History Series / DropTheDeadDonkey

** It should be said that "Royston Merchant"'s initials, RM, were shared by two highly unpleasant newspaper moguls who at the time were branching out into owning TV stations. While Britain's TV is regulated and all news and current affairs footage is legally required to be impartial and even-handed, Globelink TV was meant to be an awful warning about the unhealthy power an owner can exert over the media he owns. There is no such regulation over British newspapers, which explains why ''Robert Maxwell'' and ''Rupert Murdoch'' were - and are[[note]] In Robert Maxwell's case, only 'were', due to his death in late 1991 [[/note]]- allowed to get away with murder. And in America, Rupert Murdoch owns FOX TV. Where there is no regulation designed to enforce even-handedness in news broadcasting...

** It should be said that "Royston Merchant"'s initials, RM, were shared by two highly unpleasant newspaper moguls who at the time were branching out into owning TV stations. While Britain's TV is regulated and all news and current affairs footage is legally required to be impartial and even-handed, Globelink TV was meant to be an awful warning about the unhealthy power an owner can exert over the media he owns. There is no such regulation over British newspapers, which explains why ''Robert Maxwell'' and ''Rupert Murdoch'' were - and are - allowed to get away with murder. And in America, Rupert Murdoch owns FOX TV. Where there is no regulation designed to enforce even-handedness in news broadcasting...

* TheChewToy: Dave.

* LawyerFriendlyCameo: Wes Jasper, a TV host in the last series, is a very thinly-disguised Chris Evans ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Evans_(presenter) this one]], not [[Film/FantasticFour the Human Torch]]) on a equally thinly-disguised version of his show ''TFI Friday''.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Sir Royston for any media baron, e.g. Robert Maxwell or UsefulNotes/RupertMurdoch.

* StBehindTheScenes: Set in the offices of "[=GlobeLink=] News", a fictional TV news company. This includes the TV studio, with many episodes featuring the hijinks of the anchors Henry and Sally as they prepare to go to air.

* GoldDigger: In the ending, [[spoiler: Helen tries to talk Sally out of marrying a very rich ObviouslyEvil businessman, until Sally reveals that she's seen his medical records and agreed to the harsh pre-nuptial contract because it guarantees her his fortune when he dies in a year or two.]]

* PokeThePoodle: In one episode, George tries to emulate Gordon Gekko from ''WallStreet'' and fails miserably.

* AManIsNotAVirgin: Gus and Damien are both virgins for most of the series, which may contribute to why they're both craven, venal and unlikable {{Jerkass}}es.

* KentBrockmanNews: The show that makes ''NewsRadio'' look like ''HappyDays''.

* YetAnotherBabyPanda: Often forced into the show by Gus so the program doesn't have any room for stories that criticize the conservative party or Globelink's owner, Sir Royston.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Sir Royston for any media baron, e.g. Robert Maxwell or RupertMurdoch.

** Sally, season 2, "Drunk Minister": "I do seem to be getting all the depressing items to announce again...in the last two weeks I have announced to the nation--three air crashes, two rail crashes, six serious fires, two motorway pile-ups...three famines... ''and a live interview with John Gummer!''"[[note]]In the Thatcher years, which abounded in creepy, heartless, self-caricaturing and generally abominable Tory politicians, John Gummer excelled in odiousness. Not only was he a right-wing Tory, he dressed his narrow-minded bigotry up in religious unctuousness, coming over like the sort of priest you'd steer your children away from. In an attempt to rehabilitate McDonalds from concern over its sourcing of ingredients, he marched ''his own children'' to the local outlet in his constituency and force-fed them burgers, announcing that if it was safe enough for his kids it was safe enough for ''everyone's''. He was never charged with child abuse...[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:280:Clockwise from bottom: Sally, Helen, Henry, George, Damien, Joy, Dave, Gus ]]

->'''Gus Hedges''': ''"Morning hotshots. Are we cooking with napalm? You bet."''

->'''Gus Hedges''': ''"There is just something I'd like to pop into your percolator, see if it comes out brown."''

->'''Gus Hedges''': ''"Yes, well, publicity-wise this is a rather regrettable gonads-in-the-guillotine situation."''

Much like ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', the show was produced close enough to its airtime that constant {{Take That}}s were made to weekly issues. Possibly the most cynical look at a Newsroom ever - and that's with some stiff competition.

** Sally, season 2, "Drunk Minister": "I do seem to be getting all the depressing items to announce again... In the last two weeks I have announced to the nation - three air crashes, two rail crashes, six serious fires, two motorway pile-ups... three famines... ''and a live interview with John Gummer!''"[[note]]In the Thatcher years, which abounded in creepy, heartless, self-caricaturing and generally abominable Tory politicians, John Gummer excelled in odiousness. Not only was he a right-wing Tory, he dressed his narrow-minded bigotry up in religious unctuousness, coming over like the sort of priest you'd steer your children away from. In an attempt to rehabilitate McDonalds from concern over its sourcing of ingredients, he marched ''his own children'' to the local outlet in his constituency and force-fed them burgers, announcing that if it was safe enough for his kids it was safe enough for ''everyone's''. He was never charged with child abuse...[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:280:Clockwise from bottom: Sally, Alex, Henry, George, Damien, Joy, Dave, Gus ]]

* RetroactiveRecognition: A [[AshestoAshes particularly vicious police officer]] assisting Damien is actually Gene Hunt...

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Sally, season 2, "Drunk Minister": "I do seem to be getting all the depressing items to announce again... In the last two weeks I have announced to the nation - three air crashes, two rail crashes, six serious fires, two motorway pile-ups... three famines... ''and a live interview with John Gummer!''"[[note]]In the Thatcher years, which abounded in creepy, heartless, self-caricaturing and generally abominable Tory politicians, John Gummer excelled in odiousness. Not only was a right-wing Tory, he dressed his narrow-minded bigotry up in religious unctuousness, coming over like the sort of priest you'd steer your children away from. In an attempt to rehabilitate McDonalds from concern over its sourcing of ingredients, he marched ''his own children'' to the local outlet in his constituency and force-fed them burgers, announcing that if it was safe enough for his kids it was safe enough for ''everyone's''. He was never charged with child abuse...[[/note]]

* TheBet: A constant plotline, mostly between [[TheGamblingAddict gambling addict]] Dave and {{Jerkass}}es Henry and Damien as a way of relieving boredom.
** At one point, Dave runs a pool for several weeks on how many ceasefires there will be in the then-current Balkan conflict each day.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: George, usually a complete wimp, has held a thug at fork-point, paid to have Damien's car damaged by his daughter with a hammer, and tied up and tortured Gus during a paintball game. All also double as George's [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Crowning Moments Of Awesome]], partly just from sheer contrast.
** Made even more hilarious by the fact that aforementioned thug was played by an as-yet-unknown ''Creator/DanielCraig''.

* ButForMeItWasTuesday: [[spoiler:Gus's Crowning Moment of Awesome is abruptly ended when Sir Roysten activates a remote-controlled steel door to cut him off, mid-rant, only for Sir Roysten to then page his assistant and ask "Who was that man?"]]

* TheDogBitesBack: George takes a high class callgirl to his manipulative ex wife's wedding to make her jealous and pays her to seduce the groom, which results in the groom being punched in the face.

* UsefulNotes/GulfWar: The Globelink News team did not distinguish themselves during this conflict, with Henry filing 'special reports' from Jordan (so he could get a drink) and Damien dunking cormorants in oil in order to create a story about the ecological impact of the war.

* AManIsNotAVirgin: Gus and Damien are both virgins for most of the series, which may contribute to why they're both craven, venal and unlikable [[{{Jerkass}} Jerkasses]].

* MedleyExit: In the final episode, to Jimmy Ruffin's ''What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?''

* TheSwearJar: The office had a "Nessun Dorma" box for anyone humming the catchy opera tune that became the unofficial theme of the Italia '90 World Cup Tournament.
** Followed by a "Bad Maxwell joke Box" after Robert Maxwell died.

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Sally, season 2, "Drunk Minister": "I do seem to be getting all the depressing items to announce again... In the last two weeks I have announced to the nation - three air crashes, two rail crashes, six serious fires, two motorway pile-ups... three famines... ''and a live interview with John Gummer!''"[[note]]In the Thatcher years, which abounded in creepy, heartless, self-caricaturing and generally abominable Tory politicians, John Gummer excelled in odiousness. Not only was a right-wing Tory, he dressed his narrow-minded bigotry up in religious unctuousness, coming over like the sort of priest you'd steer your children away from. In an attempt to rehabilitate McDonalds from concern over its sourcing of ingredients, he marched ''his own children'' to the local outlet in his constituency and force-fed them burgers, announcing that if it was safe enough for his kids it was safe enough for ''everyone's''. He was never charged with child abuse...[[/note]]
** Also Gus, season 6, "The Final Chapter", [[spoiler:ranting about his unrequited devotion to Sir Roysten, "You leave us with broken minds! Dead souls! ... And scorched eyebrows!!"]].

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Sally, season 2, "Drunk Minister": "I do seem to be getting all the depressing items to announce again... In the last two weeks I have announced to the nation - three air crashes, two rail crashes, six serious fires, two motorway pile-ups... three famines... ''and a live interview with John Gummer!''"

* UsefulNotes/TheTroubles: ''"What do people think they're dying of, stress?"''

* TrueArt: [[invoked]]
** TrueArtIsAngsty: [[invoked]] Joy's doodles of hideous fates for her superiors are lauded as high art.
** TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: [[invoked]] Absurdly pretentious modern art abounds as Joy mixes with artists who love her sketches. The regular characters (Joy included) think it's all a ridiculous con, and a critic at a showing of her work suggests she's too naive to understand. When she knocks him out, [[AllPartOfTheShow someone else assumes he's an installation]], and this happens again later when [[spoiler:Joy discovers that the artist promoting her is just out to screw her, in both senses, and ends up hog-tied and naked as part of an exhibition - bottom line, ''do not'' mess with Joy]].
* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The novel ''Drop The Dead Donkey 2000'', published in 1994. It predicted that proportonal representation would lead to a rainbow coalition of scary right-wing parties led by Conservative Seb Coe, a Civil War in Switzerland, pirates in the English Channel, and ''HouseOfCards'' making every UK politician incapable of saying "No comment". Non-canonical, since apart from anything else Globelink didn't survive to the turn of the millennium.

* TheBet: A constant plotline, mostly between [[TheGamblingAddict gambling addict]] Dave and [[{{Jerkass}} Jerkasses]] Henry and Damien as a way of relieving boredom.

* GulfWar: The Globelink News team did not distinguish themselves during this conflict, with Henry filing 'special reports' from Jordan (so he could get a drink) and Damien dunking cormorants in oil in order to create a story about the ecological impact of the war.