dead donkey

Originates from the title of the British sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey. see Wikipedia entry.

dead donkey (plural dead donkeys)

1. In journalistic jargon, a news item of no real significance, usually of whimsical or sentimental nature, placed at the end of a news bulletin or in a newspaper as filler. A dead donkey can often be removed from the programme or publication if a more significant story needs extra time or space.