Drop the Dead Donkey 34 years old
Drop the Dead Donkey is a situation comedy that first aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom between 1990 and 1998. It is set in the offices of “GlobeLink News”, a fictional TV news company. Recorded close to transmission, it made use of contemporary news events to give the programme a greater sense of realism. It was created by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin. The series had an ensemble cast, making stars of Haydn Gwynne, Stephen Tompkinson and Neil Pearson. The series began with the acquisition of GlobeLink by media mogul Sir Roysten Merchant, an allusion to either Robert Maxwell or Rupert Murdoch. Indeed, Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin note on their DVDs that it was fortunate for their libel lawyers that the two men shared the same initials. The series is mostly based on the on-going battle between the staff of GlobeLink, led by editor George Dent, as they try to maintain the company as a serious news organisation, and Sir Roysten’s right-hand man Gus Hedges, trying to make the show more sensationalist and suppress stories that might harm Sir Roysten’s business empire. The show was awarded the Best Comedy Award at the 1994 BAFTA Awards. At the British Comedy Awards the show won Best New TV Comedy in 1990, Best Channel 4 Comedy in 1991, and Best Channel 4 Sitcom in 1994.
Credits
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Andrew Lincoln He was 16 , now 51 years old | |
| Donald Sumpter He was 47 , now 81 years old | |
| Gina McKee She was 26 , now 60 years old | |
| Daniel Craig He was 22 , now 56 years old | |
| Roger Hammond He was 16 , 38 years old when he died | |
| Sara Stewart She was 24 , now 58 years old | |
| Clive Russell He was 44 , now 78 years old | |
| Philip Glenister He was 27 , now 61 years old | |
| Stephen Tompkinson He was 24 , now 59 years old | |
| Emma Chambers She was 26 , 53 years old when she died | |
| Meera Syal She was 29 , now 63 years old | |
| Charlie Creed-Miles He was 18 , now 52 years old | |
| Allan Corduner He was 40 , now 74 years old | |
| Ben Daniels He was 26 , now 60 years old | |
| Nicholas Farrell He was 35 , now 69 years old | |
| Sarah Alexander She was 19 , now 53 years old | |
| Chris Lang He was 29 , now 63 years old | |
| David Swift He was 71 , 82 years old when he died | |
| Neil Stuke He was 23 , now 57 years old | |
| Haydn Gwynne She was 33 , now 67 years old | |
| Nicholas Day He was 47 , now 81 years old | |
| Jeff Rawle He was 39 , now 73 years old | |
| Geoffrey McGivern He was 38 , now 72 years old | |
| Hermione Norris She was 23 , now 57 years old | |
| Tony Gardner He was 26 , now 60 years old | |
| Nick Dunning He was 31 , now 65 years old | |
| Neil Pearson He was 31 , now 65 years old | |
| Caroline Strong | |
| John Bowler He was 6 , now 40 years old | |
| William Hope (actor) He was 35 , now 69 years old |
Crew
| Name | Job title |
|---|---|
| Guy Jenkin Production He was 35 , now 69 years old | Producer |
| Guy Jenkin Writing He was 35 , now 69 years old | Writer |
Drop the Dead Donkey (34 years)
Ended
- First Air Date: 1990-08-09
- Runtime: [24,30] minutes
- Number of Episodes: 70