Drop the Dead Donkey

A brave new world beckons for the staff at Globelink News when the station is taken over by media mogul Sir Roysten Merchant. As the team grapples with the complexities of covering Northern Ireland and the machinations of the new regime, panic and paranoia jump to danger levels. - Adult humour

In an effort to boost ratings, new Chief Executive Gus Hedges presents Henry with a new partner - Sally Smedley, who arrives in a blaze of self-publicity, to the horror of the staff. Henry nurtures plans for their partnership to extend beyond the screen and into his bed, until an intimate candlelit dinner turns into a tabloid picnic. - Adult humour

George is thrown into a paroxysm of self-pity when a news story implicates Sir Roysten in a major chemical disaster caused by one of his companies, and he has to decide whether to run it. Sally is less than delighted about the effects of doom and gloom stories on her personal popularity, and Henry's life flashes before his eyes. - Adult humour

Personal and professional life become one for Alex as she discovers that her ex-husband is implicated in a major scandal, and she is forced to question where her loyalties lie. Meanwhile, Gus's quest for higher standards means an unwelcome bout of coaching for Henry and Sally, and a brush with royalty for him. - Adult humour

Henry is finding that his well-rehearsed interview technique is not working its magic on a particular government minister. And he is piqued when his nephew Jack, a media studies student, upstages him in more ways than one. - Adult humour

Telegenic Sally Smedley's ice-cool screen persona belies a passionate heart, and soon two groins are beating as one. Meanwhile, George agonises over a news story whose veracity he doubts. When the station is raided by the Special Branch incriminating tapes are seized, and being wired for sound takes on a whole new meaning. - Adult humour