He has mingled with presidents, movie stars, super models and Twink. He claims to have single-handedly turned RTÉ into what it is today, but is refusing to take any of the blame. And in the words of Bob Geldof: "He's part Jagger, part Obama". Dustin the Turkey, albeit claiming to be only 12 years old, this week takes part in a documentary celebrating his 20 year career.
Produced for RTÉ by Kite Entertainment, ‘Dustin – Twenty Years A Pluckin’, will examine the career of the talking turkey who has been a pop star, a politician, a model, a journalist, a news reader, a builder and, in his own words, “pretty much a national icon all his life.”
Discussing this programme from his house in Sallynoggin, Dustin describes the programme: "It's an epic, up there with Ben Hur and The Clinic. As a pin-up it would have been easy for me to just bang out a cheapo calender or a fitness DVD but my fans mean more to me then that, so that's why I decided to put so much effort into what's basically a piece of art. Forget Reeling In The Years, this programme is all you'll ever need to learn about the last twenty years in Eire. I've little doubt that in years to come it'll be on the Leaving Certificate."
The hour long doc will feature contributions from Bob Geldof, Gay Byrne, Ray D'Arcy, Nicky Byrne, Louis Walsh, Bosco, Zig'n'Zag, Twink, Amanda Byram and Marty Whelan. ‘Dustin – Twenty Years a Pluckin’ a two-hour DVD will be released on November 20th complete with extras and special features such as unreleased TV clips and out-takes from the documentary.
‘Dustin-Twenty Years A Pluckin’ is produced by Amanda Spencer (Bono and My Ex) and shot by Joe Edwards (Luke Kelly: The Performer) and Colm Whelan (If I Should Fall from Grace: The Shane MacGowan Story). The executive producer is Darren Smith and editing of the programme was carried out at Windmill Lane.
‘Dustin-Twenty Years A Pluckin’ will be broadcast on RTÉ One on Sunday, November 8th at 6.30pm.
