History Channel Is Eying Remake of "Roots" The History Channel may remake "Roots," the ABC mini-series that made history when it was broadcast in 1977. The cable channel confirmed that it had bought the rights to the mini-series (and the Alex Haley book that it was based upon) and had started developing an eight-hour version of it. The original "Roots," about a multigenerational African-American family's experiences from the time of slavery onward, was 12 hours and a national phenomenon, as evidenced by the fact that more than half of all American households tuned in for the finale. The development was first reported by Deadline.com on Tuesday, which quoted a senior vice president at the channel, Dirk Hoogstra, as saying "We would like to revive that cultural icon for a new audience."