Antony Root is a British television executive and producer.
Education
Root was educated at King"s College School, Cambridge, Marlborough College and Christ"s College, Cambridge where he read Philosophy and English. At Cambridge he was President of the Amateur Dramatic Club (CUADC) and Junior Treasurer of the Footlights revue group.
Career
After a brief career in theatre management, he joined British Broadcasting Corporation Television"s Drama Series and Serials Department as an Assistant Floor Manager. In 1984 he was recruited by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television, as its Development Executive where his credits included Capital City, Bellman and True and the miniseries The Fear, which he also co-produced. In 1989 he joined Working Title Television as Head of Production where he produced Lorna Doone ( Independent Television), Derek Jarman"s Edward II (British Broadcasting Corporation) and Armistead Maupin"s Tales of the City (C4).
In 1994 he was appointed Head of Drama at Thames Television, executive producing John Schlesinger"s Cold Comfort Farm (British Broadcasting Corporation) and setting up Five’s first drama series, A Wing and a Prayer, before leaving to join Granada Television as Head of Drama in 1997.
In this role his credits as executive producer included The Grand ( Independent Television) and Far from the Madding Crowd ( Independent Television). In 1998 he became the first Granada executive tasked with developing and producing drama for broadcasters outside the United Kingdom.
As Head of International Drama he oversaw three movies for A&East in the United States - Murder in a Small Town and The Lady in Question, both starring Gene Wilder, and Dash and Lilly, starring Sam Shepard and Judy Davis. He also served as executive producer on the British Academy of Film and Television Arts-winning miniseries Longitude (C4) for Granada Film.
In 1999 he transferred to Los Angeles and assumed the additional role of SVP, Movies and Miniseries at Granada Entertainment United States of America where his credits as executive producer included The Great Gatsby (A&East) and Princess of Thieves (American Broadcasting Company).
In 2000 he was appointed President of the company overseeing all its output including the television movies My Beautiful Son (Showtime/ Independent Television) and Second Nature (TNT), the second season of the series Beggars and Choosers (Showtime), and drama and comedy television pilots for the United States. networks. In 2005 he returned to the United Kingdom to take up the position of Senior Vice President, European Production, for Sony Pictures Television. In this role, which he held until December 2009, he was responsible for all development and production in the European region including the management of its wholly owned and joint venture entities in six countries.
From January 2010 to October 2011 he again worked as an international consultant and executive producer.
His assignments included advising independent production companies on their international growth strategies and serving as Director of Industry Week at the RomaFictionFest in 2010 and 2011. From September 2010 to October 2011 he also served as Chief Executive Officer of 8th Floor Productions, a United Kingdom-based drama development and production company focusing on television fiction designed for the international market.
In October 2011 he took up the position of Executive Vice President, Original Programming and Production, at Home Box Office Europe.