This Friday, January 18, LeVar Burton will host a look at the impact and legacy of "Roots," the epic miniseries that originally ran over eight consecutive nights in January 1977 and became one of the highest rated and most acclaimed events in television history. Titled "Roots: Celebrating 25 Years," the one-hour special will air on NBC at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.

A decade before Burton joined Star Trek: The Next Generation as "Geordi La Forge," he came to fame as the younger "Kunta Kinte" in the African-American saga based on author Alex Haley's family history. Also appearing in Friday's retrospective is fellow "Roots" castmate Ben Vereen, who played Geordi's father, "Dr. Edward M. La Forge," in the TNG episode "Interface."

Earlier this week Burton attended the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena to discuss the anniversary special, along with co-star Leslie Uggams and executive producers David L. Wolper and Judy Leonard. Recalling that "Roots" was his first professional acting job at age 19, Burton didn't realize at the time the impact of the project he was involved with. "I wasn't aware that 'Roots' was on its way to becoming the ratings juggernaut and social phenomenon that it became as it unfolded," he said.

"'Roots' was part of an emergence of a new consciousness in this country in terms of what our common and shared history is, around this very central issue of race which, in my opinion, is the most powerful issue that exists in this country and in this culture," Burton commented.

Burton was discovered by a casting director while a theater student at the University of Southern California, Wolper recounted. The young actor did a screen test, and "he just popped out of the screen," the producer said. "He had it, and we knew it. And we picked him to do it."

"I kind of liken the experience now, looking back on it, as having walked through fire," Burton said about being in the center of the overwhelming reaction to the miniseries. "And not that I didn't get singed around the edges and significant burns on the outer extremities, but I feel like I did come through that fire like a tempered piece of steel. The old Nietzsche saying 'That which does not kill me makes me stronger' certainly held true and fast for me in that case."

Also taking its toll was performing scenes where his character was enslaved and brutalized. "It was very difficult. For my own part, I know that I checked out. I checked out. Because physically it was uncomfortable, but emotionally it was really debilitating." Some of the scenes are so intense, in fact, that he's not ready to let his seven-year-old daughter see them yet. "It's one thing for a child to watch television and to be able to tell what's fantasy and what's real... But I really want her to be ready to see her father on the screen being whipped into submission — she's not ready at seven."

Wolper and Burton both expressed some disappointment that while "Roots" had a strong impact on the American audience, it did not make much of a dent in the television industry in terms of racial equity. "I remember there was a huge sense of anticipation in the African-American community inside of Hollywood that there would be some huge sea change post-'Roots.' And that never materialized," Burton said. "I know for my own part that, in large measure, that sense of disappointment fueled my commitment to becoming a producer and a writer and a director, and ensuring that my voice was heard. And knowing full well that no one was going to hand me the opportunity, I had to carve it out for myself. That's always been true for people of color in this country and in this culture. Hollywood's no different."

To that end, Burton carved out the opportunity to direct numerous episodes of all the Star Trek series since TNG, including the recent Enterprise episodes "Terra Nova" and "Fortunate Son."