Oprah Reunites 'Roots' Cast for 35th Anniversary

It’s been 35 years since the iconic series “Roots” made its television debut and exposed the horrors of slavery. Now, the cast of the Emmy-winning series will join Oprah Winfrey in her Montecito, California estate for “Roots: 35 Years Later,” an exclusive reunion special which will air on OWN.

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“Over the years the cast has dwindled,” said Cicely Tyson, who appears in the OWN special alongside costars Leslie Uggams, LeVar Burton, John Amos, Louis Gossett Jr. and Ben Vereen. “But I was grateful that many of us are still here to account for this spectacular event. What Oprah is doing should be commended because ‘Roots’ meant so much to people all over the world,” Tyson continued in a statement released by OWN.

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With original clips from “Roots” serving as their backdrop, the show will feature the cast sharing their personal accounts of working on the extraordinary series and creating television history. The reunion special is part of OWN’s new strategy of marketing to a black audience and catering more to minority viewers.

“Roots: 35 Years Later” premieres on OWN January 16, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.