Rte Archives - Zig and Zag Christmas Special

mimimcmc

Every year I used to watch the Den Christmas special with Zig and Zag (the one where they save Santa in Lapland), nothing makes it feel more like Christmas. It used to be available to watch on YouTube. It's been taken down.
I've just contacted RTE Archives about getting a copy of it and they told me it would cost €61.50 for a dvd copy of it... :eek:
Now honestly how can a DVD cost that must??
It's insane, and just another reason to hate RTE!:mad:

So would anyone know where or how I can get my hands on a copy of this?

Elmo

Was always disappointed by those Christmas specials

RTÉ should put them on the player or you tube.

AwaitYourReply

mimimcmc wrote: »

Every year I used to watch the Den Christmas special with Zig and Zag (the one where they save Santa in Lapland), nothing makes it feel more like Christmas. It used to be available to watch on YouTube. It's been taken down.
I've just contacted RTE Archives about getting a copy of it and they told me it would cost €61.50 for a dvd copy of it... :eek:
Now honestly how can a DVD cost that must??
It's insane, and just another reason to hate RTE!:mad:

So would anyone know where or how I can get my hands on a copy of this?

Well I used enjoy the whole Zig & Zag, Puppy (later called Zuppy) Dustin the Turkey and lastly Socky with their numerous TV minders from Ian Dempsey, Simon Young & Ray D'Arcy - the others never made the cut for me! However; after Zig & Zag returned from broadcasting on Channel 4 and/or MTV UK+Ireland audiences they never managed to capture the same popularity upon their return to RTÉ in the same way. Then RTÉ came up with this Zig & Zag Bloopers TV Show fronted by Aidan Power and it was like watching paint dry - and they inflicted it on us not once but a few times! The home movie clips were below average (actually crap) and Aidan Power was not the right fit as there was lack of chemistry between the two aliens from Zog and Aidan for some reason.

You are mad if you pay RTÉ a ransom of €61.50 for a DVD copy of this material as it may have been good at the time but it's just not worthy of such a high gauging charge. There should be a major reduction for TV Licence payers too!

Elmo

Bizzarly it's all down to other rights holder than RTÉ AFAIK

I know RTÉ don't repeat their dramas all that much because of equity.

4zn76tysfajdxp

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

Well I used enjoy the whole Zig & Zag, Puppy (later called Zuppy) Dustin the Turkey and lastly Socky with their numerous TV minders from Ian Dempsey, Simon Young & Ray D'Arcy - the others never made the cut for me! However; after Zig & Zag returned from broadcasting on Channel 4 and/or MTV UK+Ireland audiences they never managed to capture the same popularity upon their return to RTÉ in the same way. Then RTÉ came up with this Zig & Zag Bloopers TV Show fronted by Aidan Power and it was like watching paint dry - and they inflicted it on us not once but a few times! The home movie clips were below average (actually crap) and Aidan Power was not the right fit as there was lack of chemistry between the two aliens from Zog and Aidan for some reason.

You are mad if you pay RTÉ a ransom of €61.50 for a DVD copy of this material as it may have been good at the time but it's just not worthy of such a high gauging charge. There should be a major reduction for TV Licence payers too!

"Ransom"

He doesn't have to buy it, like.

mimimcmc

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

Well I used enjoy the whole Zig & Zag, Puppy (later called Zuppy) Dustin the Turkey and lastly Socky with their numerous TV minders from Ian Dempsey, Simon Young & Ray D'Arcy - the others never made the cut for me! However; after Zig & Zag returned from broadcasting on Channel 4 and/or MTV UK+Ireland audiences they never managed to capture the same popularity upon their return to RTÉ in the same way. Then RTÉ came up with this Zig & Zag Bloopers TV Show fronted by Aidan Power and it was like watching paint dry - and they inflicted it on us not once but a few times! The home movie clips were below average (actually crap) and Aidan Power was not the right fit as there was lack of chemistry between the two aliens from Zog and Aidan for some reason.

You are mad if you pay RTÉ a ransom of €61.50 for a DVD copy of this material as it may have been good at the time but it's just not worthy of such a high gauging charge. There should be a major reduction for TV Licence payers too!

Oh I would never pay that much to RTE for a dvd! I told them it was outrageous! :mad:

wrote:

"Ransom"

He doesn't have to buy it, like.

And I'm a she :P

Elmo

Here you go with an Intro by the late Derek Davis and his son.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO1YfW1xaHM

AwaitYourReply

Kace Late Eyeteeth wrote: »

"Ransom"

He doesn't have to buy it, like.

Well it turns out that the individual in question is female...Ouch!

True, the person does not "have to buy" the DVD but it is a ridiculous price given that Zig & Zag are no longer exactly dominating the TV schedules on RTÉ TV & Radio, Channel 4 or otherwise these days. In that context the price is excessive as the material is probably just lying there gathering dust. Of course they are quite entitled to charge a fair price and perhaps a nominal fee would make more sense.

AwaitYourReply

mimimcmc wrote: »

Oh I would never pay that much to RTE for a dvd! I told them it was outrageous! :mad:



And I'm a she :P

Well I applaud you for telling them what you thought of the price because you are dead right - it is an outrageous amount to charge for the material involved! Hopefully more people will let them know when any other merchandise is excessively priced.

mimimcmc

Elmo wrote: »

Here you go with an Intro by the late Derek Davis and his son.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO1YfW1xaHM

Thanks, but this isn't the one I am looking for. I'm looking for the original Christmas Crisis, not Christmas Crisis 2.

mimimcmc

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

Well I applaud you for telling them what you thought of the price because you are dead right - it is an outrageous amount to charge for the material involved! Hopefully more people will let them know when any other merchandise is excessively priced.

This is exactly what I told them:
"Unfortunately, €61.50 (which I assume does not include shipping costs) is an extortionate amount to pay for an episode which from what I can remember is of about 40 minutes long. Especially since it is for personal use and not to broadcast. Can you please explain why it is so expensive?"

And their response was:
"I understand that the cost may appear to be excessive but unfortunately this is our standard technical rate as the programme was not released commercially and needs to be transferred from the master tape before being copied to DVD. It does however include shipping cost."

Ridiculous!

Vex Willems

mimimcmc wrote: »

And their response was:
"I understand that the cost may appear to be excessive but unfortunately this is our standard technical rate as the programme was not released commercially and needs to be transferred from the master tape before being copied to DVD. It does however include shipping cost."

Ridiculous!

How much do you think it would cost RTE to do this job, just for you?

Johnboy1951

mimimcmc wrote: »

This is exactly what I told them:
"Unfortunately, €61.50 (which I assume does not include shipping costs) is an extortionate amount to pay for an episode which from what I can remember is of about 40 minutes long. Especially since it is for personal use and not to broadcast. Can you please explain why it is so expensive?"

And their response was:
"I understand that the cost may appear to be excessive but unfortunately this is our standard technical rate as the programme was not released commercially and needs to be transferred from the master tape before being copied to DVD. It does however include shipping cost."

Ridiculous!

Not expensive for a 'one-off' copy made from master tape.
The surprising thing to me is that they would even entertain the idea of doing so at all.

mimimcmc

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Not expensive for a 'one-off' copy made from master tape.
The surprising thing to me is that they would even entertain the idea of doing so at all.

I first contacted them via twitter and they seem to do this a lot in the archives team...

JDxtra

Considering the effort, the rate is more than fair in my opinion.

Into The Blue

As others have alluded to, it's not just the cost of shipping a cheap DVD. Someone has to actually go to the archive for the master, get you a DVD, do the copying, put the master back in archive, package up and ship the DVD.. You're talking about 3 hours minimum.. 60 odd quid seems quite reasonable.

Sam Russell

There is also the question of rights.

Elmo

mimimcmc wrote: »

Thanks, but this isn't the one I am looking for. I'm looking for the original Christmas Crisis, not Christmas Crisis 2.

I know sequels are disappointing

AFAIK there where a few before that one, before zig and zag left.

lertsnim

mimimcmc wrote: »

Ridiculous!

Ridiculous is your expectation. How much were you willing to pay?

AwaitYourReply

mimimcmc wrote: »

This is exactly what I told them:
"Unfortunately, €61.50 (which I assume does not include shipping costs) is an extortionate amount to pay for an episode which from what I can remember is of about 40 minutes long. Especially since it is for personal use and not to broadcast. Can you please explain why it is so expensive?"

And their response was:
"I understand that the cost may appear to be excessive but unfortunately this is our standard technical rate as the programme was not released commercially and needs to be transferred from the master tape before being copied to DVD. It does however include shipping cost."

Ridiculous!

I think RTÉ would have been much better off explaining the methodology of this pricing structure when they were first outlining the price as it would have probably avoided the shock or surprise element afterwards which is quite understandable.

There is an element of sales/marketing/promotions on this side of the business so; if something like this had not been previously released on a commercial basis and requires a lot of time & labour then potential buyers might become more receptive if they knew what will be involved beforehand and this can often reflect in final bill. I find in general that if a merchandiser only begins to inform you about these things AFTER you raise a query about excessive pricing - it's often a bit too late in the process.

Atlantic Dawn

Well at least they didn't record over all the tapes at a time where the local petrol station was selling 3 hour tapes at about £1 a go for a 3 hour tape when they decided to record over their library of similar recordings which had cost them millions to make.

AwaitYourReply

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Well at least they didn't record over all the tapes at a time where the local petrol station was selling 3 hour tapes at about £1 a go for a 3 hour tape when they decided to record over their library of similar recordings which had cost them millions to make.

Ha Ha Very good...That's very good! (as said jokingly in a Mario Rosenstock voice taking the p**s out of Vinny B)

Patty O Furniture

Maybe RTE have realized they paid too much for Darcy & tried to recoup the costs?

But it was good to see Zig+Zag if only for a short while on the NYE ep of TFI Friday & now looks like the last ever ep?

lertsnim

Patty O Furniture wrote: »

on the NYE ep of TFI Friday & now looks like the last ever ep?

With any luck it was the last ever. The new series was awful.

steveon

only xmas ones i remember was

christmas crisis which are still on youtube

xmas crisis one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfsNAFKunQo

xmas crisis 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO1YfW1xaHM

JDxtra

steveon wrote: »

only xmas ones i remember was

christmas crisis which are still on youtube

xmas crisis one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfsNAFKunQo

xmas crisis 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO1YfW1xaHM

The original Christmas Crisis is what the OP wanted, so he should be happy with that. Easily downloaded from YouTube and copied to DVD.

mimimcmc

steveon wrote: »

only xmas ones i remember was

christmas crisis which are still on youtube

xmas crisis one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfsNAFKunQo

xmas crisis 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO1YfW1xaHM

You found it! you legend! Thanks so much

Now I just have to figure out how to download, but I'm sure someone can help me, thanks again!

JDxtra

Use Clip Converter - http://www.clipconverter.cc/

icdg

Lets not discuss how to break copyright protection please. I know that whoever posted on YouTube has already done so but two wrongs don't make a right