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The Den Christmas Crisis: Ray, Zig and Zag save the day
This article was first published in December 2012
BACK IN THE DAY it wasn’t Christmas until you had taken in The Den’s festive special and the antics of Zig, Zag, Zuppy and co as they attempted to save the day.
The one-off programmes usually involved a trip to Lapland, Santa in peril, an evil villain, and a boyband in trouble, and the crowning glory of The Den’s festive specials was 1992′s Christmas Crisis.
Christmas Crisis featured Podge as the evil Postman Patrick, the theft of Ray’s Scent of Man, and a dash to Lapland to save Christmas.
Let’s reminisce with the best bits…
Santa’s HQ
In 1992 the world wide web was beginning to come into its own, and Santa was right there riding the wave:
Naughty Zig
Things aren’t looking good for Zig, so Santa sends an urgent letter to his guardian, Ray D’Arcy from Kildare.
Zig is acting up as usual, threatening to open Ray’s ‘Scent of Man’ present from his mother. …
Postman Patrick
Would you look at who’s delivering the post? Only the most evil little bo**** ever to walk the earth…
The letter from Santa warns Zig that if he’s bold ONE MORE TIME there will be no toys. Postman Patrick overhears and starts some sinister plotting. The pup.
Ray tucks the two lads into bed warns them:
But Zig gets up at 8.35pm for a glass of water. This can’t end well…
The crime
Lookit! That’s Postman Patrick stealing Ray’s Scent of Man and breaking his favourite clock:
The blame
Ray discovers what’s happened to his Pierre du Plonk clock and is distraught. Zig admits to coming downstairs and is immediately blamed!
And Crimeline gets involved…
Zig’s proposed punishment? To never get any toys ever again… not even in 1994!
But Zig has an alibi! He came downstairs at 8.35pm, but the clock stopped at 10.30pm.
Innocent
Evil Postman Patrick is listening, and hears Ray planning to write to Santa to tell him that Zig is innocent. He must revise his dastardly plan, and offers to take the letter to Santa.
Christmas Eve dawns and all seems well, but wait, what’s that Zuppy found in the bin? It’s the letter to Santa about Zig, and loads of other letters to Santa!
CHRISTMAS CRISIS!
“There’s only one thing we can do”, says Ray…
Cue a fast packing sequence:
Welcome to Lapland!
But wait! Who’s that behind hotel reception? It’s only bloody Postman Patrick, up to no good…
Then next day he shows up again when Ray, Zig and Zag ask for directions to Santa’s workshop. Obviously, he’s less that helpful…
Meanwhile, back at base
Dustin the Turkey is holding down the fort, and reveals that he thinks that Postman Patrick might in fact be the lads’ nemesis Podge!
Santa’s cabin
They’ve made it… but that’s not Santa! It’s someone much more sinister, who smells like Scent of Man and threatens to cancel Christmas !
HE HAS THE REAL SANTA TRAPPED IN A BOX!
But Ray hears Podge taunting Santa and wrestles him to the ground:
Santa is free! Christmas is saved!
Happy Christmas everyone!
If you want to catch up with Christmas Crisis, it’s on YouTube!
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1992 Christmas Christmas Crisis Nostalgia podge postman patrick scent of man The Den Zig and Zag zuppy