Roots: The Next Generations on ABC

This 12-hour sequel spanned nearly 90 years in author Alex Haley's family history. It aired over seven nights (all of the episodes were highly rated) and, like its predecessor, won the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series. Marlon Brando also won in a supporting role, as American Nazi leader George Lincoln Rockwell. The story opened in 1882 in Tennessee, with Haley's great-grandfather objecting to his daughter's suitor.