A minor gripe, after listening to the opening career lowdown:
Is anyone else fed up of Stephen Tompkinson's acting career being described as starting with Ballykissangel, and seven award-winning years of DtDD being completely overlooked?
"The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense."
- Tom Clancy
Yes. Yes! YES!
For one thing, I had always felt that, without DDTD, he wouldn't have been well-known enough to have landed the lead in Ballykissangel anyway (I may be wrong, it's just a hunch), so in that respect, DDTD was the big break before the big lead break, and ignoring it makes no sense.
For another, it is my general feeling that DDTD isn't mentioned as often as it should be, and when it is mentioned, it's never in terms glowing enough to do it justice.
(Usually it is thought that, because it is topical, it won't have aged well enough to count as a classic series. Well, I was 10 when it started, I loved it then as now, and actually understand the references better now I know who the jokes were about. Another Gulf War and another Bush? They could show it now and nobody would notice the difference. Dated my arse. End of rant.)
Ahem. So, I never watched Ballykissangel anyway much - I may be being unfair, but it always struck me as typical Sunday night BBC polite, inoffensive, warm-hearted comedy drama material, so I never bothered. And every time someone writes up Tompkinson as "star of BallyK" as opposed to "star of Dead Donkey" (failing even just "bloody good actor") it seems like another little bit of limelight has been stolen from the magnificent DDTD in favour of a bit of fluff.
May I never make the mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted...
Glad it's not just me. :)
To be honest, between the constant sniping about a bloke named Bush chasing Saddam Hussein whilst we forget who trained and armed him, Michael Howard jokes and, later on, running gags about Blair selling the Labour party out to the private sector, I'd say that half the reason it doesn't get repeated may be precisely because it's still topical.
After all, Paramount won't show Death, Disaster and Damien any more, thanks to that on-camera execution scene.
"The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense."
- Tom Clancy
I don't believe Stephen Tompkinson did all the series just maybe the first three of Drop The Dead Donkey. I know he is getting pigeon holed as 'Father Peter Clifford" but I think because of the 15 million viewers of Ballykissangel who know and love him they will remember him best as this. It simply goes to show you what an amazing talent Stephen Tompkinson is. He can play the extremes of devious, amoral Damien Day and the opposite kind hearted and caring Father Peter. I also enjoyed him as Trevor Purvis in Grafters. I thought he was adorable and cute as Paul the huband/father who has a gay affair in Bedtime. I also loved him as Phil in Brassed Off. His work is absolutely amazing. Hopefully, people will see beyond just his Damien Day and Father Peter characters that he played.
" Benny, you silly great fat article"
I don't believe Stephen Tompkinson did all the series just maybe the first three of Drop The Dead Donkey.
He was in every episode of DtDD.
How is that so? He was filming Ballykissangel before Drop The Dead Donkey stopped airing.
" Benny, you silly great fat article"
I have all six series of Drop The Dead Donkey on DVD and I can assure you that Stephen Tompkinson appears in every single episode of all six series, not just the first three.
Even the longest British series only stretch to about 13 episodes at the most, so it is perfectly possible for an actor to work on two series at the same time.
Go ahead and buy series 4, 5 & 6 and enjoy :)
I am going to have to buy the rest of the series because I have to absolutely own everything Stephen Tompkinson is in. I loooooooooooove him!
" Benny, you silly great fat article"