What are the best episodes of Roots?

The best rated episodes of Roots are: Part VIII - S1E8 rated 8.4, Part VI - S1E6 rated 8.4

What are the worst episodes of Roots?

The lowest rated episodes of Roots are: Part IV - S1E4 rated 7.9, Part III - S1E3 rated 7.9

Roots Episode Rating Graph

Name: Roots
Genre: Drama
Released: 1977-01-23
Rating: 7.4

Jan 1977 - Jan 1977

8.0

Click the chart for info!

Browse episode ratings trends for Roots. Simply click on the interactive rating graph to explore the best and worst of Roots's 8 episodes.

Best Episodes of Roots

Part VIII
S1 Ep8
8.4
30th Jan 1977
The Civil War is over but night riders terrorize ex-slaves. By marking his clients' horseshoes, Tom identifies the raiders but endangers his own life. Chicken George, who fought for the Union, rejoins his family. He leads them to a new home in Tennessee.
Part VI
S1 Ep6
8.4
28th Jan 1977
Chicken George is sent to England as payment for his owner's gambling debt.

Worst Episodes of Roots

Part IV
S1 Ep4
7.9
26th Jan 1977
After Genelva's nighttime dalliance with Junta deflects suspicion so she can flee with her lover, Kunta forms a romantic attachment to the worldly-wise Bell, whom he marries.
Part III
S1 Ep3
7.9
25th Jan 1977
In 1776, a nation fights for freedom - but not for all. Still driven by his memories as a Mandinka "fighting man," Kunta (now renamed Toby) escapes once more.

Roots Episode Guide

Part I
S1 Ep1
8.0
23rd Jan 1977
In Gambia, West Africa, Kunta Kinte, son of Omoro and Binta, distinguishes himself in manhood training rituals. But he does not enjoy his new status long: slave traders sweeping the countryside seize him. Chained with other captives, Kunta begins an agonized odyssey to the New World.
Part II
S1 Ep2
8.2
24th Jan 1977
Despite a violent rebellion, the slave ship Lord Ligonier completes its voyage and Kunta Kinte endures the indignity of an Annapolis slave auction. Fiddler, the slave in charge of Kunta's training, becomes his only friend, a friendship that's tested when Kunta plans his escape.
Part III
S1 Ep3
7.9
25th Jan 1977
In 1776, a nation fights for freedom - but not for all. Still driven by his memories as a Mandinka "fighting man," Kunta (now renamed Toby) escapes once more.
Part IV
S1 Ep4
7.9
26th Jan 1977
After Genelva's nighttime dalliance with Junta deflects suspicion so she can flee with her lover, Kunta forms a romantic attachment to the worldly-wise Bell, whom he marries.
Part V
S1 Ep5
8.2
27th Jan 1977
The teenage Kizzy, well-versed in Mandinka history, falls in love with young Noah, who's determined to escape.
Part VI
S1 Ep6
8.4
28th Jan 1977
Chicken George is sent to England as payment for his owner's gambling debt.
Part VII
S1 Ep7
8.2
29th Jan 1977
Chicken George returns to North Carolina to find his sons have married and started families - and to learn about a state law that says his status as a free man is forfeited if he stays more than 60 days. Meanwhile, the nation erupts in Civil War.
Part VIII
S1 Ep8
8.4
30th Jan 1977
The Civil War is over but night riders terrorize ex-slaves. By marking his clients' horseshoes, Tom identifies the raiders but endangers his own life. Chicken George, who fought for the Union, rejoins his family. He leads them to a new home in Tennessee.

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.