On January 23rd, 1977, one of the most iconic miniseries, "Roots", premiered on ABC! Based on Alex Haley's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the 12-hour miniseries fundamentally shifted America's understanding of its own history. ABC executives were initially so fearful that a series centered on the brutal reality of slavery would be a commercial disaster that they decided to air all eight episodes on consecutive nights, hoping to "burn through" the footage quickly. Instead, the strategy created the first true "binge-watching" series, and by its final episode on January 30th, 1977, an estimated 100 to 140 million viewers - more than half of the population of the United States at the time - tuned in to watch, making it one of the most-watched broadcasts in television history!
