List of The Den cast members facts for kids
The Den was a super popular children's TV show in Ireland. One of its biggest secrets to success was all the amazing characters it created! Many of these characters became famous, not just in Ireland but around the world.
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Meet the First Stars of The Den
The very first characters on The Den were aliens named Zig and Zag and their dog, Zuppy. They joined the show in its second season, back when it was called Dempsey's Den. Zig and Zag left in 1993, but Zuppy stayed on for a long time, becoming one of the longest-serving members of The Den team!
Zig and Zag
Zig and Zag were the first and most famous characters from The Den. They were ten-year-old alien twins from a planet called Zog. They became super popular, with their own funny tapes, comic books, and even car toys! A popular toy in the late 1980s was "zogabongs," which were the cool antennae on Zig and Zag's heads.
Zig and Zag came from Planet Zog because they wanted to collect jokes. A young TV presenter named Ian Dempsey "adopted" them, and they became regular stars on Dempsey's Den. They lived at a made-up address called Number Ten Celebrity Square. At first, they appeared on different days, but soon they were on the show all the time. Zag was actually the one who helped Dustin the Turkey become famous after winning him in a golf game! Zig and Zag had a bit of a tricky relationship with Dustin, though. In the summer of 1993, they got an exciting offer from a TV channel in the UK and left The Den.
After leaving, Zig and Zag became presenters on a UK morning show called The Big Breakfast. Later, they came back to Ireland in the late 1990s to host 2Phat, a music quiz show. Their "dad," Ray D'Arcy, also joined them. Students on the show could win a cool scooter! The show was very popular. After being away for a while, Zig and Zag made a big comeback in 2008. They had their own TV special called Best Bitz From Back Den and appeared on other popular TV and radio shows to promote its DVD release.
Zuppy
Zuppy was Zig and Zag's dog. He was blue with pink zogabongs, just like Zig and Zag! Zuppy didn't appear on screen very often but was in the comic books. He made high-pitched yelping sounds, like a normal dog. Sometimes, Zuppy would playfully "attack" Zag for no reason, leaving Zag a bit sore! The others on The Den thought it was just friendly play, but Zag was never quite sure what Zuppy was thinking. Zuppy was named by a viewer who won a competition. Zuppy still sometimes appeared on TV shows in the 2000s, often with Soky in the early morning programs.
The Next Generation of Stars
The second group of characters started joining The Den just before Zig and Zag left. The most famous new character was Dustin the Turkey, who Zag won in a golf game. Other characters like Soky, Ted, Podge, and Snotser were around during the time Ray D'Arcy hosted the show. Most of them, except for Podge, stayed on when Damien McCaul took over as host.
Dustin
Dustin first appeared in December 1989. Zag won him as a prize in a golf tournament. At first, Dustin was meant to be cooked for Christmas dinner! But the cast of The Den felt too sad to do it, so they let him stay. Dustin is often shown as a builder from Dublin. He later got his own TV shows, like DDN (Dustin's Daily News) and The Once a Week Show. Dustin even represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008! On Ray D'Arcy's radio show in 2008, Dustin was encouraged to do his funny "flap-flaps" dance for a live audience. The team on The Den often convinced Dustin to do this dance, which always made everyone laugh!
Snotser
Snotser was a member of Dustin's building crew and had a very high-pitched voice. For many years, viewers only heard his voice, but they never saw him! Finally, in the first episode of the "treehouse season," Snotser appeared. Everyone had been waiting for him all day. Just as the show was ending, Snotser walked into the empty studio, apologizing for being late. He turned out to be a round, pink pig! Snotser was a popular character and even appeared on some of Dustin's music. He was known for his catchphrase: "Ah yeah, top man!" and often wore a black leather jacket. His last name was Galligan.
Soky
Soky the sock monster appeared shortly after Zig and Zag left in late 1993. Soky was "born" because Dustin didn't do the laundry for weeks! Ray D'Arcy kept complaining about the smell of the socks. After a while, the lid of the laundry bin would lift, and big eyes would peek out. These eyes belonged to Soky! He joined the gang and thought Ray D'Arcy was his "mom," calling him "Mammy Ray." Soky's hair was made of old, smelly socks, and viewers were even invited to send their own socks as presents for him! His favorite thing was his blue bucket. He often talked about his best friend, Thomas, from playschool. Soky was like a preschooler, and his innocent nature made younger viewers love him. In later years, he was mostly seen during the early morning broadcasts of The Den.
One Christmas, Soky, Damien McCaul, and Dustin traveled to New York. Soky really wanted a special toy called "Mr Micro Blue Bucket with Removable Arms," which wasn't available in Ireland yet. After a lot of searching online, Dustin found out that 100 of these toys would be delivered to F.A.O. Schwarz, the biggest toy store in the world, in New York on Christmas Eve. Dustin convinced Damien to take them there instead of buying LEGO for Soky. Even though Damien said they couldn't fly to New York so quickly, they somehow ended up inside F.A.O. Schwarz! Soky was so excited. He wanted to find presents for his "Mammy" (Geri Maye), his best friend Thomas, and all the kids in playschool. Even though Soky was a preschooler, Damien and Dustin let him wander off in the busy store while they looked for the toy.
Soky's pet cat is named Charlie. Soky was known for his jokes and good sense of humor.
Ted
Ted was a running joke between the presenters and Zig and Zag. He was a soft, plush panda toy. Ted rarely appeared on screen, but every few days, a picture of Ted would be shown in a famous place or "attacking" a famous person or a viewer. Sometimes, Ted would even appear in the studio when the presenter wasn't there. One funny thing was that Zig and Zag would tell him to "Keep it down Ted!" even though Ted never made a sound. Later, Ted would "wrestle" with Ray D'Arcy, which involved the huge panda throwing himself at Ray! A tired Ray would then have to throw Ted off-screen. Ted last appeared at a The Den reunion in 2008 to "attack" Ray D'Arcy again, this time on live radio!
Ray D'Arcy himself said on his radio show that Ted only seemed to attack on days when Ray wasn't feeling well. This always happened when Dustin wasn't there, and Dustin would never believe Ray when he tried to tell him Ted had attacked him. Ted later appeared in the opening credits of another show called iD. He was last heard of breaking through security at Vicar Street to "attack" Ray D'Arcy during a morning radio broadcast.
Podge
Podge started as a simple puppet that Zag found in the rubbish behind an old joke shop. He turned out to be a mischievous little character who caused trouble and made up plans. At first, he only appeared when Zag was alone and would trick him into doing bad things, often saying: "All I want is a friend and a cuddle." Zag even had his own short show called The Podge and Zag Show. Later, Podge would bother everyone on The Den, including the human presenters. One year, he even took over The Den and "fired" everyone, renaming the show "Bun's Bungalow"! Luckily, it turned out to be a bad dream. Another time, Podge tricked everyone into believing that Dustin had won a presidential election. After this, Podge was joined by his brother, Rodge. Podge left The Den, but his TV career didn't end there! He later co-hosted his own show called A Scare at Bedtime with Rodge. Because that show was so popular, the brothers got their own late-night talk show called The Podge and Rodge Show, set in their country home.
New Faces in Later Years
The third group of characters were introduced after Damien McCaul left, often through spin-off shows. Martin Duck, for example, was a big part of the mock news show, Dustin's Daily News.
Simon and Stephen Trowel
Simon Trowel was a grumpy "twin" of Dustin, though he insisted he was a troll, not a turkey. Before Halloween 2005, he kidnapped Dustin and tried to take his place. He wanted to steal the prizes from a special Halloween game. He made the other characters think he was Dustin. When they weren't looking, the TV screen would show Dustin locked away, begging viewers to help him! Sometimes Simon was there and would sneer at Dustin. Dustin eventually escaped, and the news even reported him running down a motorway!
In October 2005, Simon Trowel appeared with Dustin in a funny sketch on Dustin's Daily News. They tried to get a music contract, and Simon was introduced as Dustin's cousin. Simon Trowel's brother, Stephen, never appeared on the show, perhaps because he was shy.
Martin Duck
Martin Duck was a mysterious duck who started "hacking" into broadcasts of Dustin's Daily News from a garden shed in January 2006. He seemed to have a grudge against Dustin, who called him a "wanted duck" and gave out "wanted posters" to viewers. Eventually, Duck was found in a shed in Blackpool, County Cork, and went on the run. He soon started his "pirate broadcasts" again from a "secret" location, giving viewers clues about where he was. A big prize was offered to anyone who could capture Martin. He even kidnapped Dustin's co-presenter, Sinéad, and took her place on one show! In the final show of that season, Martin Duck was found and removed from his hiding place. Later, he said he was Dustin's biggest fan. In 2007, he returned again in a campervan, driving around the country and kidnapping Sinéad once more. Dustin and his team managed to catch him just as he was about to take over the RTÉ Newsroom. He hasn't been seen since.
Magic Bunny
Magic Bunny is a rabbit who lives in a hat. He talks in a high-pitched voice and is a good friend of both Soky and Zuppy. He usually appeared alongside Zuppy.
The Latest Characters
The fourth group of characters appeared when Soky, Zuppy, Dustin, and Magic Bunny left The Den without explanation. The show then became known as "RTÉjr."
Ogie
Ogie is a blue, furry alien creature, a bit like a rabbit. He comes from the planet Hubble. Ogie stays with a character named Emma while trying to find his way home. Ogie often talks to his mother and father using a computer.
Mammy
Ogie's mother, whom he calls Mammy, looks very similar to Ogie. She is pink instead of blue and wears pearls around her neck. She often talks to Ogie using a computer.
Daddy
Ogie's father, whom he calls Daddy, is also similar to Ogie, but he has a beard. He frequently talks to Ogie using a computer.
Bo
Bo (which means "cow" in Irish) is a brown and white calf. She stays with Reuben, who is a friend of Emma. Even though Bo was introduced at the same time as Ogie and his family, she is rarely seen with him.
