Thirteen years after its broadcast on The WB, Dycaite, founder of The Lost Media Wiki, tracked down Rapsittie Street Kids director Colin Slater, who demanded several payments of increasing amounts for a copy of the special, then ghosted the internet archivist partway through negotiations. Though Dycaite labeled the protracted and acrimonious process a “scam,” he successfully brokered a deal to obtain Slater’s copy of the film, and uploaded Rapsittie Street Kids to both Lost Media Wiki and Vimeo in full in 2015.

Dycaite’s discovery marked a new chapter in the special’s memetic afterlife, starting new rumors linking the film to conspiracies and scamming. There were theories — Slater had referenced Xenu in some of his old tweets, leading some to believe there was a Scientology connection — but as I discovered investigating the movie and speaking to eight cast and crew members, the real story behind Rapsittie Street Kids is something so convoluted that not even the internet could think it up. It’s the tale of two Long Island guys watching their dream turn into a nightmare, a software company’s bid to revolutionize the animation industry, and a bunch of talented artists stuck with a director looking to strike gold — and it’s all tied up with a Christmas bow.

honestly my favourite insight from this article was the confirmation that yes, the grandma's performance was 100% intended this way. truly iconic.