Roots: Louis Gossett Jr., Leslie Uggams Recall When 'World Went Crazy' Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. Close

How Roots Changed TV Forever

Leslie Uggams and Louis Gossett Jr remember when the world went crazy for miniseries

Leslie Uggams and Richard Roundtree in 1977's "Roots." ABC/Getty Images . For eight nights in January 1977, tens of millions of viewers stayed home and watched — no DVR-ing back then — as the life of Kunta Kinte, a boy captured and sold into slavery in Africa, and his descendants unfolded across two centuries in America. More than 36 million watched the final episode; compare that with the 13 million to 14 million who watched each night of last summer's three-part and you get some understanding of why Roots is featured in the Feb. 5 episode on the miniseries. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Actress and singer Leslie Uggams, who played Kunta Kinte's daughter, Kizzy, and Louis Gossett Jr., who won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Fiddler, are part of the show, which is why we, too, wanted to talk with them about the phenomenon that was Roots. Louis Gossett Jr. as Fiddler in "Roots." ABC/Getty Images Q: Did you have any sense at the time — 36 years ago — that Roots would become a milestone event? Gossett: I knew it was historical for African American actors — that finally on prime-time TV our story was going to be told. We didn't think anybody was going to watch it. Neither did ABC. They had a contractual commitment to [producer David L. Wolper], and they said, "You know what? We'll just put it on for [eight] days in a row and just get rid of it." So we went out and did the best we could for those who might take it off the shelf someday and enjoy it that way. We thought at least we'd get some deep stuff said. And then the opposite happened. The world went crazy. Uggams: On the set we felt there was something special going on. Of course we had no idea how special it was going to turn out. I came onto the set five weeks into filming – and from the minute I walked on, I just felt there's something going on here among the cast, the crew, everybody. Q: Tell us what you recall about preparing for and making Roots. There were great actors like Lorne Greene and Georg Stanford Brown. Did you get the part you wanted? Uggams: I had read for several different parts, but Kizzy was the part that I wanted. I auditioned several times. The hardest part was doing the screen test, because they had to make sure I could age to play 's mother. Ben was already set to play Chicken George from the beginning. and people in my family, and that was their philosophy: survival. Leslie Uggams in 2010 Elizabeth Lippman/Contour/Getty Images Q: It premiered on Jan. 23, 1977, and to everyone's surprise it was a huge hit. What do you remember about the initial reaction when it aired? Entertainment $3 off popcorn and soft drink combos See more Entertainment offers > Uggams: I was in Vegas rehearsing Guys and Dolls, and from the first night of Roots, the casinos were empty. It was just amazing. And for room service, if you didn't order early, you would just get a busy signal. Nobody was going out. I remember Ann-Margret was in Vegas at the time in a show at the Hilton Hotel. She called me up and said, "Leslie, we had to change the showtime because they're all watching Roots." And they did — all the shows changed their start time. I've never seen anything like that happen in America. Everybody watched. Restaurants, bars, were putting signs out saying, "Come here and watch Roots." It was just unbelievable. Gossett: They were worried about the South (watching), but the South paid more attention to it than the North. It brought a whole new level of fame. It was wonderful. We were celebrated all around the world. Louis Gossett Jr. in 2012. Paul A. Hebert/FilmMagic/Getty Images Q: The network miniseries, particularly one that can claim to be educational, is just about extinct now. Did Roots have any lasting impact on television? Gossett: Well, it broke through a ceiling, but we have to continue. We need a television series that represents the new demographic. … I'm very proud of all these [black] actors and actresses, and they're all brilliant, but I have grandchildren now, and they ask me, didn't anybody black ever be a hero on television? Q: When you rate the best work of your career, where do you place Roots? AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS