Review of Drop the Dead Donkey

Channel 4's 'Drop The Dead Donkey' was a classic sitcom centred around the day-to-day goings on at 'GlobeLink', a television news station owned by the mysterious Sir Royston Merchant. Staff fears that the news will be dumbed down are confirmed when Sir Royston hires as its new anchorwoman the pretty, but vacuous Sally Smedley. Immediately she clashes with veteran anchorman Henry Davenport, who calls her "Tightarse". Then there's the appalling Gus Hedges, fluent in two languages - English and rubbish. "Let me drop some descaler into your think-tank." is one of his many favourite sayings. And Joy Merryweather, a woman so bad-tempered as to be borderline psychotic. Jeff Rawle got the role of 'George Dent' because the producers remembered his wonderful 1970's sitcom 'Billy Liar'. The show won plaudits at the time for being recorded close to transmission, so as to enable the writers to feature topical humour. Unfortunately, this has resulted in the show now looking somehat dated.

'Drop' had the good fortune to be running during the dark days of the John Major Conservative administration. The never-ending procession of political mistakes, cash and sex scandals were a godsend to Hamilton and Jenkin. One episode cast Stephen Moore as a thinly-disguised Steve Norris. The final series went out after Blair's 1997 election win, and was strangely flat. 'GlobeLink' was finally closed down to make way for a home shopping channel. A mercy killing.

'Drop' was immeasurably funnier than 'The Office', and why it is not as well regarded by posterity is a mystery.