Editing Press Gang (section)

==Characters==
[[File:PressGangPublicity.jpg|thumb|The cast of Press Gang in a publicity photograph]]

===Main===
* Lynda Day ([[Julia Sawalha]]) is the editor of the ''Junior Gazette''. She is strong and opinionated, and is feared by many of her team. Moffat has said that the character was partly based on the show's "ball-breaking" producer, Sandra C. Hastie.<ref name="Moffcomm"/><ref name="bbcreviews2">{{cite web|title=Review: Press Gang DVD |work=BBC – Cult Television |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/cult/2004/07/08/12781.shtml |date=8 July 2004 |access-date=22 December 2006}}</ref> Although she appears very tough, she occasionally exposes her feelings. She quits the paper at the end of "Monday-Tuesday", and in "Day Dreams" laments "Why do I get everything in my whole stupid life wrong?"<ref name="daydreams"/> Intimidated by socialising, she hiccups at the idea. She is so nervous at a [[cocktail party]], in "At Last a Dragon",<ref>{{cite episode |title=At Last a Dragon |series=Press Gang |credits=wr. Steven Moffat, dir. Bob Spiers |network=ITV |airdate=22 February 1990 |series-no=2 |number=6}}</ref> that she attempts to leave on several occasions. The mixture of Lynda's sensitive side and her self-sufficient attitude is illustrated in the series' final episode "There Are Crocodiles." Reprimanding the ghost of Gary (Mark Sayers), who died after taking a drug overdose, she says:

:<blockquote>Look, I'm sorry you're dead, okay? I ''do'' care. But to be perfectly honest with you, I don't care a lot. You had a choice, you took the drugs, you died. Are you seriously claiming no one warned you it was dangerous? ... I mean, have you had a look at the world lately? ... There's plenty of stuff going on that kills you and you don't get warned at all. So sticking your head in a crocodile you were told about is not calculated to get my sympathy.<ref name="tac"/></blockquote>
 
* James "Spike" Thomson ([[Dexter Fletcher]]) is an American delinquent, forced to work on the paper rather than being excluded from school. He is immediately attracted to Lynda, and he establishes himself as an important member of the reporting team having been responsible for getting their first lead story. He usually has a range of one-liners, though is often criticised, particularly by Lynda, for excessive joking. Spike often consciously uses humour to lighten the tone, such as in "Monday-Tuesday" when he tries to cheer up Lynda after she feels responsible for David's suicide.<ref name="m-t"/>

: The character was originally written as English, until producer Hastie felt that an American character would enhance the chance of overseas sales. This meant that English-born Fletcher had to act in an American accent for all five years. Moffat says that he isn't "sure [that] lumbering Dexter with that accent was a smart move."<ref name="moffint">{{cite web |title=Interview: Steven Moffat |work=BBC – Cult Television |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/cult/2004/07/20/13052.shtml |date=20 July 2004 |access-date=21 December 2006}}</ref> The American accent had some fans surprised to learn that Fletcher is actually English.<ref name="dexter">{{cite news |title=Dexter Fletcher answers your questions |work=The Times |format=reprint on unofficial fansite |url=http://dexteronline.ms11.net/times130704.html |date=13 July 2004 |access-date=22 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061010224657/http://dexteronline.ms11.net/times130704.html |archive-date=10 October 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 
* Kenny Phillips ([[Lee Ross (actor)|Lee Ross]]) is one of Lynda's (few) long-term friends and is her assistant editor in the first three series. Kenny is much calmer than Lynda, though is still dominated by her. Despite this, he is one of the few people able to stand up to Lynda, in his own quiet way. Although he identifies himself as "sweet", he is unlucky in love: Jenny ([[Sadie Frost]]), the girlfriend he meets in "How to Make a Killing",<ref name="htmak"/> dumps him because he is too understanding.<ref name="love">{{cite episode |title=Love and the Junior Gazette |series=Press Gang |credits=wr. Steven Moffat, dir. Bob Spiers |network=ITV |airdate=15 February 1990 |series-no=2 |number=5}}</ref> His secret passion for writing music is revealed at the end of series two, which was influenced by Ross' interests. Colin organizes and markets a concert for him, and the second series ends with Kenny performing "You Don't Feel For Me" (written by Ross himself).<ref name="big finish"/> Lee Ross was only able to commit to the first six episodes of the 12-episode series three and four filming block because he was expecting a film role.<ref name="hastie"/> Thus, by series four, Kenny has left for Australia.
* Colin Mathews ([[Paul Reynolds (actor)|Paul Reynolds]]) is the [[Thatcherite]] in charge of the paper's finances and advertising. He often wears loud shirts, and his various schemes have included marketing defective half-[[ping-pong]] balls (as 'pings'), exam revision kits and soda that leaves facial stains. [[Rosie Marcel]] and Claire Hearnden appear throughout the second series as Sophie and Laura, Colin's mischievous young helpers.
* Julie Craig ([[Lucy Benjamin]]) is the head of the graphics team in series one. Moffat was impressed with Benjamin's performance, and expanded her character for the second series.<ref name="petford"/> However she had committed herself to roles in the [[LWT]] sitcom ''[[Close to Home (UK TV series)|Close to Home]]'' and ''[[Jupiter Moon]]'', so the character was replaced by Sam.<ref name="putp"/> The character returns in the opening episode of series four as researcher on the Saturday morning show ''Crazy Stuff''. She arranges for Lynda and Spike to be reunited on [[live television]], but the subsequent complaints about the violence (face slapping) results in Julie's firing.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Bad News |series=Press Gang |credits=wr. Steven Moffat, dir. Bob Spiers |network=ITV |airdate=7 January 1992 |series-no=4 |number=1}}</ref> After giving Lynda some home truths, Julie replaces Kenny as the assistant editor for the final two series. She is a flirt, and, according to Lynda, was the "official pin-up at the last [[prison riot]]."<ref name="tac"/>
* Sarah Jackson ([[Kelda Holmes]]) is the paper's lead writer. Although she is intelligent she gets stressed, such as during her interview for editorship of the ''Junior Gazette''. Her final episode, "Friendly Fire", shows the development of her friendship with Lynda, and how the latter saw her as a challenge when she first arrived to Norbridge High. Together they had established the underground school magazine: ''Damn Magazine''.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Friendly Fire |series=Press Gang |credits = wr. Steven Moffat, dir. Bob Spiers |network=ITV |airdate=23 April 1993 |series-no=5 |number=2}}</ref> Her first attempt to leave the newspaper to attend a writing course at the local college is thwarted by Lynda,<ref>{{cite episode |title=Friends Like These |series=Press Gang |credits = wr. Steven Moffat, dir. John Hall |network=ITV |airdate=15 March 1990 |series-no=2 |number=9}}</ref> but she eventually leaves in series five to attend university (mirroring the reason for Holmes' departure).<ref name="newtons5"/>
* Frazer "Frazz" Davis ([[Mmoloki Chrystie]]) is one of Spike's co-delinquents forced into working on the paper, his initial main task writing the [[horoscope]]s. Frazz is initially portrayed as "intellectually challenged",<ref>{{harvnb|McGown|Docherty|2003|p=217}}</ref> such as not understanding the synonymous relationship between "the astrology column" and the horoscopes.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Page One |series=Press Gang |credits=wr. Steven Moffat, dir. Colin Nutley |network=ITV |airdate=16 January 1989 |series-no=1 |number=1}}</ref> Later episodes, however, show him to be devious, such as in "The Last Word: Part 2" when he stuns the gunman using a large array of [[flashgun]]s.<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Last Word: Part 2 |series=Press Gang |credits=wr. Steven Moffat, dir. Lorne Magory |network=ITV |airdate=6 June 1991 |series-no=3 |number=4}}</ref>
 
===Recurring===
* Sam Black ([[Gabrielle Anwar]]) replaced Julie as the head of the graphics team in the second series. Sam is very fashion conscious and a flirt, and is surprised when an actor rejects her advances in favour of Sarah.<ref name="love"/> Anwar had auditioned for the role of Lynda. (Many actors who unsuccessfully auditioned for main characters were invited back later for guest roles.)<ref name="putp"/> Moffat had expanded the role of Julie after the first series, but Lucy Benjamin was unavailable for series two. Sam, therefore, was basically the character of Julie under a different name, especially in her earlier episodes.<ref name="petford"/><ref>Steven Moffat & Julia Sawalha "Breakfast at Czar's" ''Press Gang: Series 2'' DVD audio commentary</ref>
* Danny McColl ([[Charlie Creed-Miles]]) the paper's photographer. Creed-Miles became disenchanted with his minor role and left after the second series.<ref name="putp"/>
* Toni "Tiddler" Tildesley ([[Joanna Dukes]]) is the junior member of the team, responsible for the junior section, ''Junior Junior Gazette''.
* Billy Homer (Andy Crowe) was also a recurring character. A [[tetraplegic]], he is very competent with computer networks, sometimes [[Hacker (computer security)|hacking]] into the school's database. His storylines are some of the first representations of the Internet in British television. Moffat felt that he was unable to sustain the character, and he appears only sporadically after the first series.<ref name="putp"/>

The main adults are deputy headmaster Bill Sullivan ([[Nick Stringer]]), maverick editor Matt Kerr ([[Clive Wood]]) and experienced ''Gazette'' reporter Chrissie Stewart ([[Angela Bruce]]).