has received critical acclaim for the performances of its AllStarCast and its historical accuracy.

!!This 2016 Miniseries provides examples of:

* FalseFriend: [[spoiler:Missy]] is seemingly established as Kizzy’s closest friend from childhood, protecting the latter from racist relatives and teaching her how to read. And then, [[spoiler:when Noah was revealed to be carrying papers forged by Kizzy]], she doesn’t bother protecting Kizzy from being sold to another slave owner. Ouch.

* AssholeVictim: Kunta Kinte chokes Connolly to death with the latter's own gun. Considering Connolly was responsible for torturing Kunta at the end of Episode 1, however, it's especially hard to feel any sympathy for the overseer.

* ArcWords: In Episode 1 and 2, “Allahu Akbar. Behold, (name). The only thing greater than you”! serves this when Kunta (and later his daughter) was born. This later becomes simply "(Name), behold! The only thing greater than you!”

* CannonFodder: Slaves who try to join the British Army become this during the American Revolution. Armed with only spears against the comparatively well-armed Continental Army, the slaves would be sent to serve as the British frontline. Needless to say, Kunta and Carlton [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere decide to escape]] when things go [[CurbStompBattle as well as the viewer expects]].

* TheSociopath: While there are loads of white characters who are [[{{Understatement}} not very nice]], Tom Lea is a narcissistic and psychotic cockfighter who lacks any empathy or redeeming qualities. His wife’s disgust while silently observing him rape [[spoiler:Kizzy]] speaks volumes to how others view him.

* ArcWords: In Episode 1 and 2, “Allahu Akbar. Behold, the only thing greater than you”! serves this when Kunta (and later his daughter) was born. This later becomes simply "(Name), behold! The only thing greater than you!”.

* AccidentalMisnaming: One of the prime [[TearJerker Tear Jerkers]] at the end of the 1st Episode comes when Kunta Kinte is tortured to acknowledging his slave name “Toby”.

* OutDamnedSpot: Averted in the remake. Unlike the original, in which Captain Davies was a moral Christian who was bothered by the idea of slave-hauling, the 2016’s captain is an amoral bastard who only took care of slaves because their death would mean lost money.

* CannonFodder: Slaves who try to join the British Army become this during the American Revolution. Armed with only spears against the comparatively well-armed Continental Army, the slaves would serve as the British frontline. Needless to say, Kunta and Carlton [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere decide to escape]] when things go [[CurbStompBattle as well as the viewer expects]].

* BloodierAndGorier: While the original series was groundbreaking for its harrowing depiction of slavery, TheRemake takes it UpToEleven given the fact that the series is on cable rather than on over-the-air television. Kunta Kinte being tortured into saying his slave name at the end of Episode 1, in particular, is far more brutal and visceral in the remake.

* BloodierAndGorier: While the original series was groundbreaking for its harrowing depiction of slavery, TheRemake takes it UpToEleven given the historical context and the fact that the series is on cable rather than over-the-air television. Kunta Kinte being tortured into saying his slave name at the end of Episode 1, in particular, is far more brutal and visceral in the remake.

* YankTheDogsChain: It seems that whenever things begin to look up for Kunta Kinte, tragedy is waiting around the corner. In the first episode alone, the PrisonRiot he leads ends in the death of Uncle Silla and many other slaves and his first escape attempt ends with him being brutally whipped. It just gets worse for him at the end of Episode 2, with an escape attempt from serving as British CannonFodder leading to his recapture [[spoiler: and amputation]], his ritual of naming his new baby daughter [[spoiler: ending in Fiddler getting killed by bounty hunters]], and his attempt to raise a family with Belle [[spoiler: ending in his daughter being sold to Tom Lea]]. ''Jesus Christ'', someone give him a hug…

* ChildhoodFriend: Missy serves as this for Kizzy throughout most of Episode 2. [[spoiler: Sadly, Missy turns out to be a FalseFriend when Kizzy is taken away]].

* FalseFriend: [[spoiler:Missy]] is seemingly established as Kizzy’s closest friend from childhood, protecting the latter from racist relatives and teaching her how to read. And then, [[spoiler:when Noah was revealed to be carrying papers forged by Kizzy]], [[spoiler:Missy]] doesn’t bother protecting Kizzy from being sold to another slave owner. Ouch.

* FalseFriend: [[spoiler:Missy]] is seemingly established as Kizzy’s closest friend from childhood, protecting the latter from racist relatives and teaching her how to read. And then, [[spoiler:when Noah was revealed to be carrying papers forged by Kizzy]], [[Missy]] doesn’t bother protecting Kizzy from being sold to another slave owner and even blames "her" for [[spoiler:Noah]]’s death. Ouch.

It began broadcast on Memorial Day 2016 on Creator/TheHistoryChannel. The 2016 MiniSeries has received critical acclaim for the performances of its AllStarCast and its historical accuracy.

''Roots (2016)'' is a MiniSeries based on Alex Haley's novel ''Roots: The Saga of an American Family'' and TheRemake of [[Series/{{Roots}} the 1977 original miniseries]]. Much like the original, the remake tells the story of Kunta Kinte, a Mandikwa Muslim warrior who was enslaved and brought to America. From there, the plot focuses on how he and his descendants struggled with coping with slavery from the beginning of the American Revolution to the end of the Civil War. While the series largely draws from Haley’s novel, the remake focuses on a contemporary perspective and incorporates new facts regarding Kunta Kinte’s life that were discovered since the premiere of the original.

''Roots (2016)'' is a MiniSeries based on Alex Haley's novel ''Roots: The Saga of an American Family'' and TheRemake of [[Series/{{Roots}} the 1977 original miniseries]]. Much like the original, the remake tells the story of Kunta Kinte, a Mandikwa Muslim warrior who was enslaved and brought to America. From there, the plot focuses on how he and his descendants struggled with coping with slavery from the beginning of the American Revolution to the end of the Civil War. While the series largely draws from Haley’s novel, the remake focuses on a contemporary perspective and incorporates new facts regarding Kunta Kinte’s life discovered since the premiere of the original.

* AccidentalMisnaming: One of the prime TearJerkers at the end of the 1st Episode comes when Kunta Kinte is tortured to acknowledging his slave name “Toby”.

This 2016 Miniseries provides examples of: