Sad Day For Irish Television

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Garney

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but after 19 years, the Den finished up today. Kids program, hence me only finding out the news now, but in its heydey it was a genuinely brilliant kids program. The best kids program ever.
 
sorry lads, wrong forum. No need to move if no one replies, I suppose. Cold and unfriendly forum...
 
Phil, it was basicially continuity around childrens programs between 3 -6 monday to Friday. Zig and Zag were initially the stars, but later they were joined by a puppet called Dustin. So good it was at one stage that zig and zag were poached by channel 4 for the big breakfast. Other puppets like Podge and Rodge have since been given their own program - i think it is available on Paramount nowadays. For a generation or two of Irish childen/adolescents it was staple viewing, and was seen as far superior as anything from accross the water. It was the one thing that I can remember RTE getting right.

Havent seen it in years but even as 14-16 year old I can remember thinking it was very clever stuff.
 
I used to wonder if I should let the kids watch it. Two jokes for flavour..and remember this was 4PM childrens TV..

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Zig: What does Sinead O Connor do after she combes her hair?
Zag: Pull up her knickers?

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They were doing a thing on farmyard sounds and one of the puppets asks ..OK kids, now what sound does a pig make?

Reply: ' Are you the owner of this vehicle'
 
It has come back to me there, but Dustin used do the top 5 charts countdown in the style of racing commentator. He would have put most professionals to shame with its quality. Fantastic stuff I can remember the first time he met "DJ" Simon Young to do a pop gossip piece, and Simon Young could say a word as he was crying laughing.

Pre-Dustin days, there was the rotten apple club, where Zig and Zag used to sing classic songs in the bar lounge setting - pre vic and bob I daresay. Brilliant stuff in general.
 
I don't know if you are old enough to remember Garney, but Z&Z started doing a slot at 7.55 on Ian Dempsey show on Radio 2, where they made up a way out story that culminated with a corruption famous song line...can't remember an example. It was pre traffic jam days in Dublin, but if you were at lights you could see the shoulders in all the cars going up and down with serious guffaws.
 
Someone gave me a tape of such songs An Capall, I can only remember one mediocre one "I'm hungry guys" for Hungry Eyes. There was a U2 one as well that I can remember.

The whole Podge and Zag show thing where Zag had a puppet Podge, who turned out to be evil. Everyone about my age will chuckle when hearing the theme tune. As for the fake fights with Ted, who used to attack both Dempsey and d'Arcy, which used to go on for two-three minutes.

I dont know if anyone remembers the 'noooo no na nono na f-uisce' song that Dustin seemingly made up on the spot. Dustin for President. Quality stuff.

I had begun to think that the lad that does Dustin must be sick to the back teeth of playing the character, but i think he is being kept on in some guise.
 
But..but...but y..yo..you mean, you...you..you are saying that Dustin is not real!!!. Oh Holy Lamb of Jesus, say it ain't so!!!
 
Blimey, it certainly puts our puppets in the shade. I don't think Basil Brush would be allowed to make pubic hair references and those sort of pig jokes, much as I believe he enjoys far ruder stuff in private.
 
I used to love their Christmas specials when they went to the North Pole. Ray Darcy was brilliant with them.
 
the den was brilliant, dustin is a legend,


"dustin define happiness"


"being up to my neck in bi-bi baskin" :lol:
 
I cant remember the jokes being quite that risque but I do remember the constant references to Bibi.

I dont know if it is being confused with the lad on the Gerry Ryan show who when asked "where would he like to be buried" replied "up to me balls in Bibi Baskin". I think I cried a little when I heard that one for the first time.
 
You are right Garney. GR was doing a canvass on where folk would like to be buried, and right after the mystic who wanted to be entombed vertically overlooking the Blaskets, the guy rang up (and it was up to his bollocks). I'm sure GR put someone up to it.

BiBi was easy enough to look at back then too - bit of a dream bird for culchies.
 
They certainly came out with some outrageously funny stuff but as AC said I think a lot of it just passed over the heads of children -much like the Simpsons.
 
...and Rainbow, amongst others. Dangermouse could be a little risqué too, surprisingly enough! I have a couple of DVD's with kiddies programmes on, they're great. Jamie & The Magic Torch, Dangermouse, Rainbow... :D
 
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