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Drop The Dead Donkey - Complete Season 1 [DVD]
 
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Drop The Dead Donkey - Complete Season 1 [DVD]

DVD ~ Robert Duncan
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
RRP: £19.99
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Frequently Bought Together

Drop The Dead Donkey - Complete Season 1 [DVD] + Drop The Dead Donkey - Series 2 [DVD] + Drop the Dead Donkey 3 [DVD]
Total RRP: £59.97
Price For All Three: £20.94

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Drop The Dead Donkey - Complete Season 1 [DVD]
94% buy the item featured on this page:
Drop The Dead Donkey - Complete Season 1 [DVD] 4.1 out of 5 stars (8)
£4.98
Drop The Dead Donkey - Series 4-6 [DVD]
3% buy
Drop The Dead Donkey - Series 4-6 [DVD] 4.3 out of 5 stars (3)
£15.98
Drop The Dead Donkey - Series 2 [DVD]
2% buy
Drop The Dead Donkey - Series 2 [DVD] 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)
£7.98
Outnumbered Series 1 [DVD] [2007]
1% buy
Outnumbered Series 1 [DVD] [2007] 4.9 out of 5 stars (98)
£6.98
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Product details

  • Actors: Robert Duncan, Neil Pearson, Jeff Rawle, David Swift, Victoria Wicks
  • Directors: Liddy Oldroyd
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 2
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: Cinema Club
  • DVD Release Date: 27 Jun 2005
  • Run Time: 240 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B0007LPLR4
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 4,692 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Description

Drop the Dead Donkey was a situation, satirical comedy, set in the offices of "Globelink News", a fictional TV news company in the style of CNN, ITN, Sky News, etc. Globelink has been acquired by a multi-millionaire tycoon who prefers a more sensationalist stance to the news. The characters were created to exaggerate the perceived ideas of office/media stereotypes and each programme was recorded close to transmission, allowing script changes to incorporate maximum topicality in particularly of a political nature. The last scene, or voiceover for the ending credits was filmed either the day before or even on the day of broadcast to coincide with relative news stories. First aired in 1990, Drop the Dead Donkey was an innovative comedy that launched the careers of several successful comic actors.


Synopsis

Drop the Dead Donkey was a landmark satirical sitcom, set in the offices of "Globelink News", a fictional TV news company in the style of CNN or ITN. Set in the era of media deregulation, the series took an over-the-top look at the conflict between old-school news journalists and media owners more concerned with ratings and profits than the truth. Each episode was recorded close to transmission, allowing script changes to incorporate breaking news and up-to-the-minute political satire. The last scene - a voiceover for the end credits - was filmed either the day before or even on the day of broadcast to catch the issues of the day. First aired in 1990, Drop the Dead Donkey was an innovative comedy that launched the careers of several successful comic actors.
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Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Drop The Dead Donkey - Series 2 [DVD]

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Drop the Dead Donkey 3 [DVD]

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Drop The Dead Donkey - Series 4-6 [DVD]

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Drop The Dead Donkey - Series 4 [DVD]

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Drop The Dead Donkey - Series 5 [DVD] [1996]

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
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 (3)
3 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars 1990 here we come again!, 21 Jul 2005
By C. Chambers (Shenfield, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Oh the nostalgia of watching this first series again! The episodes very quickly pick up pace after the first episode as the new characters ease into their roles and relationships. The pithy one-liners still make you laugh out loud, the squabbling between Henry and Sally is as priceless as ever and all the idiosyncrasies of the Globelink office staff and reporters are just so beautifully written and beautifully played.

If you missed it first time around or were unaware of the politics of the era, the writers introduction piece at the start of the DVD should help give you sufficient information to understand the very specific political jokes. A helpful addition for youngsters and those of us who have forgotten it all!

This is a real pleasure to watch again. Classy, pacey and very funny. I commend it to your enjoyment!

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Dropping stitches, 12 Aug 2005
By Louise Stanley (Reading, Berkshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
To anyone who grew up or was politically conscious in the Major era, the art of satire might now seem dead, with topical funny programmes covering Big Brother and David Beckham as much as any of the pratfalls of the Labour government. Although not a big fan of Blair and friends, I remember that extracting the Michael from the Tory government was a huge pleasure - so much so that in May I voted to return a government offering huge potential in that department, if only so that Andy Hamilton would have something proper to satirise again after this magnificent show folded through lack of material in 1998. It's nice to have the entire series on DVD instead of just the "edited highlights and out-takes" version released some time ago.

For anyone not conversant, the show is set in a chaotic and intrigue-ridden newsroom, the show makes do with only one set (later series expanded the milieu a bit more), packed with archetypal journalists of the 1990s, from the sensationalising reporter Damien Day, the aging "serious newshound" and veteran of Cold War news broadcasting Henry Davenport, to the righteously indignant crusader for truth Alex Pate and the gloriously airheaded Sally Smedley. They are watched over by neurotic editor George Dent and Gus Hedges, who speaks in management jargon. The show combines topical jokes inserted on the day and a plotline written beforehand; the introduction to the pilot episode (on the extras disc) features Andy Hamilton himself explaining the method behind the show.

The reason I have taken a star off is that the introduction to the first episode by Hamilton is rather smug and rings hollow to someone who believes satire did not die with the Major government. Evidently Hamilton and his characters have got the government that they wanted, and indeed the last series rang rather hollow. But this intro can be skipped through by those annoyed at recent events and the real satire can begin!

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Great value, good comedy, 7 Sep 2005
By Jonathan Oakey (Brussels Belgium) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
I'm happy that DTDD is being released on DVD because I enjoyed what I saw of it when it was aired and found the previously released highlights dvd insufficient. For the price, these DVDs are great - season 1 has 10 episodes and a good chunk of bonus material, and is well worth the money. The comedy is very entertaining, but I feel that the characters are too caricatured, which I think prevents this series from being a real classic.
Nevertheless, plenty of entertainment to be had here and I will be buying season 2.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars One of the best DVDs and the worst delivery!
Well, I watched this on telly and wanted to buy this for my collection.

I have been a customer of Amazon for 7 years and I had never made any complaint and I have... Read more
Published on 12 Jun 2007 by C. Lai

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