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 ]
On Friday, the transport minister told a parliamentary committee that Canada's travel chaos is dissipating. But critics and travellers say the situation remains turbulent. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2022-08-20 08:00:00 UTC ]
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After several flight delays, passengers flying out of Toronto's Pearson airport were made to sleep on the floor when their flights to Winnipeg were finally cancelled around midnight on Sunday morning. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2022-08-08 12:16:55 UTC ]
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Winamp is the music software that just won't die. In the first update in four years, the producers described it as the "culmination" of years of hard work, including two teams and a pandemic-dictated hiatus. The result is a lot of under-the-hood upgrades and improvements, but it’s still the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-08-04 11:15:22 UTC ]
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NFT advocates often tout the technology's ability to grant the creator a cut of second-hand sales as one of its major attributes. Artists can earn from one of their digital creations years after first selling it. Others are looking at NFTs to earn a buck from the secondary market too, including... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-08-03 20:10:20 UTC ]
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Educational publisher’s move into non-fungible tokens is intended to claw back some of the income lost to secondhand salesTextbook publisher Pearson plans to profit from secondhand sales by turning its titles into non-fungible tokens (NFTs), its chief executive has said.Educational books are... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-08-02 15:37:17 UTC ]
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Following mass complaints about line-ups, flight disruptions and missing baggage at Pearson International Airport, some tourism groups fear travellers may choose to bypass Toronto. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2022-07-29 08:00:00 UTC ]
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Michelle Pearson and her husband kept a significant development from their guests to ensure their wedding day remained carefree and special. But eventually, they brought others into their secret. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2022-07-26 08:00:00 UTC ]
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Vegan meal kit startup Daily Harvest has been hit with two lawsuits by customers alleging they needed gallbladder removals after eating one of the company's products, reportedCNN. Last month the company issued a voluntary recall of its “French Lentil + Leek Crumbles” dish following multiple... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-07-01 23:30:53 UTC ]
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The head of Canada's busiest airport sought to rally staff on Thursday, amid its continued disruptions and delays, but warned they might encounter more angry customers if the problems continue at Pearson International Airport. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2022-06-09 23:40:46 UTC ]
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Extremely long wait times being experienced by arriving and departing passengers at Toronto Pearson Airport are likely to continue until Labour Day, a former Air Canada executive said Wednesday. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2022-06-08 17:55:58 UTC ]
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A Russian cargo plane stranded at Toronto Pearson International Airport is racking up parking fees of more than $1,000 per day. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2022-06-02 18:22:24 UTC ]
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The Pearson family saga has been comfort TV at its cosiest, full of twists, cheesy lines and fabulous characters – and it even bowed out with its own ‘Sopranos fade-to-black’ momentWarning: this article contains spoilers.It’s over. After 106 episodes of emotional evisceration, This Is Us (Amazon... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-05-26 12:40:10 UTC ]
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A lack of information from the federal government has forced some Ukrainians fleeing the war to turn to social media for help when they land at Toronto's Pearson Airport. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2022-05-12 09:00:00 UTC ]
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The company, which was on a steady recovery path, was biggest faller on FTSE 100 on WednesdayShares in Pearson slumped by as much as 12% after Apollo said it would not make another bid for the educational publisher after having a third offer valuing the company at £7.2bn, including debt,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-03-30 12:09:13 UTC ]
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Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Friday: DocuSign, Zumiez fall; Pfizer, Pearson rise Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2022-03-11 21:18:01 UTC ]
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Market value increases by nearly £1bn as Apollo considers improved cash offer after £6.4bn deal rejectedPearson’s market value jumped by as much as a fifth after a US private equity group said it was considering making an improved cash offer after the educational publisher’s rejection of a... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-03-11 13:22:21 UTC ]
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Pearson up 21% in London after Apollo says mulling possible cash offer for group Continue reading at MarketWatch.com
[ MarketWatch.com | 2022-03-11 11:30:01 UTC ]
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Pearson has seen full-year group sales up 8% in 2021 with profits expected to boom by a third, the company revealed in a trading update. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-18 18:17:49 UTC ]
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Pearson reunites with Colin Gottlieb to lead its branded content and client solutions teams. Continue reading at Media Week
[ Media Week | 2022-01-10 17:21:08 UTC ]
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Lit Lists Artists of different styles often collaborate in the creation of their work. When words and images intersect, they can come together to produce something beneficial for both learning and inspiration. As children, many of us experience this in... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2021-11-12 14:36:21 UTC ]
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