From These Roots was a well remembered Proctor and Gamble sponsored NBC soap that starred Ann Flood as Liz Fraser returning to her New England family home after her father has a heart attack. Her father, Ben, owned the town newspaper The Strathfield Record.
Much of the action of the show centered around the activities of Liz and the rest of her family who besides Ben also included Liz’s sister Emily and her mill foreman husband Jim Benson and their kids Tim and Lyddy. Liz’s brother Ben Jr and his wife Rose and their kids Dan, Robin and Sarah.
Liz was initially involved with magazine publisher Bruce Crawford before marrying in 1960 playwright David Allen. Big plotlines included Emily and Jim’s marriage breaking up after Jim admitted to a long standing affair and David Allen almost being tempted by an actress who was working in one of his plays.
The show ended in 1961 and unusually for a soap managed to tie up all its loose ends in doing so.
production details
USA / NBC / 915×30 minute episodes / Broadcast Monday 30 June 1958 – Friday 29 December 1961 black and white
cast
ANN FLOOD as Liz Fraser Alen
GRANT CODE as Ben Fraser sr (1958) replaced by ROD HENDRICKSON (1958-61) and then JOSEPH MACAULEY (1961)
HELEN SHIELDS as Emily Fraser Benson
HENDERSON FORSYTHE as Jim Benson
SARAH HARDY as Lyddy Benson
JOHN STEWART as Tim Benson
ROBERT MANDAN as David Allen
RICHARD THOMAS as Richard (1961)
DOLORES SUTTON as Luisa Corelli (1959-60)
BYRON SANDERS as Bruce Crawford (1958-69)
