Drop The Dead Donkey - C4 Sitcom - British Comedy Guide

TV sitcom
Channel 4
1990 - 1998
66 episodes (6 series)

Sitcom set at GlobeLink News, a TV news station which is ordered to start taking a sensationalist stance to the news by its new owner. Stars Jeff Rawle, Robert Duncan, Haydn Gwynne, Ingrid Lacey, David Swift and more.

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Drop The Dead Donkey. Image shows from L to R: Sally Smedley (Victoria Wicks), George Dent (Jeff Rawle), Joy Merryweather (Susannah Doyle), Henry Davenport (David Swift), Gus Hedges (Robert Duncan), Dave Charnley (Neil Pearson), Damien Day (Stephen Tompkinson), Helen Cooper (Ingrid Lacey). Copyright: Hat Trick Productions

Genre

Sitcom

Broadcast

1990 - 1998

Channel

Channel 4

Episodes

66 (1 pilot + 6 series), plus 2 short specials

Creators

Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin

Stars

Jeff Rawle, Robert Duncan, Haydn Gwynne, Ingrid Lacey, David Swift, Victoria Wicks, Stephen Tompkinson, Neil Pearson and Susannah Doyle

Writers

Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin, Nick Revell, Malcolm Williamson and Ian Brown

Director

Liddy Oldroyd

Producers

Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin, Sue Howells, Denise O'Donoghue, Avon Harpley and Sioned Wiliam

Company

Hat Trick Productions

Topical sitcom set in the production office of GlobeLink News, a television news company undergoing transformation under the hand of unscrupulous new owner Sir Royston Merchant. Having recently acquired the producer, the multi-millionaire media tycoon and business tyrant orders that the company should start taking a more sensationalist, tabloid stance in its reporting.

Yuppie Gus Hedges (who speaks in a myriad of boardroom 'buzzwords' and clichés) is in charge of the transformation. Nervous news editor George Dent is too weak to stand up to Gus so it is left to his second in command, the impressively perceptive Alex, to try and stop Gus ruining the station entirely. After Series 2, Alex left GlobeLink and was replaced by Helen Cooper, a woman George begins to fall in love until Helen reveals she is a lesbian.

Other staff included laddish womaniser Dave Charnley, ambitious moral-free field reporter Damien Day, newsreaders Henry Davenport and Sally Smedley; him old fashioned and her a brainless bimbo, and as of series two PR Joy Merryweather - who is neither joyful or merry.