“Roots: The Next Generations” And “Roots: The Complete Collection” DVDs From Warner Home Video

(July 24, 2007 - Burbank, CA) — In 1977 over 80 million American viewers were moved by the chronicle of Kunta Kinte, the West African youth captured by slave raiders and shipped to America. In 1979, the saga continued for his descendents in their quest for freedom and became the 7th highest rated mini-series of all time. On October 9, 2007, the nation will once again be captivated by the riveting stories of Alex Haley’s family when Warner Home Video releases "Roots: The Next Generations" for $59.98 and the complete "Roots" anthology, "Roots: The Complete Collection" for $119.82. Order due date is September 4, 2007. A sequel to Alex Haley’s "Roots," "Roots: The Next Generations" garnered two Emmy® awards including “Outstanding Miniseries.” The powerful saga picks up where the original left off and follows Tom (Georg Stanford Brown) and his family as they struggle to exercise the rights they gained from Emancipation. Through two World Wars and the turbulent Civil Rights Movement the compelling series takes you all the way up to the 1960’s and 1970’s when Alex Haley, played by Oscar® nominated actor, James Earl Jones, begins the journey to piece his family lineage together. It is with this backdrop of social unrest that Alex Haley’s search resulted in one of America’s greatest stories ever told. "Roots: The Next Generations" was produced by David Wolper and features an all-star cast including James Earl Jones, Henry Fonda, Marlon Brando, Georg Stanford Brown, Debbie Allen, Olivia de Havilland and Richard Thomas. Thirty years since "Roots" touched and inspired a nation, Warner Home Video will also be releasing the complete anthology box set "Roots: The Complete Collection," which includes the original mini-series "Roots," "Roots: The Next Generations" and the Christmas movie "Roots: The Gift." "Roots" begins with Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton) as a slave from Africa in the 1700s and continues to "Roots: The Next Generations" closing with Alex Haley’s pilgrimage back to Africa in the 1970s. LeVar Burton returns to the character of Kunta Kinte in the 1988 Christmas movie "Roots: The Gift" with Fiddler, played by Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr., by his side. Everything in this landmark saga is available together on 10 discs with over 25 hours of content, the perfect holiday gift for anyone who has ever been touched by Alex Haley’s inspiring stories. The DVD set is housed in a beautiful collectible gift box that includes a 44-page 4-color commemorative booklet to accompany the DVD story. Exclusive DVD extras from "Roots: The Complete Collection" include: • "Roots: The Gift" – the 2-hour heart-warming holiday movie and also new to DVD!
• “The Struggle to Make Roots” 2007 featurette
• “Connecting with the Past” 2007 featurette
• A vintage interview with Alex Haley by David Frost “Alex Haley’s research to unveil his own roots led to the critically acclaimed mini-series 'Roots: The Next Generations,'” said Jeff Brown, WHV Senior Vice President and General Manager, TV, Family and Special Interest. “Warner Home Video is delighted to release the next chapter in the saga as well as the holiday gift set 'Roots: The Complete Collection,' which is perfect for fans of the series, educators, historians and film collectors. 'Roots' and 'Roots: The Next Generations' are must-own DVDs for anyone who saw the original broadcasts, plus new fans who are discovering these great works for the first time.” TV One, the fast-growing cable network for African American adults, will also bring "Roots: The Next Generations" to the television screen though a licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution. TV One will telecast "Roots: The Next Generations" in a primetime week long event hosted by original cast members from July 8-15. TV One’s broadcast of "Roots" this past April was a record-setting telecast for the network giving them their highest ratings to date. TV One also plans to rebroadcast "Roots: The Next Generations" this September in an all-day marathon. In addition they plan to premiere "Roots: The Gift" this Thanksgiving with rebroadcasts throughout the holiday season. About Warner Home Video With operations in 90 international territories Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.# # #