"Drop the Dead Donkey" (1990) TV series 1990-1998

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Creators:

Andy Hamilton
Guy Jenkin

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

9 August 1990 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Political satire about a TV news company.

Plot Keywords:

Imperative In Title | Animal In Title | Television News

Awards:

9 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Neil Pearson	...	Dave Charnley (66 episodes, 1990-1998)
Jeff Rawle	...	George Dent (66 episodes, 1990-1998)
David Swift	...	Henry Davenport (66 episodes, 1990-1998)
Stephen Tompkinson	...	Damien Day (66 episodes, 1990-1998)
Robert Duncan	...	Gus Hedges (65 episodes, 1990-1998)
Victoria Wicks	...	Sally Smedley (65 episodes, 1990-1998)
Susannah Doyle	...	Joy Merryweather (55 episodes, 1991-1998)
Ingrid Lacey	...	Helen Cooper (42 episodes, 1993-1998)
Haydn Gwynne	...	Alex Pates (24 episodes, 1990-1991)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Waterloo Station, Waterloo, London, England, UK

Company:

Hat Trick Productions

Trivia:

During the BBC documentary show "Comedy Connections" screened in March 2006, the cast members confessed that most of their lines were actually written on the pieces of paper and clipboards that they were forever looking at during each episode. This was because script was written so close to transmission in order to keep it topical that they often didn't have time to learn all their lines before shooting began.

Quotes:

Gus Hedges: Could we interlock brain spaces in my work area?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Just a Minute: (#1.8)" (1994)

I hope they don't really make the news this way

"Drop the Dead Donkey" ran in six series from 1990 to 1996. The bulk of the humour deals with then-topical British news, so the program doesn't really travel well, or last more than a week (a long time in politics). Best of all the episodes released on video was the award-winning "The Christmas Party", which had hardly any up-to-date content.

The central characters are all exaggerated caricatures of office and media stereotypes. Robert Duncan was good as jargon-spouting executive Gus Hedges, and Jeff Rawle as ineffectual editor George Dent. Haydn Gwynne played the cool, competent editor with a messy private life almost too well, so that the lighter Ingrid Lacey didn't have the same impact when she later filled the same role.

Stephen Tompkinson's acting was probably the best although he was mainly used for the slapstick scenes. (Listen for the inimitable voice of Andy Hamilton playing luckless cameraman Jerry, screaming "Damien!!!" as Tompkinson's suicidally reckless reporter leads them into imminent danger, in almost every episode.)

Susannah Doyle was a good "PA from Hell", but Sara Stewart's portrayal of a vapid blonde in the same slot in series 1 was also a delight.

David Swift's portrayal of a vain newsreader must have been uncomfortably close to some real life newsreaders, with his booming delivery, ruined liver, and his obvious "syrup of figs".

The series may have been killed off, but some of its highlights deserve to be remembered for a long time. Well done everybody, Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin in particular.