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Roots: The Next Generations

Roots: The Next Generations picks up where the original epic series left off, following one African-American family from reconstruction into the 1960s.

One of the unfortunate aspects of this sweeping American epic is that it looks like a TV production from the late-1970s; the era when this miniseries was produced was not TV's finest hour, which makes it all the more miraculous that Roots: The Next Generations is as compelling as it is.

From the product description: Could there be a worthy follow-up to the most-watched miniseries ever? "We felt the other did so well," Alex Haley said, "that we should just let it hang there." But Haley began carrying around a tape recorder, dictating more of his family's tales as they came to his memory. Those remembrances filled a 1,000-page transcript: raw material for Roots: The Next Generations. Winner of the Emmy for Best Limited Series, this landmark continuation of a landmark event - with 53 stars and 235 speaking parts - "is in many respects a superior achievement," Newsweek said in comparing this to Roots. Twenty-five years later, it has lost none of its dramatic and emotional power to make us confront history and examine ourselves. One man's family remains everyone's!

Addictive and profoundly disturbing as it picks at the scabs of history, Roots: The Next Generations is understandably melodramatic at times - I mean, how can you resist when you have a story as appalling as this one? It's not like this shit didn't actually happen. On a daily basis.

I'm not sure how much of this story is true, Alex Haley's Roots (the book the original series was based on) was a blatant plagiarism, called one of the greatest literary hoaxes of all time. Presumably this sequel would have been easier to research since it only goes back to the late-1800s but apparently everything that came before this series was completely or mostly made up and presented as fact. Since those earlier stories form the lynchpin of this miniseries it calls into question what was real and what wasn't. For one thing, it's highly dubious given what we know now that Haley found the actual village he was descended from as depicted in the dramatic ending.

Not that that negates the gut-wrenching impact this miniseries has. Man, there were some wicked and stupid white folks back then - every time one comes on the screen you want to hiss. Especially if they're smiling, that's when you know the crackers are up to no good!

Some of the acting is a bit off key, but then again you have actors of great stature like Henry Fonda (in one of his best roles), Andy Griffith, Olivia de Havilland, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Marlon Brando, Paul Winfield, and, of course, the magnificent James Earl Jones. TV actors Georg Stanford Brown (who also directed an episode), Pam Grier, Robert Culp, Richard Thomas, Harry Morgan and Diahann Carroll all turn in sterling performances as well.

The crystal clear picture provided on the DVD collection does point out some bad makeup jobs in the closeups and the music too often sounds like a bad TV detective show. Still, these slight flaws can't dull the impact of this powerful drama.

Roots: The Next Generations the DVD set consists of 7 episodes running about 90 minutes each and they all pack an emotional wallop. Also included - episode commentaries, a 'making of' documentary and Roots: The Next Generations: the Legacy Continues.

If the production values had been a little better and the music not so canned this could have been one of the greatest dramatic presentations of all time. As it is, it's not to be missed.

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Reviews by Billy Ingram, as seen on VH1, Trio and Bravo.

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Roots: The Next Generations

Number of discs: 4
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: October 9, 2007
Run Time: 688 minutes

Georg Stanford Brown - Tom Harvey
Olivia de Havilland - Mrs. Warner
Henry Fonda - Col. Frederick Warner
Paul Koslo - Earl Crowther
Avon Long - Chicken George Moore
Lynne Moody - Irene Harvey
Greg Morris - Beeman Jones
Marc Singer - Andy Warner
Richard Thomas - Jim Warner
Fay Hauser - Carrie Barden
Brian Stokes Mitchell - John Dolan (as Brian Mitchell)
Debbi Morgan - Elizabeth Harvey
Kathleen Doyle - Lucy Damson
Ja'net DuBois - Sally Harvey
Slim Gaillard - Sam Wesley
Harry Morgan - Bob Campbell
Roger E. Mosley - Lee Garnet
Stan Shaw - Will Palmer
Irene Cara - Bertha Palmer Haley
James Daly - RSM Boyce
Ossie Davis - Dad Jones
Ruby Dee - Queen Haley
Dorian Harewood - Simon Haley
Kene Holliday - Detroit
George Voskovec - Mr. Goldstein
Hal Williams - Aleck Haley
Bever-Leigh Banfield - Cynthia Palmer (early years)
E. Lamont Johnson - Frank
Paul Winfield - Dr. Horace Huguley
Lynn Hamilton - Cousin Georgia
Kristoff St. John - Alex Haley as a boy (as Christoff St. John)
Logan Ramsey - D.L. Lewis
Dennis Fimple - Sheriff Duffy
Debbie Allen - Nan Branch Haley
Damon Evans - Alex Haley, ages 17-25
Andy Griffith - Commander Robert Munroe
Diahann Carroll - Zenitha Haley (voice)
Rafer Johnson - Nelson
Carmen McRae - Lila
John Hancock - Scotty
Telma Hopkins - Daisy
Milt Kogan - Mel Klein
Barbara Barrie - Dodie Brattle
Marlon Brando - George Lincoln Rockwell
James Broderick - Dr. Lewis
Lee Chamberlin - Odile Richards (as Lee Chamberlain)
Michael Constantine - Dr. Vansina
Norman Fell - Bernie Raymond
Al Freeman Jr. - Malcolm X
James Earl Jones - Alex Haley
Claudia McNeil - Sister Will Ada
Linda Hopkins - Singer
Bobby Short - Pianist
Jane Rose - Mrs. Bulfinch
Howard E. Rollins Jr. - George Haley

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