Drop the Dead Donkey

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Drop the Dead Donkey was a situation comedy that ran on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1990 to 1998. It was set in the offices of "Globelink News", a fictional TV news company. Recorded close to transmission, it tried to use current news events as a means of giving the programme a greater sense of realism. It was created by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin. Contrary to popular belief, the title was entirely made up. The series made stars of Haydn Gwynne, Stephen Tompkinson and Neil Pearson.

The series started with the acquisition of Globelink by media mogul Sir Roysten Merchant (whose name is probably a reference to Rupert Murdoch, although Robert Maxwell was still alive when the series started). The series is mostly based on the on-going battle between the staff of Globelink, led by George Dent, trying to keep the company as a serious news organisation, and Sir Royston's right-hand man Gus Hedges, trying to make the show more sensationalist and move it away from stories that might harm Sir Royston's business empire.

Contents

[edit] Characters

[edit] Major characters

  • Sir Roysten Merchant - Sir Roysten Merchant is a wealthy businessman who buys out Globelink News in the first episode and remains the owner of the company throughout all six series. He is unseen on screen until a brief appearance in the final show in which he was played by Roger Hammond. Sir Roysten is a terrifying figure, with a large business empire. He is also involved in housing, shipping, and sundry more shady enterprises which, based on the information that occasionally comes to attention of the Globelink News team, border on the illegal. However, on buying the company Sir Roysten installed Gus Hedges (see below) in order to prevent any information being leaking out in news stories that may prove damaging. Sir Roysten is a strong, right-wing figure, supporting both Margaret Thatcher and John Major. However, when Major was looking weak in 1994, he defected to Tony Blair. In private, it is known that he sees prostitutes, and that his wife, Lady Caroline, also has many affairs. He also has a daughter, Octavia, that Dave tried to have a relationship with, but he broke it off for worrying of making Sir Roysten angry. It turned out that dumping her made Sir Roysten even more angry. Rumour has it that his father, who was also a businessman, was a Nazi sympathiser. He also has several pet rottweilers and a personal security team who guard his mansion.
  • Gus Hedges (Robert Duncan) - The unctuous Chief Executive of the company, and yes-man to Sir Roysten Merchant. A management stereotype, complete with clichĂ©s and clumsy metaphors, he transformed Globelink from a serious news network to a ratings-chasing tabloid channel. He always talks in management jargon, and is notable for such phrases as, "Are we cooking with napalm? You bet!" Supposedly due to what he refers to as his 'hands-off' role, he frequently prefaces his interference in editorial matters with the opening, "Now, as you all know, I'm not here...". He is disliked and distrusted by the staff, who are unafraid to treat him with contempt. Outside of office life, Gus is a very lonely man - although he is far too afraid to admit this, even to himself. He has no real friends, and his occasional attempts to make friends at work often fail, largely because of his inability to behave like a human being rather than an 'executive management module'. Gus is alleged to have been based on Channel 4's controller at the time, Michael Grade although the original idea was first pitched to the BBC, with Channel Four only picking up the series after the BBC refused to broadcast it.
  • George Dent (Jeff Rawle) - The chief editor. A nervous wreck and hypochondriac who is often in conflict with Gus over editorial decisions, but is usually too afraid to argue with the Chief Executive. George is generally a moral man, who has a good sense of what a news company should really be doing, and what stories are important, but he is frequently overridden by Gus and distracted by his staff. He suffers from a number of anxiety disorders and apparently psychosomatic symptoms, which he will often relate apprehensively to his colleagues. George once remarked that his doctor had suggested that he stop visiting the surgery and simply fax his new symptoms in every day. Earlier scripts followed the deterioration of George's marriage to his somewhat exploitative wife, Margaret, and following their divorce, George's problems at home generally revolved around the antisocial and occasionally criminal behaviour of his daughter Deborah.
  • Alex Pates (Haydn Gwynne) - Assistant editor and George's second-in-command. The token normal person, Alex was determined, skilled and professional. However, her personal life was complicated and messy, and from time to time this would intrude into her work life. Married and divorced before the series, her ex-husband once used Alex to thwart a story on his unlawful business practices. She broke his nose. Her mother repeatedly interrupted important meetings with frivolous and bizarre telephone enquiries, such as whether she should stockpile petrol in the bath in response to rising fuel prices. Alex left Globelink to join the BBC at the end of the second season.
  • Helen Cooper (Ingrid Lacey) - Replaced Alex as assistant editor from the third series onwards. A single mother of a daughter called Chloe (Jocelyn Barker), she was briefly an object of desire for George until she explained she was a lesbian, though this didn't stop her having a drunken one-night stand with Dave. Dedicated to bringing people proper news, she often clashes with Gus, while George offers moral support from the outer office. She often takes charge in the office if George is feeling too delicate to do so himself. Nicknamed by the office staff as Stalin due to her obsession with organisation.
  • Henry Davenport (David Swift) - One of the news anchors. A veteran reporter and wig-wearer, he is deeply contemptuous of Gus, Sally and everything about the "modern" news industry. He is in constant conflict with Sally, and the two of them take any opportunity to make jokes and jibes at the other's expense. However, very infrequently, particularly in later episodes, the viewer gets the impression that Henry and Sally have become rather fond of each other - although neither would admit it. He frequently derides younger presenters on other stations as 'androids' and 'holograms', and often bemoans the loss of what he considers to be the more interesting personalities of the past. He spends much of his spare time drinking, gambling and womanising, often in cahoots with Dave. Married and divorced several times, with two daughters, Henry is constantly struggling with alimony repayments and the demands of his exes. Henry also believed for a short time that he had an illegitimate son, although the 'son' later proved to be a fraud who was out for Henry's money. Henry is supposed to have been based on Reginald Bosanquet, and indeed at one point owned a yacht (never seen) named 'Bosanquet'.
  • Sally Smedley (Victoria Wicks) - The other news anchor, handpicked by Sir Royston and noted for her snobbishness and vapidity. She always has a problem with at least one member of the staff, although commonly prefaces any complaint with "I'm not one to complain…" She is largely disliked by everyone else, generally due to her obsession with fashion and her own image to the exclusion of any real awareness of current affairs. Helen occasionally tries to sympathise with her, and there are infrequent incidents that reveal Sally's vulnerability, although she usually recovers quickly and is soon back to her abrasive self. Sally is infamous throughout the Globelink office and elsewhere for her supposedly secret liaisons with lorry drivers and dockers.
  • Damien Day (Stephen Tompkinson) - The field reporter who tries to make his stories as sensational as possible, often by using untruths or stunts, thus becoming popular and increasing the channel's ratings, and making it impossible for George to fire him, despite his frequent desire to do so. When filming a firing-squad execution in a South American dictatorship, Damien asked the officer for a retake so he could make the execution look better. When filming in a war torn country he punched a small boy in the face to make sure he had a crying child in shot, and deliberately threw a hand-grenade over a wall to create panic before delivering a piece to camera. He is open-minded about other cultures, expressing interest in Tarot cards and the predictions of Nostradamus. He likes to keep himself fit, does not drink or smoke, drives a Porsche and is considered to be sociopathic.
  • Dave Charnley (Neil Pearson) - The deputy sub-editor and general dogsbody. As a compulsive womaniser and gambler, he gets on very well with Henry, owing to these shared interests, and Damien, owing to his willingness to bet on outrageously tasteless things. After seducing a drunken Helen, he finds his feelings for her and takes time to recover when she tells him their fling just helped her confirm her homosexuality further.
  • Joy Merryweather (Susannah Doyle) - Joy is in no way joyful or merry. From Series 2 onwards, she is the terrifyingly outspoken PA who is utterly cynical, completely unafraid and prone to threatening violence. She gets away with this owing to being very good at her job, and the fact that even Gus is afraid of her. Her main role in the series is to offer sarcastic commentary on anything anyone does, and predict disaster, usually accurately. During the first series only, the PA was played as a flighty blonde, by Sara Stewart.

[edit] Minor characters

  • Gerry - Damien's (unseen) cameraman, occasionally voiced by Andy Hamilton. Damien's reports would usually end with something unpleasant happening to Gerry, while Damien yelled at him to keep filming. He appears in one episode, at the station's Christmas party, but is covered in bandages.
  • Deborah Dent (Louisa Millwood-Haigh) - George's daughter, and one of the main problems at home. A juvenile delinquent, Deborah has been known to run away from home, steal cars (in one case six on a transporter), sell drugs (George's pills), burn supply teachers and attack her school classmates with a pickaxe handle.
  • Lynn Yeats (Elizabeth Downes) - Damien's biggest rival. Lynn always seems to get bigger and better news stories, due to having a bigger budget according to Damien. Some may say that she is even more amoral than Damien, if such a thing was possible.
  • Anna (Nina Marc) - A woman of Polish origin, she got engaged to George so that she could get a British passport and stay in the country. The rest of the staff tried to make him see sense, but it he just ignored them. In an attempt to save George, Dave asked Anna to marry him. Anna asked if he was wearing any cameras, trying to incriminate her. He stripped to show her, just as George entered the room. As a result, George thought she was having an affair and left her.

[edit] Scripting

Unusually for a sitcom, the show was topical, and was usually written and filmed in the week before broadcast. Typically the last scene, or a voiceover for the ending credits was filmed either the day before or sometimes on the day of broadcast. The most frantic rewrite occurred when, on the day of filming, British media mogul Robert Maxwell drowned. (As the writers said in a later episode, "We don't want to go overboard with the story".) A number of politicians including Neil Kinnock and Ken Livingstone made guest appearances.

The humour, like that in a real newsroom, was often very black, as the writers did not shy away from sensitive subjects. A typical line (from Henry): "The 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland. What a bloody stupid phrase. Do they think these people are dying of stress?"

The series ended with GlobeLink being closed down. This contradicted the already thoroughly contradicted novel Drop The Dead Donkey 2000 by Hamilton and Alistair Beaton (1994) ISBN 0-316-91236-0, which had predicted its destruction at the turn of the millennium.

[edit] Repeats

Reruns of the programme often appear on Paramount Comedy 2. Before the show starts, there is always a short review of the major news events which happened during the week of each episode's filming.

Thanks to the new 4od (http://www.channel4.com/4od) service you can now watch via Video on Demand. Telewest and NTL: customers can recieve this via their interactive portion of their digiboxes.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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