Best Bitz From Back Den
Encyclopedia
Best Bitz From Back Den is an Irish
television special
and DVD
released in November 2008. It was broadcast on RTÉ One
on 27 October 2008 at 18:30. The title is a play on the Irish children's television favourite The Den
. It was compiled to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the birth of Zig and Zag
, an identical set of alien twins who were once popular attractions amongst students and children on television in Ireland before featuring on Channel 4
's The Big Breakfast
and on MTV Europe
. Zig and Zag preceded what became a wave of puppets that have featured in RTÉ children's schedules, such as Dustin the Turkey
, best known outside Ireland for being that country's entry into the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, and Podge and Rodge
who have achieved solo success with popular night-time shows, A Scare at Bedtime
and The Podge and Rodge Show
.
Current Today FM
presenters Ian Dempsey
and Ray D'Arcy
, who both worked in children's television at different times in the early parts of their respective careers, feature heavily in the special which looks back at Zig and Zag's origins on Dempsey's Den. Highlights include attacks by Ted, a malicious panda, on the presenters, Christmas specials of The Den and footage is also shown of characters such as Captain Joke, Captain Pillowcase and Cousin Nigel and the Irish Film and Television awards of 1989 where Zig and Zag "accidentally" mistook then taoiseach Albert Reynolds
with actor Burt Reynolds
and addressed him as "your majesty".
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
television special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
released in November 2008. It was broadcast on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
on 27 October 2008 at 18:30. The title is a play on the Irish children's television favourite The Den
The Den (television)
The Den was the brand of the children's television strand on Irish public broadcaster RTÉ Two. It first broadcast on 29 September 1986 on RTÉ One, before moving to RTÉ Two in September 1988. The strand began to diversify throughout the late 1990s and the 2000s...
. It was compiled to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the birth of Zig and Zag
Zig and Zag (puppets)
Zig and Zag are an Irish puppet duo performed by Mick O'Hara and Ciaran Morrison.The characters are a pair of furry extraterrestrial twins from the planet Zog. They made their television début on RTÉs Dempsey's Den in 1987. A year later they won a Jacob's Award for TV Personalities of the year...
, an identical set of alien twins who were once popular attractions amongst students and children on television in Ireland before featuring on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 and S4C each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002 during which period 2,482 shows were produced. The Big Breakfast was produced by Planet 24, the production company co-owned by former...
and on MTV Europe
MTV Europe
MTV Europe is a pan-European 24-hour entertainment cable and digital television network launched on August 1, 1987. Initially, the channel served all regions within Europe being one of the very few channels that targeted the entire European continent...
. Zig and Zag preceded what became a wave of puppets that have featured in RTÉ children's schedules, such as Dustin the Turkey
Dustin the Turkey
Dustin the Turkey is a puppet, "television presenter" and star of RTÉ television's The Den since 1989. A turkey with a strong Dublin accent, Dustin is voiced by John Morrison, brother of Ciaran Morrison who was one of the creators of Zig and Zag. Dustin first appeared on The Den with Zig and Zag in...
, best known outside Ireland for being that country's entry into the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, and Podge and Rodge
Podge and Rodge
Pádraig Judas O'Leprosy and Rodraig Spartacus O'Leprosy are the two central characters on A Scare at Bedtime, an Irish adult comedy televised puppet show. Created and performed by Ciaran Morrison and Mick O'Hara, more recently, the brothers have presented The Podge and Rodge Show, a chat show in...
who have achieved solo success with popular night-time shows, A Scare at Bedtime
A Scare at Bedtime
A Scare at Bedtime was an Irish television show, produced by Double Z Enterprises and broadcast by RTÉ, featuring the two puppets Podge and Rodge as the hosts of a spooky tales and urban myths comedy show...
and The Podge and Rodge Show
The Podge and Rodge Show
The Podge and Rodge Show is an Irish chat show, broadcast and produced by RTÉ, featuring the popular Podge and Rodge as hosts...
.
Current Today FM
Today FM
Radio Ireland Ltd, trading as 100-102 Today FM is an Irish commercial FM radio station which is available nationally. The station, which commenced broadcasting on Saint Patrick's Day in 1997, can be received nationally and carries a mix of music and talk...
presenters Ian Dempsey
Ian Dempsey
Ian Michael Dempsey is an Irish presenter of television and breakfast radio. He is the long-running presenter of the breakfast show on Today FM, self-titled The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show, which runs from 07:00 - 09:00 each weekday morning...
and Ray D'Arcy
Ray D'Arcy
Raymond 'Ray' D'Arcy is an Irish television and radio presenter. He currently presents a weekday morning radio programme, The Ray D'Arcy Show, on Today FM...
, who both worked in children's television at different times in the early parts of their respective careers, feature heavily in the special which looks back at Zig and Zag's origins on Dempsey's Den. Highlights include attacks by Ted, a malicious panda, on the presenters, Christmas specials of The Den and footage is also shown of characters such as Captain Joke, Captain Pillowcase and Cousin Nigel and the Irish Film and Television awards of 1989 where Zig and Zag "accidentally" mistook then taoiseach Albert Reynolds
Albert Reynolds
Albert Reynolds , served as Taoiseach of Ireland, serving one term in office from 1992 until 1994. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize...
with actor Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
and addressed him as "your majesty".