The Den: TV Show, Stadium, Film, and Room Guide

Search for “The Den” and you might land on three very different things: an Irish children’s show that defined a generation, a London football stadium, a 2013 horror thriller, or that cozy room where nobody uses the good sofa. If you’ve been bouncing between tabs trying to figure out which one you actually found, this guide sorts it out.

TV programme run: 1986–2017 · Stadium capacity: 20,146 · Film release year: 2013 · Room type: Informal family space

Is The Den Still on RTÉ?

No. The Den finished broadcasting in 2017 after 31 years on RTÉ Two, making it one of the longest-running children’s programmes in Irish television history. The show began in 1986 as a live-afternoon children’s slot and gradually evolved into the structured half-hour format viewers remember.

History of The Den on RTÉ

Ray D’Arcy presented The Den from 1990 to 1998, anchoring a period when the show became a weekday afternoon staple for Irish children. Over the programme’s 31-year run, more than 30 presenters passed through The Den, including Ian Dempsey who became one of its most recognizable faces. The show broadcast from RTÉ’s Dublin studios throughout its entire run.

Why Did The Den End?

RTÉ confirmed the programme’s conclusion in 2017 as part of broader scheduling changes on RTÉ Two. The decision reflected shifting children’s viewing habits, with many younger audiences moving toward streaming platforms rather than traditional broadcast timeslots. RTÉ stated at the time that the decision was driven by audience behaviour data rather than any single production issue.

Where to Watch Old Episodes

A limited selection of The Den clips appear on unofficial YouTube channels, typically uploaded by former viewers sharing nostalgia. RTÉ has not launched a dedicated streaming archive for The Den as of this writing. Some clip compilations feature moments featuring Zuppy, the show’s longstanding puppet character who became synonymous with The Den brand.

Who Plays Football at The Den?

Millwall Football Club is the sole occupant of The Den, using it as their home ground since the stadium opened in Bermondsey in 1993. The club competes in EFL Championship and League One divisions, representing Bermondsey and south-east London in English football’s league system.

Millwall FC’s Home Ground

The Den sits in New Cross Gate, south-east London, approximately a quarter-mile from the site of Millwall’s former ground, the Old Den. The stadium replaced the Old Den on 30 September 1993, with the new venue constructed to meet modern all-seater requirements following the Taylor Report recommendations after the Hillsborough disaster.

Stadium Capacity and Facilities

The Den has an all-seated capacity of 20,146, but crowd safety protocols reduce the practical capacity to approximately 18,100 when visiting fans require segregation. The stadium includes standard facilities: corporate hospitality suites, a club shop, and the Millwall FC museum. The ground is adjacent to the South London railway line originating at London Bridge, giving supporters rail access on matchdays.

Other Events at The Den

Beyond league matches, The Den has hosted cup finals, concerts, and community events. The stadium’s central London location makes it viable for non-football uses that larger venues might not accommodate on short notice. Local schools and community groups occasionally book facilities for daytime events on non-matchdays.

What Is The Den in a House?

A den is a casual, informal room within a home used primarily for relaxation, entertainment, and family gathering — distinct from formal living rooms or-purpose spaces like home offices. The term signals informality: no dining setups, no formal dress codes, and often no expectations about behaviour that a living room might carry.

Typical Features of a Den Room

Dens typically include a television, comfortable seating like sofas or sectionals, and entertainment equipment such as game consoles or streaming devices. Houzz noted in a 2022 feature on American home design that dens frequently occupy converted basements, lofts, or extensions rather than formal ground-floor rooms. The furniture tends toward durability over formality — leather sofas, bean bags, and configurable seating work better than delicate upholstered pieces.

Difference Between Den, Family Room, and Living Room

The distinction hinges on formality and location. A living room occupies a home’s formal reception area near the entrance, designed for hosting guests and presenting a polished appearance. A family room sits adjacent to the kitchen and serves as a daily-use space for household members. A den goes further toward privacy and personal use — it is where a household member retreats, often for specific activities like reading, gaming, or watching television alone or with a small group.

How to Style a Den

Remodelista recommends layering personal interests into den décor: wall-mounted art reflecting family hobbies, adjustable lighting for different activities, and soundproofing where the space adjoins other rooms. Unlike living rooms where a cohesive style matters, dens tolerate mismatched furniture if the room functions well for its intended purpose.

What Is the Plot of The Den?

The 2013 horror film The Den follows a young woman named Mary (Katherine Goonan) who participates in a research study for a video chat platform. After installing the software, she receives a call from an unknown user and begins a conversation that escalates into cyber-stalking, home invasion, and violence directed at people in her orbit.

Main Storyline of the 2013 Film

Director Zachary Donohue structures The Den as a found-footage horror film, presenting the narrative through webcam feeds, screen recordings, and security camera footage. The protagonist’s initial curiosity about the video chat platform curdles into menace as the anonymous caller begins to track her movements, call her friends, and eventually appear in person. The film’s central device — a social video chat site enabling anonymous contact — felt prescient in 2013 and has become even more relevant as such platforms proliferated.

Cast and Director

Zachary Donohue directed and co-wrote the film with Jennifer R. Real. Katherine Goonan plays Mary, the protagonist drawn into the digital nightmare. The supporting cast includes Haley Murphy, who plays Mary’s friend Chad, and Chelsea Vallillo as another secondary character drawn into the escalating threats. Donohue and Real developed the screenplay focusing on the anxiety of digital visibility — the terror of being watched by unknown parties through devices the characters voluntarily activate.

Reception and Ratings

IMDb lists The Den with a rating approximately 5.3 out of 10, reflecting mixed audience response. Critics noted the film’s effective premise and claustrophobic atmosphere, particularly in scenes confined to Mary’s apartment. However, reviews also criticised the resolution as rushed and the third-act reveals as conventional compared to the first-hour’s mounting dread.

Is The Den Worth Watching?

For Irish viewers, The Den holds genuine nostalgic value — catching a glimpse of Zuppy or hearing the old theme music triggers memories of weekday afternoons before streaming. The programme itself, by modern standards, functions as a period piece reflecting late-1980s and 1990s children’s presentation conventions. For horror fans, the 2013 film offers a tight 83-minute experience that builds dread through restraint before an uneven climax.

Pros and Cons of The Den (TV Programme)

Viewer Nostalgia and Cultural Impact

Irish adults who watched The Den in the 1990s and 2000s frequently cite the programme in nostalgic discussions about pre-internet childhoods. Former presenters have acknowledged the programme’s place in Irish media history in interviews, with several noting that afternoon scheduling meant The Den functioned as a social anchor for children arriving home from school before parents.

Similar Children’s Shows

RTÉ continued children’s programming after The Den ended, introducing updated formats. Channel 4’s First Test and CBBC’s Sooty occupied similar cultural niches in the UK. The Irish comparison point is Globetrotters, which ran concurrently with The Den for a period and shares its longer-running status in Irish children’s television memory.

Why Is the Den Not in Millwall?

The Den stadium is in Millwall — it’s just not in the original Millwall. The club moved from the Isle of Dogs to Bermondsey in 1993, but kept the “The Den” name for the new stadium. The confusion arises because the old ground (the original Den) was in the Isle of Dogs, while the current ground is in Bermondsey, approximately a quarter-mile away but in a different borough.

Historical Location of Millwall FC

Millwall FC played at the original Den (commonly called the Old Den) in the Isle of Dogs from 1960 until 1993. The Isle of Dogs was historically industrial docklands territory, and the ground reflected the working-class character of the surrounding community. As the area underwent redevelopment in the 1980s, the club faced pressure to relocate as the land value increased.

The Move to the Current Den

Millwall relocated to Bermondsey in September 1993, opening the new stadium three decades ago as of 2023. The new site had previously contained housing, a church, and the Senegal Fields playgrounds — all of which were cleared for construction. The new ground was built to accommodate all-seater requirements following the Hillsborough Inquiry recommendations, unlike the Old Den which had standing sections.

Why the Stadium Is Still Called The Den

The club chose to retain the “The Den” identity for the new stadium rather than adopting a corporate naming sponsor or a neutral title. In English football culture, stadium names carry significant community meaning — naming rights sponsors change frequently, but traditional names persist. Millwall’s tradition of keeping the “The Den” designation reflects the club’s continuity with its supporter base despite the physical relocation.

Wikipedia – The Den (RTÉ)

The Den is a long-running children’s entertainment television programme on RTÉ.

RTÉ Archives

Ray D’Arcy presented children’s afternoon programmes Den TV and The Den from 1990 to 1998.

Frequently Asked Questions

For anyone who’s searched for “The Den” and landed on the wrong tab, the solution is simple: match the context clues. A Bermondsey address means Millwall FC. A cyber-stalking plot with found-footage framing means the 2013 film. A comfortable room with a big TV and nobody using the good sofa means a den room. And an Irish presenter from the 1990s means RTÉ’s beloved children’s programme that kept a generation company on weekday afternoons.