Root Into Europe

Root Into Europe is an ITV comedy-drama based on the character from William Donaldson’s 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 right-wing 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.