The Dingo Principle
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Patrick Cook, Phillip Scott |
| Products | Satirical comedy television series |
| Parent | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
The Dingo Principle is a satirical comedy series from Australia, developed by Patrick Cook and Phillip Scott, and produced as well as aired by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 1987.
Cast
Production
The series consisted of ten episodes broadcast during a late-night time slot. Cook, Scott, and Kelso had previously been involved with the satirical show The Gillies Report, but Cook clarified that the only commonality was their shared focus on current events and ABC as the broadcaster. The show was taped live on Saturdays and then aired on Mondays.
Controversy
The show generated diplomatic friction. On 20 April 1987, a parody interview featuring Ayatollah Khomeini resulted in the expulsion of two Australian diplomats from Tehran and threats of trade sanctions by Iran. Subsequently, two weeks later, a sketch mocking Soviet leaders Mikhail Gorbachev and Vladimir Lenin elicited a formal protest from the Soviet Embassy’s press attaché addressed to ABC Managing Director David Hill:
The correspondence implied that ABC’s intentions to establish a Moscow bureau could be jeopardized because of the sketch.
These events were brought before the Parliament of Australia on 11 May 1987 when National Party MP John Sharp raised concerns with Communications Minister Michael Duffy regarding possible repercussions for Australia's economic and trade relations. Duffy reaffirmed the ABC’s editorial autonomy, emphasizing that government intervention in programming decisions would be inappropriate.