14 Things You Didn’t Know About the Original ‘Roots’ Miniseries

5. Despite these controversies, ‘Roots’ was a great book and miniseries

Perhaps he embellished a bit and had a little help, but Alex Haley’s book was still a phenomenal achievement. The author was a college drop-out who was 46 when he started writing Roots: The Saga of an American Family. It took him a decade to research and finish the 700 pages. The book spent 22 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and helped to spark an interest in genealogy and African-American history.

6. It was very popular at the Emmys

Whether it was fact of fiction, it was a powerful story that gripped the nation and was praised by critics. After the Roots miniseries aired it was nominated for a whopping 37 Emmy Awards and won nine of those. It also won a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award.