Roots
The epic tale of celebrated Pulitzer-prize winning author Alex Haley's ancestors as portrayed in the acclaimed twelve hour mini-series Roots, was first told in his 1976 bestseller Roots: The Saga of an American Family. The docu-drama covers a period of history that begins in mid-1700s Gambia, West Africa and concludes during post-Civil War United States, over 100 years later. This 1977 miniseries eventually won 9 Emmy awards, a Golden Globe award, and a Peabody award, and still stands as the most watched miniseries in U.S. history.
Ratings
Based on audience scoresWhere to stream Roots
Not on a subscription service in the United States yet. Rent or buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home.
Trailers and promos
ROOTS (1977)
Trailer
45th Anniversary
Limelight
Discover, track, and enjoy the best movies and shows
Save what you want to watch, see where it streams, and get notified the moment it lands on a service you pay for. Ratings from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic for every title, and recommendations that learn what you like. No ads.
iPhone
iPad
Mac
More like Roots
Frequently asked questions about Roots
Where can I watch Roots in the United States?
Roots is not on a subscription streaming service in the United States at the moment, but you can rent or buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home. Availability is provided by JustWatch and can change over time.
What are the ratings for Roots?
Roots scores 7.4 on The Movie Database.
How many seasons of Roots are there?
Roots has 1 season and 8 episodes, and is ended.
How long does it take to watch all of Roots?
All 8 episodes of Roots add up to about 12 hours at roughly 90 minutes each. At two hours a night that is about 6 evenings; at four hours a day it takes about 3 days.
What network is Roots on?
Roots airs on ABC, and is produced by David L. Wolper Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
Ratings and streaming availability are aggregated from third-party sources; metadata from The Movie Database (TMDB), streaming data from JustWatch. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Streaming availability checked September 2026.