Ahead of a new stage revival, the creators and cast of Channel 4’s classic 90s newsroom sitcom remember close encounters with future Bond stars, writing episodes at the last minute and the meaning between that mysterious titleWhen Drop the Dead Donkey debuted on Channel 4 on 9 August 1990, it was something entirely new. Creators Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin used the offices of fictional TV studio GlobeLink News to combine a classic workplace sitcom with hot-off-the-presses topical gags. Over time, the characters became the main attraction: bickering anchors Henry Davenport (David Swift) and Sally Smedley (Victoria Wicks), amoral foreign correspondent Damien Day (Stephen Tompkinson), and Gus Hedges (Robert Duncan), the jargon-spouting emissary of GlobeLink’s rapacious owner Sir Roysten Merchant. Other cast members included Neil Pearson (as office dogsbody Dave Charnley) and, for two seasons, Haydn Gwynne (as adept assistant editor Alex Pates).Drop the Dead Donkey was a consistent hit, peaking at 4-5 million viewers during its eight-year run. It attracted guest stars such as Neil Kinnock and Jon Snow and up-and-coming actors including Andrew Lincoln, Hermione Norris, Gina McKee and Daniel Craig. Now, the entire surviving cast (Swift died in 2016 and Gwynne in 2023) has reunited for a touring stage show, Drop the Dead Donkey: The Reawakening!, which drops the GlobeLink diaspora into a news landscape that makes the 1990s skulduggery seem almost sweet. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2024-01-20 11:55:00 UTC ]
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Peter Ruis has resigned as CEO of Indigo Books & Music, a position he held for a year. The news comes after the retirement of founder Heather Reisman, a boardroom shake-up, and a destructive cyber attack that impacted sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In the 1950s, a group of women known as the Folly Cove Designers made prints that still capture the imagination today. A simple Yankee swap in 1938 between neighbors in the quaint neighborhood of Folly Cove, in Gloucester, Massachusetts—design lessons in exchange for music instruction—became... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2023-08-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The author and essayist Daniel Kehlmann will give the laudation on Frankfurter Buchmesse’s final day, for Salman Rushdie’s award. By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson Rushdie Speaks September 13 in a First Amendment Summit hen the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade is... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-08-24 19:37:32 UTC ]
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The novelist discusses his career and his recent essay about cadavers in crime fiction, and the actor Richard E. Grant talks about his memoir and his love of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-08-18 17:55:09 UTC ]
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A newly published book by the novelist Susan Taubes further reveals her struggle to make herself whole. Continue reading at The Atlantic
[ The Atlantic | 2023-08-11 11:00:00 UTC ]
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In another week in which sales in all categories fell, unit sales or print books declined 8.3% at outlets that report to BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The social media platform has partnered with several digital media networks, including GSTV, Redbox and ReachTV as part of a larger push into digital out-of-home. Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2023-08-08 09:30:00 UTC ]
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Being a star reporter for one Murdoch outlet doesn’t mean much when another one has an exclusive. Plus: Millionaire Hot Seat left out in the cold Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastLast year Samantha... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-08-04 03:16:36 UTC ]
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The Oracle by Joanna Pearson You name it, Lola’s found it in someone’s ear. A green Skittle, a watch battery, the tarnished back of a gold earring, a bunched-up bit of mint floss, a Lego head. Insects—yes, of course. Roaches of various sizes, a wasp, a small beetle. Hardened ear wax (cerumen,... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-07-31 11:05:00 UTC ]
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Historically, public libraries have been targets for fascists, and today's libraries are inherently against what fascism stands for. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-07-31 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Richard E. Grant, star of 'Loki,' 'The Lesson' and much more, on how writing his memoir 'A Pocketful of Happiness' helped him grieve for his wife. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-07-28 19:53:27 UTC ]
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This week, the biggest event in tech took place in Seoul with Samsung's Unpacked showcase. Among other announcements, the company officially unveiled its latest foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 5. It's not even available yet, but Amazon is offering a $200 gift card if you pre-order from... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-07-28 18:33:17 UTC ]
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This week's best tech deals include a couple of all-time lows on older but still worthwhile Apple gadgets, with the 9th-gen iPad on sale for $250 and the M1-powered MacBook Air available for $750. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a solid value for those in need of a cheap media streamer at... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-07-21 15:15:52 UTC ]
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With declines in every segment, unit sales of print books fell 3.8% last week compared to the week ended July 16, 2023. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘The Devoted Friend’ is one of the fairy tales for children written by the Irish author Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). It was published in the 1888 collection The Happy Prince and Other Tales. ‘The Devoted Friend’ is about a Miller named Hugh, who... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2023-06-23 14:00:16 UTC ]
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From working with grime legends to tackling racism, author Candice Carty-Williams’s new show Champion is landmark TV. Its team talk Shola Ama, pengness – and the greatest group chat everIt’s just after noon in Birmingham and, in the hidden depths of a city centre nightclub, a singer is about to... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-06-23 12:00:37 UTC ]
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You can get your kid a new e-reader or tablet at a discount from Amazon right now if you're looking to stoke their love of reading or just simply want to get them a new toy. The 8GB Kindle Paperwhite Kids is currently on sale for $90 for Prime members, which is 44 percent off its list price of... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-06-21 10:55:36 UTC ]
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She had a modest career as an actress but was best known for following in the footsteps of her mother, the best-selling author Mary Higgins Clark. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-06-16 21:20:41 UTC ]
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After rising 11.9% in the first quarter of 2023, bookstore sales fell 0.9% in April from a year ago, dropping to $580 million from $585 million, according to estimates from the government. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Lorrie Moore's fourth novel, 'I Am Homeless If This is Not My Home,' follows a grieving man through the chaos of 2016 and some wondrous metaphysical byways. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-06-14 13:00:25 UTC ]
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