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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With ebooks and digital subscription of magazines and newspapers becoming the new hot, many are sending off the message that print is gradually losing or has even already lost to its digital counterpart, while others argue that print is far from dead. Needless to say, being one of the leading... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For all his contributions to children's literature, Maurice Sendak, who died Tuesday at 83, struck a chord with 'Where the Wild Things Are,' a dark and vivid adventure in a daunting world beyond a child's bedroom.When my son Noah was little — no more than 2 years old — his favorite book... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, author of the classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are, has died at the age of 83. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2012-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Maurice Sendak wrote and illustrated the acclaimed 'Where The Wild Things Are,' along with other children's books. He passed away early Tuesday in Connecticut. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The enduringly popular children's book illustrator and writer radically changed the genre with tales of outsized monsters and frolicsome humor that tapped into the fears of childhood. He also collaborated on numerous operas, films and TV programs.Maurice Sendak, the children's book illustrator... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For Harvey Pekar's Cleveland, Top Shelf and Zip Comics recruited artist Joseph Remnant, whose work recalls longtime Pekar collaborator R. Crumb, but with a lighter touch and a charm all its own. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette Livre has today (4th May) reduced the retail prices of ebooks to the level of the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From time to time, we see movie studio Warner Bros. bring forth ways to give its oldies-but-goodies a longer life span. On this occasion, Warner's launching a novel eBook series titled "Inside the Script." The new release will give movie buffs a deeper look into a handful of the studio's films,... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Science fiction publisher Tor UK has announced it will stop using the technology that restricts copying from all of its ebooks, in a possible precedent for the industry. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2012-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital Rights Management software was originally meant to restrict pirating of ebooks, but many complain because of the restrictions it places on users. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Science fiction publisher Tor UK decides to drop anti-piracy restrictions from its electronic books. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2012-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wenguang Huang's memoir about his childhood in Mao's China tells a universal story of the bonds of love – and the pangs of regret – which can shape a family. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A journey across the Pacific Crest Trail turns into an exercise of triumph over grief for Cheryl Strayed in her memoir, 'Wild.'Toward the end of Cheryl Strayed's memoir, "Wild," the author, who is in the middle of hiking 1,100 miles alone across the West Coast's formidable Pacific Crest Trail,... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Eight of the top 10 publishers saw double-digit drops in printed book sales year-on-year in the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Shadow libraries minister Dan Jarvis has called the judicial review rejection of Surrey's... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Blackwell’s revenue dropped in 2011, but the company continued to reduce its losses and... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pearson chief executive Marjorie Scardino earned almost £2.5m in 2011, down on £2.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After 244 years, the Encyclopaedia Britannica will cease publishing its flagship encyclopedia and concentrate on its digital offerings. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2012-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In early January, Apple released iBooks Author, a groundbreaking drag-and-drop ebook authoring environment that promises to democratize the production of complex, structured books, notably including textbooks. But iBooks Author could also presage something else: the eclipse of open ebook standards. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stora Enso has announced a restructuring plan that aims to cut costs in its annual magazine paper operation by about $63.6 million by third quarter 2013, with the goal of improving efficiency and productivity. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2012-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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