Donna Rigden
There's a lot of Shelia in Donna's character. Like Shelia, Donna has long dark hair, comes from the northern part of Louisiana and likes to laugh. Her idea of fun is to use water and ice - OK in a hot climate but 'Brrrr' in the UK. She's fascinated by science and the chemistry of life.
She was raised by her grandparents after her parents were killed in an 'accident' at a sewage plant.
Like Shelia, Donna gets caught out occasionally by the differences in language between the UK and USA.
| UK | US equivalent | US meaning of UK word/s |
|---|---|---|
| Boot (of a car) | Trunk | A type of shoe |
| 'Knock you up' | Wake you up | Make you pregnant |
| Pastie | A savoury pastry | Tassel worn on stripper's nipple |
| Rubber | Eraser | Condom |
| Biscuit | Cookie | The English call it a scone |
| Motorway | Interstate | |
| Flat | Apartment | Punctured 'tyre' |
| 'Spotted dick' | A current pudding | A venereal disease |
| Midgie | Gnat | Chocholate candy |
| Hash key (#) | Number or pound key | A messy key |
| Pound (£) | (Huh?) | # or lb |
| Pet (Term of endearment esp. in North) | Honey or other term of endearment | An animal |
| Hall (Big house) | Mansion | Civic building - Town Hall |
Of course Donna is totally mystified by the strong local dialect in use in Newcastle and Northumberland
Alcohol and Donna just don't mix. You might think it's impossible for someone to be drunk after drinking just half a glass of brandy but Donna, like Shelia has American Indian blood and has no tolerance of alcohol. Just half a pint of cider (10 oz) is enough to make Shelia badly affected.
We envisioned Donna would look something like Terry Farrell or Kristin Kreuk
