HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: zzassgl@uts.mcc.ac.uk (Geoff Lane)
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british,rec.arts.tv.uk
Subject: Re: Drop The Dead Donkey
Keywords: drop the dead donkey murphy brown rip-off
Date: 20 Nov 92 08:33:18 GMT
Organization: Manchester Computing Centre, Manchester, England, M13 9PL.

In article <naran.722193457@sfu.ca> naran@fraser.sfu.ca (Travers Naran) writes:
>I was watching an interesting show on the CBC (Cdn. Broadcasting Corp.) last
>night called Drop the Dead Donkey. What struck me as odd was that it seemed a
>rip-off of Murphy Brown. Is there anyone out there who noticed the same thing
>or can prove it is a rip-off or not?
>


DTDD has been running in the UK for about 4 years.  The idea was hawked
around the various broadcast networks for a couple of years before being
taken up by Channel 4. 

From the very limited amount of MB seen in the UK (mostly the bits slagging
off a certain VP) there is not that much simularity.  DTDD was orginally
made and broadcast on a weekly basis in order that topical items could be
included in the plot line.  It does get repeated though, with a short
introduction reminding the audience of the news events that occured during
the week the episode was originally made. 

-- 
Geoff. Lane. | Internet: zzassgl@uts.mcc.ac.uk | Janet: zzassgl@uk.ac.mcc.uts
UTS Sys Admin,  Manchester Computing Centre,  Oxford Rd,  Manchester, M13 9PL
During a week's TV I want to be entertained, bored, delighted, disgusted, made
happy, saddened, enlightened, mystified, else they aren't doing the job right.
Xref: sparky alt.comedy.british:2443 rec.arts.tv.uk:6345
From: glazier@isr.harvard.edu (Andrew Baker Glazier)
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british,rec.arts.tv.uk
Subject: Re: Rik Mayall
Date: 24 Nov 92 02:13:31 GMT
Organization: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

He was also in a really terrible movie that as far as I know 
came out only on videocassette "Bad News on Tour." It also stars 
Nigel Planer (Neil) Adrian Edmundson (Vyvyan) and has cameo
appearances by Ozzy Osbourne, the Scorpions and a few others.

despite all of this, it's one of the WORST films I've seen in 
my life.  They're all in this rock'n'roll band called "Bad News,"
and the movie climaxes with them playing (and getting attacked by 
the audience for playing so badly) at a "Monstors of Rock" concert with the
aforementioned real bands.  One of the German band The Scorpions
 sums up the whole thing perfectly:"'Bad News'? Scheisse!!!!"

(german for 'shit')
the movie is put out by Rhino Records, a small US record/tape/cd/video 
company. 
-- 
"A horse! A horse! Somebody give me a horse, man, because|glazier@ 
I come to bury this dirtball, not to praise him. Whaddya |harvard.isr.edu
think I am? Whether it's nobler for the mind to make people suffer with all
these totally outrageous arrows arrows for a fortune, or what!" -- D.R.
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british
From: greg.grainger@rose.com (greg grainger)
Subject: Re: goons
Organization: Rose Media Inc, Toronto, Ontario.
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 23:33:21 GMT
X-Gated-By: Usenet <==> RoseMail Gateway (v1.70)


Date Entered: 11-23-92 18:21
On Nov. 23,  "haroon bashir" <haroon.bashir@canrem.com> wrote:

"B<>Does anyone out there know the goon show that had the song in it that
"B<>went "Oooooooh ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong liddle
"B<>aye poe... ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong liddle aye
"B<>poe... ying tong ying tong etc etc to liddle aye poe LIDDLE AYE POE!!! I
"B<>heard this in school many many many years ago. I am pretty sure it's the
"B<>goons if it is not please clue me in. I have about 40 shows on tape but
"B<>don't have the time to go through them all. thks.

It's called the 'Ying-tong song'. I have it on a CD called (I think) 'Music
of the Goons', or somthing like that.

                                                Cheers,
                                                Greg.

Greg Grainger
Toronto, Ontario.
greg.grainger@rose.com
6:07:56 pm, Mon 11-23-1992.

        Personal policy statement: Neither flames nor flame-bait
        will be responded to.
---
   OLX 2.2   Honey in the mouth and knives in the heart.
   RM 2.00 : RoseNet<=>Usenet Gateway : Rose Media 416-733-2285
From: wilcox@vax.oxford.ac.uk
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british
Subject: Re: Reworked BA Quotes List 7/7
Date: 17 Nov 92 10:55:09 GMT
Organization: Oxford University VAX 6620

In article <cgt.721933783@gargoyle.uchicago.edu>, cgt@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Carlos Talbot) writes:
> 
> ( Need some help placing these quotes )
> 
> o  "That would be as hard as finding a piece of hay in an incredibly large 
>     stack of needles."
>        - EB
> 
This comes from the last couple of episodes of Blackadder goes forth. 
> 
> o  "Well if I've got it, then you've got it too now sir." 
>        - B to EB

Goodbyeeee: Blackadder goes forth. Baldrick has just reminded EB that General
Haig owes him an enormous favour after he saved his life in the Boer war.


Stephen Wilcox             |   For Sale: Posts in British Government. Suit
wilcox@vax.oxford.ac.uk    |   outgoing American. Highest bids accepted.
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british,rec.arts.tv.uk
From: naran@fraser.sfu.ca (Travers Naran)
Subject: Drop The Dead Donkey
Keywords: drop the dead donkey murphy brown rip-off
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 17:17:37 GMT

I was watching an interesting show on the CBC (Cdn. Broadcasting Corp.) last
night called Drop the Dead Donkey. What struck me as odd was that it seemed a
rip-off of Murphy Brown. Is there anyone out there who noticed the same thing
or can prove it is a rip-off or not?

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Travers Naran                                           | "We fear
Mail address: naran@fraser.sfu.ca or naran@sfu.ca       |  change. WHACK!
Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada       | WHACK! WHACK!"
Cmpt. Science student wanna-be                          | -Garth 
Trekker, Leaper, Red Dwarf'er, Prober, etc.             |  "Wayne's World"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british,rec.arts.tv.uk
From: brom@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (David Bromage)
Subject: Re: Rik Mayall
Followup-To: alt.comedy.british,rec.arts.tv.uk
Organization: Monash University General Access Unix
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL7]
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 05:28:35 GMT

Reno no BAKA (msr@kepler.unh.edu) wrote:
: In article <BxsFr7.6J5@news.cso.uiuc.edu> sprackle@rel4.ncsa.uiuc.edu (David Spracklen) writes:
: >>Black Adder
: >>    Series 2: RM appeared in episode 1 as "Lord Flashheart"   [4]
: >>    Series 4: RM (and AE) appeared. (episode number, anyone?) [3]
: >>    All four series of Black Adder are available on video.
: >
: >It was episode 4 in series four that Flasheart reappeared.
: >The episode title is "General Aviation"
: >
: >Dave Spracklen

Wrong! It was called Private Plane.
Xref: sparky alt.comedy.british:2353 rec.arts.tv.uk:6210
From: cep@cs.nott.ac.uk (Charlie Pearce)
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british,rec.arts.tv.uk
Subject: Re: Rik Mayall
Date: 16 Nov 92 15:13:57 GMT
Organization: Nottingham University

In article <BxsFr7.6J5@news.cso.uiuc.edu> sprackle@rel4.ncsa.uiuc.edu (David Spracklen) writes:
>>Black Adder
>>    Series 2: RM appeared in episode 1 as "Lord Flashheart"   [4]
>>    Series 4: RM (and AE) appeared. (episode number, anyone?) [3]
>>    All four series of Black Adder are available on video.
>
>It was episode 4 in series four that Flasheart reappeared.
>The episode title is "General Aviation"

Or more correctly "Private Plane".

Charlie
Xref: sparky alt.comedy.british:2411 rec.arts.tv.uk:6293
From: zcaccah@ucl.ac.uk (Mr Christopher Harrison)
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british,rec.arts.tv.uk
Subject: Re: Drop The Dead Donkey
Keywords: drop the dead donkey murphy brown rip-off
Date: 20 Nov 92 13:09:55 GMT
Organization: Bloomsbury Computing Consortium

naran@fraser.sfu.ca (Travers Naran) writes:

>I was watching an interesting show on the CBC (Cdn. Broadcasting Corp.) last
>night called Drop the Dead Donkey. What struck me as odd was that it seemed a
>rip-off of Murphy Brown. Is there anyone out there who noticed the same thing
>or can prove it is a rip-off or not?

I can't comment on it for sure, but as far as I know it was an original idea
on the part of the producers. As I recall one of the pair who are the 
guiding lights behind the programme used to work in a TV news office (or
similar enviroment).

But to be honest it is one of the more obvious ideas for a current affairs
comedy programme, so it would not surprise me if two (or more) people have
had the same idea.

(Incidentally, a new series will be on our screens early next year. Tickets 
are available for the recordings, but the phone number for those of you 
that are interested is in this week's "Time Out" magazine. I'll post it
when I have it.)
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british
From: STUCS204@UK.AC.BHAM.IBM3090
Subject: Smith and Jones II.
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 17:28:22 GMT
Organization: The University of Birmingham, United Kingdom

Gosh it seems ages ago that I posted that little piece (11 Nov ish). I still st
ick by what I said though.
        Does anyone recall that little series of plays they did a while back. A
lthough not funny (they were serious plays) I think its the best thing that the
y have done for years (with the exception of the *hilarious* kissing scene).

         Thoughts as usual to

                 stucs204@uk.ac.bham.ibm3090 (JANET Address)    \  aka Richard
                 stucs204@ibm3090.bham.ac.uk (INTERNET Address)  \

#The incident sir?                                                  #
#Yes the incident involving me,the toaster and a 10 lb sledge hammer#
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british
From: nking@unix1.tcd.ie (Nev's family recipe)
Subject: Re: goons
Organization: Trinity College, Dublin
Distribution: alt
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 22:03:56 GMT

In <By6Awo.38L@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu> mefoster@leibniz.uwaterloo.ca (Mary Ellen Foster) writes:
>In article <1992Nov23.3990.1430@dosgate> "haroon bashir" <haroon.bashir@canrem.com> writes:
>>Does anyone out there know the goon show that had the song in it that
>>went "Oooooooh ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong liddle
>>aye poe... ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong liddle aye
>>poe... ying tong ying tong etc etc to liddle aye poe LIDDLE AYE POE!!! I
>Well, I don't know anything about the goon show, but they did do it on the
>Muppet show! (I can't remember anything more than that - characters, year,
>guest star, situation - can anyone fill in the details?

Nirvana did a fucking great cover of it on sat night live last week.
Bloody A!

Nev

Xref: sparky alt.comedy.british:2416 rec.arts.tv.uk:6309
From: scst60@csc.liv.ac.uk (Mr. R.E. Elliott)
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british,rec.arts.tv.uk
Subject: Re: Rik Mayall
Date: 20 Nov 92 12:00:52 GMT
Organization: Computer Science, Liverpool University
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

Patrick Tufts (zippy@cs.brandeis.edu) wrote:
> [Shows with Rik Mayall]
> >|
> >|The Young Ones
> >|Filthy Rich and Catflap
> >|Bottom
> >|Black Adder
> >|The New Statesman
> >|The Dangerous Brothers
> >|Drop Dead Fred (1990)
> >|Carry on Columbus (1992)                      [not seen]
> 
> He was also in The Comic Strip, a short series from Channel 4.
> 
> --Pat
Xref: sparky alt.comedy.british:2418 rec.arts.tv.uk:6312
From: dnd@ee.man.ac.uk (Darryl Davis (RA))
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british,rec.arts.tv.uk
Subject: Re: Rik Mayall
Date: 20 Nov 92 13:52:00 GMT
Reply-To: dnd@spec0.ee.man.ac.uk (Darryl Davis (RA))
Followup-To: alt.comedy.british
Organization: Dept Electrical and Electronic Eng, Manchester University, UK

>Does no-one remember Kevin Turvey (the private investigator from
>Reddich)? 
>
>Or maybe this pre-dates the Young Ones, which isn't what was originally
>asked for.
>
>gordon

 Indeed i do remember Kevin Turvey (and yes it does predate the young ones)
...was that really rick mayall? I havew laboured under the misapprehension that
there is this great lost comic of the early 1980s called Kevin Turvey ever since!

dr doom the optmist

--
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
   Dr. Darryl Davis                	>
   Multi-Media Laboratory		>
   Department of Electrical Engineering >   E-mail    	: dnd@spec0.man.ac.uk
   The University of Manchester     	>             
   Brunswick St                      	>   Phone     	: (+44)-61-275-4561
   Manchester M13 9PL               	>   FAX 	: (+44)-61-275-4512
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british
From: johnf@apollo.hp.com (John Francis)
Subject: Re: Reworked BA Quotes List 4/7
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 20:07:23 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Corporation, Chelmsford, MA

cgt@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Carlos Talbot) writes:
>
>[ BlackAdder Series 4 ]
>
>5. General Hospital
>
>o  LG: "Well cover me in egg and flour and bake me for 14 minutes!"
>       - Lt. George on discovering that the nurse was the spy

Strictly speaking, on being told that the nurse was the spy.
There is, shall we say, some doubt as to who the actual informer was . . .

>6. Goodbyeee
>
>o  LG: "I'm as bored as a pacifist pistol."

" . . as a pacifist's pistol."


-- 
John Francis                                 johnf@apollo.hp.com
with 9 cats to feed, I don't have time to think up a clever .sig
From: zlsiimw@mcchpc.mcc.ac.uk (Mark Whidby)
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british
Subject: Re: Rik Mayall again.
Date: 20 Nov 92 12:38:52 GMT
Reply-To: M.Whidby@mcc.ac.uk
Organization: Manchester Computing Centre

In article <92323.140121MATTWOOD@ESTEC.BITNET>, MATTWOOD@ESTEC.BITNET writes:
|> 
|>  What with all this talk about dear ol' Rik, you might add this little
|> snippet of information to your fact files:
|>  Rik Mayall played a small part in the film "American Werewolf in London.",
|> directed by John Landis.  Can anybody follow this up with what part he
|> played
|> and what was his main line?
|> 
|>  There - that'll keep some people busy.
|> 
|> M.
He was one of the ones playing chess in the pub. Didn't he say something
like 'Shut that bloody door'?
-- 
_____________________________________________________________
Mark Whidby, Distributed Systems, Manchester Computing Centre
From: G.M.Suddes@newcastle.ac.uk (Gareth Suddes)
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british
Subject: >>Rik Mayall
Date: 20 Nov 92 12:28:53 GMT
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 7RU


 People seem to be forgetting that Rik appeared in the ORIGINAL Blackadder
series too, in the final episode as the mad person whose only friend was Mr
Key...

Gareth
________________________________________________________________________________
\ "You are now entering the Justice Zone. Beyond this point it is impossible   /
 \  to commit any act of injustice."                                          /
  \__________________________________________G.M.Suddes@newcastle.ac.uk______/
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british
From: catstyle@cathouse.aiss.uiuc.edu (Jason R. Heimbaugh)
Subject: Re: Great Black Adder Script Project
Reply-To: jrh@uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 00:55:18 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.152519.5606@walter.cray.com> jason@cray.com (Jason  
Parker) writes:
> *** The Great Black Adder Script Project ***
>  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> !!!FINAL!!! UPDATE: November 16, 1992 
>    
> left, but no matter I declare the THE GREAT BLACK ADDER SCRIPT PROJECT 
> finished and a great success!
> 
> Thanks to all of you who contributed the scripts.  You did all the work, 

Ditto the thanks.  I now have a request for anyone who made corrections
to the scripts, could you please send them to me?  (mail jrh@uiuc.edu or
ftp to cathouse and put them in the /pub dir)  I have all the corrections
posted to a.c.b in one file, but I haven't had the time to go through and
do it.  (It'd be much faster if you could resend them, it's not just that
I'm acting as if I were lazy...)
 
FYI, the GREAT BLACK ADDER SCRIPT PROJECT was born on June 11, 1992.
Here's a copy of the first mention I saw from the other Jason on it:

<cut here>
[4] From: jason@hermes.cray.com (Jason D Parker) at Internet 6/11/92  
2:08PM (674 bytes: 20 ln)
To: jasonh at IMS-AISS
Subject: Re: Wanted: Black Adder Scripts
----------------------------- Message Contents----------------------------
> > Thanks!  I only see one file there, however.  1-1.txt.Z  Can you put 
> >back the other two?
>
> Sure.  Two of our hard drives crashed and the most current backup tape
> was bad so I lost some of my most recent updates.  I have them here and
> will go put them out on deja-vu.
>
> Jason R. Heimbaugh (CatStyle)
> jrh@uiuc.edu
>

GOT EM!

Thanks!  Maybe if we asked a bunch of people to each finish one episode
we could script the whole lot! :-)

Thanks again,
Jason

--
<cut here>

--
Jason R. Heimbaugh (CatStyle)
jrh@uiuc.edu
"Wait a minute mister, I didn't even kiss her..." --Ronnie Van Zant
"Wait a minute mister, I didn't even stick her..." --Johnny Van Zant
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british
From: msross@eos.ncsu.edu (MATTHEW SECREST ROSS)
Subject: VHS tapes of YOUNG ONES <<WANTED>>
Originator: msross@c00029-118dan.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: msross@eos.ncsu.edu (MATTHEW SECREST ROSS)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 03:04:54 GMT


Does anyone know where I can find any tapes of the episodes ...all of 
them if possible.  Thanks a lot. 

just email me at 

msross@eos.ncsu.edu



preesh
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british,rec.arts.tv.uk
From: naran@fraser.sfu.ca (Travers Naran)
Subject: Re: Drop The Dead Donkey
Keywords: drop the dead donkey murphy brown rip-off
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 07:47:46 GMT

cep@cs.nott.ac.uk (Charlie Pearce) writes:
>Strange - Drop the Dead Donkey is a British comedy which is shot very close to
>broadcast time so that the references to news items are extremely recent. It
>strikes me that unless it is shown at the same time in Canada (very unlikely)
>or is a Canadian-made copy (also unlikely) it must lose all its impact. Please
>give details.

Yes, and no. The one I saw had the Persian Gulf War as the main story so it was
not that far off, even though I do feel a little left out and behind. But
otherwise, it's ok. I need to see more interaction with that former childrens'
TV show hostess and the lecherous Newscaster before I make a final decision.
:-)
The assistant editor was pretty funny though, I hope she has a continuing
strong roll in the series.

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Travers Naran                                           | "We fear
Mail address: naran@fraser.sfu.ca or naran@sfu.ca       |  change. WHACK!
Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada       | WHACK! WHACK!"
Cmpt. Science student wanna-be                          | -Garth 
Trekker, Leaper, Red Dwarf'er, Prober, etc.             |  "Wayne's World"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british
From: cgt@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Carlos Talbot)
Subject: Reworked BA Quotes List 5/7
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 17:08:52 GMT


[][][][][][][][][][[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
[ BlackAdder Christmas Special ]

2. Blackadder's Christmas Carol (Ebenezer Blackadder is the proprietor of
   a moustache shop in Victorian London). 1988

EB  : Ebeneezer Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson)
LF  : Lord Frondo (Stephen Fry)
B   : Baldrick, Commander of the Galactic Fleet (Tony Robinson)

Ebenezer Adder is the kindest man in England. A visit from the Spirit of
Christmas helps him see the error of his ways.

Includes Christmas scenes of BA II and BA III plus a "Star Adder" scene.

o  EB: "Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a subtle plan if it painted itself 
        purple and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing 'Subtle plans 
        are here again'."

o  EB: "Well, peel my tangerines!"

o  EB: "Well, bless my ten toes!"

o  G : "I mean, for heaven's sake!  What can I do with a girl that I can't do
        with you?"
   EB: "I cannot conceive, sir."
     - [The Prince Regent (Hugh Laurie); Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) 
        BLACKADDER'S CHRISTMAS CAROL]

o  EB: "There's a limit to how long the aroma of roasting chestnuts can blot 
        out the smell of Baldrick's trousers."
     - [Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) -- BLACKADDER'S CHRISTMAS CAROL]

o  LF: "What news of the foul Marmidons?"
   B : "Good news!"
   LF: "Excellent!"
   B : "...for the Marmidons."

o  EB: "Baldrick, I want you to take this and go out and buy a turkey so large, 
        you'd think its mother'd been rogered by an omnibus."

o  "Well baste my steaming puddings!"
   
o  EB: "If I'm mean and nasty then my desendants will rule the universe,
        but if I'm not I'll end up wearing Baldricks posing pouch"

o  "I remember when I was young putting out biscuits and a drink for Father
    Christmas - And then scoffing it all because I was a princess and I 
    could do whatever I want!"
       - Queen in BlackAdders Xmas special

Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british
From: s0454850@let.rug.nl (J.P. Prenger)
Subject: missing mail
Organization: Faculteit der Letteren, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, NL
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 17:38:41 GMT

Hi there!

I recently received some mail from a few people, and I remember atleast one 
from a Canadian who read something from me on this newsgroup. Unfortunately 
I deleted (or atleast lost) some mail from the last few weeks. So if you're 
still waiting for a response, please mail me again. Sorry & Thanks!

Jan Peter Prenger           : `The rich are getting richer and the poor
University of Groningen     :  are getting drunk.` - Paul Westerberg
The Netherlands             : 
E-mail: s0454850@let.rug.nl :

Xref: sparky alt.comedy.british:2410 rec.arts.tv.uk:6292
From: climiepd@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Delbert ( Peter Climie ))
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british,rec.arts.tv.uk
Subject: Re: Drop The Dead Donkey
Keywords: drop the dead donkey murphy brown rip-off
Date: 20 Nov 92 13:20:53 GMT
Organization: Glasgow University Computing Science Dept.

cep@cs.nott.ac.uk (Charlie Pearce) writes:

>In article <naran.722193457@sfu.ca> naran@fraser.sfu.ca (Travers Naran) writes:
>>I was watching an interesting show on the CBC (Cdn. Broadcasting Corp.) last
>>night called Drop the Dead Donkey. What struck me as odd was that it seemed a
>>rip-off of Murphy Brown. Is there anyone out there who noticed the same thing
>>or can prove it is a rip-off or not?

>Strange - Drop the Dead Donkey is a British comedy which is shot very close to
>broadcast time so that the references to news items are extremely recent. It
>strikes me that unless it is shown at the same time in Canada (very unlikely)
>or is a Canadian-made copy (also unlikely) it must lose all its impact. Please
>give details.

I think we got the same, since Ch4 repeated it and >I< thought it did lose 
any of the impact it had.
-- 
********************************     ___________
* DELBERT aka PETER CLIMIE     *    /| o       /|    O  CELTIC 1-2 PARTICK THISTLE
* UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW        *    \|_______ / |   -|-      
********************************     |          |   /|  GEORGE SHAW SCORES ANOTHER!
From: mcsdc1al@dct.ac.uk
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british
Subject: Vic Reeves/Mary Whitehouse
Date: 20 Nov 92 14:42:01 GMT
Organization: Dundee Institute of Technology

Never mind Rik Mayall, where's Vic Reeves the true master of the art of comedy.  
Having just heard his version of Ultravoxes' "Vienna" I just can't wait for
some new product.  Like "The Weekenders", that was hilarious ("Aye, we need it
for wor queen")
    Has anyone else heard that the Mary Whitehouse Experience have "split up".
Great news!  Now we can look forward to the superb Newman and Baddiel without
having to put up with those two old men from Jasper Carrott.  Excellent!!
Newsgroups: alt.comedy.british,rec.arts.tv.uk