Deadline reports History will remake the landmark miniseries Roots. The new series will similarly be based on Alex Haley’s book Roots: The Saga of an American Family, though it will be eight hours long, opposed to the original’s twelve hours. In the most recent issue of New York, the series’ star Levar Burton gave his impression on Roots’ lasting impact: “Roots became a part of the fabric of American culture. After Roots, we all had a similar frame of reference and context for what we talk about when we talk about slavery in America. You have to acknowledge that there’s a wound before it can even begin to get better.” Burton later told the story of how he responded when he first heard that they might remake Roots, “My initial reaction was, Why? But, look, the bottom line for me is if one soul is moved irrevocably toward the side of humanity, then it’s worth it.”