Drop the Dead Donkey
Drop the Dead Donkey is a British television sitcom that was first shown 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.
| Drop the Dead Donkey | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Andy Hamilton Guy Jenkin |
| Written by | Andy Hamilton Guy Jenkin Nick Revell Malcolm Williamson Ian Brown |
| Starring | Robert Duncan Jeff Rawle Haydn Gwynne (Series 1–2) Ingrid Lacey (Series 3–6) David Swift Victoria Wicks Stephen Tompkinson Neil Pearson Susannah Doyle (Series 2–6) |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 65 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Production company | Hat Trick Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel 4 |
| Release | 9 August 1990 – 9 December 1998 |
The show was awarded the Best Comedy (Programme or Series) 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.
In 2000, the show was ranked 94 on the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes, a list compiled by the British Film Institute.