Root Into Europe

Last updated

Root Into Europe
Created by William Donaldson
Written byWilliam Donaldson
Mark Chapman
Directed byMark Chapman
Starring George Cole
Pat Heywood
No. of series1
No. of episodes5
Production
ProducersMark Chapman
Justin Judd
Running time60mins
Production companyAspect Film & TV for Central Independent Television
Original release
Network ITV
Release17 May (1992-05-17) 
14 June 1992 (1992-06-14)

Root Into Europe is an ITV comedy-drama based on the character from William Donaldson's popular book The Henry Root Letters . Five episodes written by Donaldson and Mark Chapman and produced by Aspect Film & TV for Central Independent Television, were first broadcast in May and June 1992. The series starred George Cole as Henry Root, and Pat Heywood as his wife, Muriel.

Henry Root, a fish dealer who disapproves of the impending European Union, declares himself England's 'European regulator' in a letter to the British Prime Minister, then John Major. He takes his wife Muriel on a tour of Europe to represent English values to mainland Europe. His adventures are captured on a camcorder by his wife to be sent to the BBC upon his return for a future documentary, which one expects will never be made. The episodes bring him to France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands.


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lenny Henry</span> British stand-up comedian and actor

Sir Lenworth George Henry is a British actor, comedian, singer, television presenter and writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Cole (actor)</span> English actor (1925–2015)

George Edward Cole, OBE was an English actor whose career spanned 75 years. He was best known for playing Arthur Daley in the long-running ITV comedy-drama show Minder and Flash Harry in the early St Trinian's films.

<i>Citizen Smith</i> British TV sitcom (1977–1980)

Citizen Smith is a British television sitcom written by John Sullivan, first broadcast from 1977 to 1980.

This article covers various hoax letter writers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Donaldson</span> British politician (born 1962)

Sir Jeffrey Mark Donaldson is a British politician who served as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 2021 to 2024 and leader of the DUP in the UK House of Commons from 2019 to 2024. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Lagan Valley since 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Brydon</span> Welsh actor and comedian (born 1965)

Robert Brydon Jones is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. Brydon gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. Brydon was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Honours in 2013 for services to comedy and broadcasting, and for charitable services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Root</span> American actor (born 1951)

Stephen Root is an American actor. He has starred as Jimmy James on the NBC sitcom NewsRadio (1995–1999), as Milton Waddams in the film Office Space (1999), and voiced Bill Dauterive and Buck Strickland on the animated series King of the Hill (1997–2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Donaldson</span> British satirist, writer, playboy (1935–2005)

Charles William Donaldson was a British satirist, writer, playboy and, under the pseudonym of Henry Root, author of The Henry Root Letters.

Sarah Alexander is an English actress. She has appeared in British series including Armstrong and Miller, Smack the Pony, Coupling, The Worst Week of My Life, Green Wing, Marley's Ghosts and Jonathan Creek.

Amanda Root is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her starring role as Anne Elliot in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Persuasion. A familiar face on both stage and screen, she worked regularly with the Royal Shakespeare Company during her early career, performing as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, among other roles. In 2009, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance as Sarah in Alan Ayckbourn's The Norman Conquests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Goode</span> British actor (born 1978)

Matthew William Goode is a British actor. Goode made his screen debut in 2002 with ABC's television film Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. His breakthrough role was in the romantic comedy Chasing Liberty (2004), for which he received a nomination at the Teen Choice Awards for Choice Breakout Movie Star – Male. He then appeared in a string of supporting roles in films, such as Woody Allen's Match Point (2005), the romantic comedy Imagine Me and You (2006), and the period drama Copying Beethoven (2006). He earned praise for his performances as Charles Ryder in the 2008 film adaptation of the novel Brideshead Revisited and as Ozymandias in the superhero film Watchmen (2009). He then starred in the romantic comedy Leap Year (2010) and Australian drama Burning Man (2011), the latter earning him a nomination for Best Actor at the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards.

<i>If You See God, Tell Him</i> British TV series or programme

If You See God, Tell Him is a black comedy television sitcom starring Richard Briers, Adrian Edmondson, and Imelda Staunton. Written by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, it was first broadcast on BBC1 in 1993. It comprised four episodes, each 45 minutes long, and was broadcast only once, apart from the first episode, which was repeated on BBC Four on 3 December 2007 as part of "David Renwick Night". The title is a reference to 'if you see Sid, tell him', the slogan used for the sale of shares in British Gas plc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Dussault</span> American actress and singer (b. 1936)

Nancy Dussault is an American actress and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claire Gordon</span> British film actress, comedian (1941–2015)

Claire Gordon was an English film actress and comedian known for leading and cameo roles in many British films from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s, and for working with most of the television comedy stars of that time. She was best known for her leading roles in the cult films Konga and Beat Girl, Gordon was the subject of singer Scott Walker's song "Archangel".

<i>Keep It in the Family</i> (1980 TV series) 1980 TV series

Keep It in the Family is a British comedy television show that aired for five series between 1980 and 1983. It was about a likeable and mischievous British cartoonist, Dudley Rush. Also featured were Dudley's wife, Muriel, and their two daughters, Jacqui and Susan. Dudley's literary agent, Duncan Thomas, was also featured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Spender</span> Song from the 1966 musical "Sweet Charity"

"Big Spender" is a song written by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields for the musical Sweet Charity, first performed in 1966. Peggy Lee was the first artist to record the song for her album of the same name also that year. It is sung, in the musical, by the dance hostess girls; it was choreographed by Bob Fosse for the Broadway musical and the 1969 film. It is set to the beat of a striptease as the girls taunt the customers.

<i>Casanova 73</i> British TV series or programme

Casanova '73 is a British sitcom broadcast on BBC1 in September and October 1973. Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, the series starred Leslie Phillips as wealthy womaniser Henry Newhouse.

Diane Morgan is an English actress, comedian and writer. She has portrayed Philomena Cunk on the review programme Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe (2013–2020) and in the mockumentary series Cunk on Britain (2018) and Cunk on Earth (2022). She also played Liz on the BBC Two sitcom Motherland (2016–2022) and Kath in the Netflix dark comedy series After Life (2019–2022), as well as writing and starring in the BBC Two comedy series Mandy (2019–present).

<i>Blandings</i> (radio series)

The Blandings radio series is a series of radio dramas based on the Blandings Castle stories by British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse. The stories were dramatised by Wodehouse biographer Richard Usborne. The series ran between 1985 and 1992 on BBC Radio 4.

Henry Paker is a British comedian, writer and illustrator.