Zig and Zag (puppets) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zig and Zag
Dempsey's Den character
Zig (right) and Zag (left) on Tubridy Tonight, 8 November 2008
First appearance	Dempsey's Den, 1987
Created by	Ciaran Morrison and Mick O'Hara
Information
Gender	Male

Zig and Zag are a famous puppet duo from Ireland. They are played by Ciaran Morrison and Mick O'Hara. These two furry alien twins come from a planet called Zog.

They first appeared on TV on September 22, 1987, on RTÉ's Dempsey's Den. Just two years later, they won an award for TV Personalities of the Year! In 1992, Zig and Zag became very popular in the UK. They joined the team of the Channel 4 breakfast show The Big Breakfast. During the 1990s, they had their own comic books and videos. They even had a hit song called "Them Girls Them Girls" that reached the top five in the UK!

Their popularity grew again in 2010 when they joined Big Brother's Little Brother. They also hosted a radio show called Smells Like Saturday on 2FM. RTÉ announced a new TV show with them called Zig & Zag's Superbloopers. In 2015, it was shared that a new 26-episode animated series would come out in 2016. On September 22, 2020, RTÉ confirmed The Den would return. It would be a new family show with Zig and Zag, Ray D'Arcy, and Dustin the Turkey. The show came back on November 8, 2020, on RTÉ One.

Meet Zig and Zag: The Alien Duo

Zig and Zag have long names: Zigmund Ambrose Zogly and Zagnatius Hillary Zogly. They say they were born on February 29, 1971, on their home planet, Zog.

Zig is a beige color with red "zogabongs" (which are like pom-pom antennae) and a bit of green hair. Zag is purple with green spots and yellow zogabongs. He also has dreadlocks.

When they first started on RTÉ, Zig often seemed smarter. Zag would usually do what Zig told him, especially during their "Story Time" parts. Zag also enjoyed dressing up in different outfits and playing with Barbie dolls.

Later, when they moved to Channel 4, Zag started to seem like the smarter older brother. He would joke about flying to Hollywood every weekend to eat with movie stars. He even performed ragga songs as "Ragga Zagga."

Zig then became known as a bit silly and childish. He would often giggle at jokes, even simple ones. He sometimes got obsessed with things, like the movie The Hunt for Red October. He often didn't notice what was happening around him.

Zig and Zag's Secret Identities

Zig and Zag often dressed up as other characters. This was especially true when they were on The Den. They played characters from distant relatives to superheroes.

Captain Joke: Zag's Hero Role

Captain Joke was Zag's main superhero character. He didn't have any special powers, just a talent for telling funny jokes. He wore a red mask over his eyes and a matching cape. Only Zig seemed to know his true identity.

Captain Pillowcase: Zig's First Try

While Captain Joke's identity was a secret, Zig's first attempt at being a superhero was not very good. People often didn't like Captain Pillowcase. This character was just Zig with a pillowcase over his head. Captain Pillowcase said his special power was using his pillowcase to do impressions. He would pretend to be Mount Everest or a melting ice cream cone.

Captain Shamrock: The Irish Hero

Zig's next superhero character was much better. Captain Shamrock usually only appeared on Saint Patrick's Day. He spoke with a strong American accent. He was a funny way of showing how some American tourists visit Ireland to find their family roots. Captain Shamrock would convince everyone that he knew everything about Ireland. He often told silly stories based on Irish folklore.

Cousin Nigel: The Complainer

Cousin Nigel was Zig and Zag's annoying cousin. He would always complain about everything in a strong accent from Birmingham, England. Cousin Nigel was Zig wearing drinking glasses and a Cub Scouts hat.

Sunny Daze: The Singer

Sunny Daze was another character played by Zig. He was a singer who performed at a place called the Rotten Apple Club.

The Creative Minds Behind Zig and Zag

Ciaran Morrison and Mick O'Hara are the talented people who give Zig and Zag their voices. Their company, Double Z Enterprises, produced The Den when Zig and Zag were on it.

They also created other characters from The Den, like Podge and Rodge. Ciaran and Mick continue to write for many animated shows. Some of these include Danger Mouse, Oddbods, and 101 Dalmatian Street.

Zig and Zag's TV Adventures

When Ian Dempsey left Dempsey's Den in 1990, Zig and Zag stayed with the new host, Ray D'Arcy. Their alien dog, Zuppy, also appeared on TV then. Zuppy stayed with The Den for years after Zig and Zag left.

After working on The Den for a while, Zig and Zag also worked on The Big Breakfast. They eventually left The Den to focus only on The Big Breakfast. After they left RTÉ, Dustin the Turkey took over with a new character, Soky.

Zig and Zag also appeared in commercials for Yoplait yogurts. They were on MTV Europe's MTV's Most Wanted, which led to their own show, The Zig and Zag Show. After The Big Breakfast changed, they left and made a kids' show for ITV called The Zig and Zag Show.

They then returned to Ireland to host a music quiz show called 2Phat with Ray D'Arcy until 2001. In 2006, they starred in a children's show called Me:Tv for Nickelodeon UK and Ireland. In this show, kids used their own webcams to host. In 2010, they joined the Big Brother's Little Brother team to interview past contestants.

Zig and Zag came back to Irish TV with a Christmas special in 2011. It was called Zig and Zag's Superbloopers and was co-hosted by Aidan Power. They returned for a six-part series of the blooper show in September 2012. Another Christmas special, Superfestivebloopers, aired on Christmas Day 2013.

In May 2012, it was announced that a new animated show would be made for them. The series is written and voiced by Ciaran Morrison and Mick O'Hara. The first animated series, simply called Zig and Zag, aired in 2016 on CBBC and RTÉ.

Zig and Zag made a surprise appearance on TFI Friday on December 18, 2015. They had been on the show before in 1996. They joined Chris Evans for the Christmas Special. When Gaby Roslin appeared, she said it was the first time all four former Big Breakfast presenters had been on screen together in 21 years.

Zig and Zag's TV Shows

• Dempsey's Den (RTÉ) (1987–1990)
• The Den (RTÉ) (1990–1993)
• The Big Breakfast (Channel 4) (1992–1998, 2002)
• The Zig and Zag Show (MTV) (1994–1995)
• The Zig and Zag Show (ITV) (1998)
• 2Phat (RTÉ) (1998–2001)
• Big Brother's Little Brother (Channel 4) (2010)
• Zig & Zag's Superbloopers (RTÉ) (2011–2013)
• TFI Friday (Channel 4) (1996),(2015) Guests
• Zig and Zag (CBBC, RTÉ) (2016)
• The Den (RTÉ) (2020)

Zig and Zag on the Radio

• Smells Like Saturday (RTÉ radio) (2010–2011)

Zig and Zag Merchandise

Videos and DVDs

• 1988 – Nothing to Do with Toast
• 1992 – The Best of The Big Breakfast
• 1995 – Million Quid Vid
• 2008 – Best Bitz from Back Den

Music Hits

Zig and Zag's first song, "The Christmas No. 1," became the number one song in Ireland in 1990. It stayed there for five weeks! Their album, Never Mind the Zogabongs... Here's Zig and Zag, and their second song, "Zig Zaggin' Around," also topped the Irish charts in 1991. Because of their success on The Big Breakfast, they signed with Simon Cowell and released two songs with RCA. "Them Girls, Them Girls" reached number 5 in the UK charts in January 1995.

Albums

• 1991 – Never Mind the Zogabongs... Here's Zig and Zag

Singles

• 1990 – "The Christmas No. 1" (IE #1)
• 1991 – "Zig Zaggin' Around" (IE #1)
• 1992 – "Outback Boogie in Malebrawonga"
• 1994 – "Them Girls, Them Girls" with DJ Erick Morillo
• 1995 – "Hands Up, Hands Up" with Rednex
• 2014 – "We All Stand Together" as The Zog Chorus with Bosco, Dustin the Turkey and Pajo - a charity song for Childline (IE #4)

Books for Fans

Zig and Zag created many books in Ireland and the UK. The first five books were comic books with pictures, made only in Ireland. In the UK, they made two more comic-style paperbacks, a hardback annual, a book about their TV show Dirty Deeds, and a big joke book.

• The Fridge in a Denim Jacket (1989)
• Revenge of the Nellies (1989)
• Strawberry Jelly (1990)
• Dial 'D' for Dustin (1990)
• Kangaroos in Bikinis (1991)
• Chilli & Chocolate Flavour (1992)
• In Yer Face (1994)
• The Killer Annual from Outer Space (1995)
• The Dirty Deeds Dossier (1996)
• The Big, Bad Joke Book (1996)

Awards and Recognitions

Jacob's Radio and Television Awards:

• TV Personalities of the Year 1989

  "For keeping the children of the nation happy"

National Entertainment Awards (Ireland):

• TV Personalities of the Year 1989

Royal Television Society Award:

• The Big Breakfast – Programme Award 1992

Promax Awards:

• Best Sales/Marketing Tape – Zig & Zag Media Buyers Appeal (UK)

Images for kids

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  Zig and Zag on Tubridy Tonight, 8 November 2008