Fraggle Rock

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For the animated television series, see Fraggle Rock (animated TV series).
Fraggle Rock

Title card
Created by Jim Henson
Country of origin United Kingdom
Canada
United States
Language(s) English
No. of seasons 5
No. of episodes 96 (List of episodes)
Production
Location(s) Toronto
Running time 25 minutes per episode
Broadcast
Original channel Canada: CBC
United States: HBO
United Kingdom: ITV, Boomerang TV
Original run January 10, 1983 – March 30, 1987
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Fraggle Rock is a children's television series with a total of 5 seasons and 96 episodes running from January 10, 1983 to March 30, 1987 on HBO in the United States, CBC Television in Canada, TV2 in New Zealand and ITV & Boomerang in the UK. In 2008, Fraggle Rock will be showing in Australia on Boomerang. The series was created by Jim Henson, primarily featuring a cast of Muppet creatures called Fraggles, with music by Philip Balsam and Dennis Lee. It was one of the first shows to be co-produced by HIT Entertainment since its foundation in 1989 when it was called Henson International Television, the international arm of Jim Henson Productions.

The vision of Fraggle Rock articulated by Jim Henson was to depict a colorful and fun world. Also a world with a relatively complex system of symbiotic relationships between different "races" of creatures, an allegory to the human world, where each group was somewhat unaware of how interconnected and important they were to one another. Creating this allegorical world allowed the program to entertain and amuse while seriously exploring complex issues of prejudice, spirituality, personal identity, environment, and social conflict.[1] Fraggle Rock generally refused to over-simplify any individual issue, instead simply illustrating the consequences and inherent difficulties of different actions and relationships.[1]

The show was a worldwide hit, like Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. The "Fraggle Rock Theme" reached number 33 in the charts Britain during the phenomenon[citation needed].

Contents

[edit] The television show

Fraggle Rock made its debut on January 10, 1983 and the final episode aired on March 30, 1987 after five seasons and a total of 96 episodes. A co-production between former British television company Television South (TVS), the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, United States pay television service Home Box Office and Henson Associates (now Jim Henson Productions), the show was filmed on a Toronto soundstage, (later at Elstree Studios, London). Acclaimed avant-garde poet bpNichol was one of the show's writers.

[edit] International Co-productions

The series was produced with the intention of being aired in varied forms internationally. The human "wraparound" segments were shot separately for each nation, so that the child viewer could always relate to the world of the program. However, in the Australian, New Zealand, Irish, Dutch, Scandinavian and Eastern European shows the North American human surroundings were used. The series has appeared now in over ten countries and languages.

In the British version: Fraggle Rock is a rocky sea island with a lighthouse, the actual location shown is St. Anthony's Lighthouse located near Falmouth in Cornwall. The wraparounds featuring the inventor "Doc" (Gerard Parkes) in North America are replaced in the UK by the character called "The Captain" (played by Fulton Mackay, and after Mackay's death by first John Gordon Sinclair as "PK" and later Simon O'Brien as "BJ") who lives in the lighthouse along with his faithful dog Sprocket, who sometimes sees the Fraggles but never seems to get his owner's attention in time. The rock is known as Fraggle Rock by the humans. In the German version, the action takes place beneath the workshop of the inventor Doc, played by Hans-Helmut Dickow. In France, the wraparound segments take place in a bakery.

Michael Frith (who was Jim Henson's creative director) was inspired for the setting of Fraggle Rock by the Crystal Caves in Bermuda, during his childhood in Bermuda.

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of Fraggle Rock episodes

[edit] The inhabitants of Fraggle Rock

[edit] Fraggles

Example of Fraggle dreamsharing
Example of Fraggle dreamsharing

Fraggles are tiny humanoid creatures, about 22 inches tall, that come in a wide variety of colors and have tails that bear a tuft of fur on the end. They live in a system of caves called Fraggle Rock that are filled with all manner of creatures and features, and which seem to connect to at least two different worlds that exist in different dimensions of time and space. Fraggles live a very carefree life, spending most of their time playing, exploring, and generally enjoying themselves. They live primarily on a diet of radishes and "doozer sticks" (see below) and are known to occasionally eat other vegetables. Fraggles have the ability to "share dreams"; if they touch their heads together before falling asleep, one can enter the dream of the other Fraggle. More than one Fraggle at a time can enter a single Fraggle's dream, provided all the participants' heads are touching.

The series focused on one group of Fraggles in particular; Gobo (Jerry Nelson), Mokey (Kathryn Mullen), Red (Karen Prell), Wembley (Steve Whitmire), and Boober (Dave Goelz). They form a tight-knit group of friends, and each has a distinctive personality type.

[edit] Primary Fraggles

  • Gobo is the "leader", unusually level-headed and practical for a Fraggle, and prefers to be in control of most situations. He plays the guitar (made from a gourd) and often goes on trips to explore the lesser-known tunnels of Fraggle Rock, apparently more out of a sense of obligation from being Traveling Matt's nephew than from personal inclination.
  • Mokey is highly spiritual and artistic (she recites poetry, sketches and paints), and is usually quiet and contemplative, though even she can get annoyed from time to time. She is the optimist of the group, trying to see the best in everyone and everything, and comforting her friends when no such "bright side" can be found.
  • Red, in direct contrast to her best friend Mokey, is exuberant and athletic; she is one of the best swimmers among the Fraggles. She was described by Mo Rocca on VH1's I Love the 80s: Strikes Back as the "Buck the establishment Fraggle." She is also highly cynical of her friends' plans and ideas and often teases Gobo about his Uncle Travelling Matt (occasionally yawning while he reads the postcards). Red, like Gobo, also wants to be in control, and there is often friction between them over who should be the one in charge.
  • Wembley, Gobo's best friend, is nervous and pathologically indecisive (this is mostly because he doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings; saying 'yes' to someone means saying 'no' to someone else). In fact, "to wemble" is a Fraggle verb to describe indecisiveness. Starting with the episode "The Thirty-Minute Work Week" and in later episodes, Wembley works with the fire department, as their siren. The Fraggle Rock fire department, however, does not put out fires -- it starts them. Or at least they would, if any of them knew how to.
  • Boober's cardinal traits are depression and worry, and his favorite activity is washing socks – Fraggles, however, do not seem to use footwear most of the time. Boober is almost always negative, and displays hypochondriac tendencies, and is allergic to dogs. Boober is also the cook from Fraggle Rock.

[edit] Secondary Fraggles

  • Cantus (voiced by Jim Henson) and the Minstrels continually travel to different parts of the cave, and stop several times at Fraggle Rock. They encourage the Fraggles to find their own songs, which culminate in "Our melody/come and sing it with me/It's a song where you know you'll belong.../'Cause you know we belong to the song."
  • Convincing John (Jim Henson) is a televangelist-like Fraggle who uses his fast talking musical numbers to convince Fraggles to do anything, from getting Red to wear a blindfold to getting all Fraggles to stop eating Doozer constructions (and subsequently, to start eating them again). ("He could convince a Gorg that he's a Doozer!") Convincing John lives some distance away from the rest of the Fraggle warren: it is suggested that this status is something akin to exile, or quarantine, given Convincing John's propensity to convince people to do things at random. He does have a group of singing, dancing acolytes, however.
  • Henchy Fraggle is the World's Oldest Fraggle's assistant. His role is to correct The World's Oldest Fraggle, and then get hit in the nose with his cane after he exclaims, "I know that!"
  • Large Marvin (Dave Goelz) is an obese Fraggle who loves snacking, but also loves swimming, and is a long-time nemesis of Red Fraggle.
  • Marlon Fraggle (Steve Whitmire) is an odd looking Fraggle who resembles Peter Lorre. He wants to form a cult, has "ideas about behavioral modification" (in The Finger of Light) and carved a sculpture out of radishes for his turn as Moon Greeter ("Capturing the Moon"). As Fraggles go, he's probably the closest they come to 'evil'.
  • Side Bottom (Dave Goelz) is Boober's alter ego. He is funny, loud and messy unlike Boober. He sometimes comes out during Boober's dreams and causes problems.
  • The Storyteller (Terry Angus) lives in the Fraggle tunnels somewhere and tells the Fraggles the story of the terrible tunnel.
  • Uncle "Traveling" Matt (Dave Goelz) is Gobo’s famous explorer uncle. He spends most of the series in "Outer Space" (His perspective of the human world) and sends postcards back to his nephew describing his adventures there. He interacts with and often ends up interfering with the daily lives of humans, known to Fraggles as the "Silly Creatures." His name is a pun on "traveling matte".
  • The World's Oldest Fraggle (Dave Goelz) serves as elder for the Fraggles, often officiating at ceremonial events and emergency meetings. His first appearance was in the Fraggle Rock episode The Finger of Light. The World's Oldest Fraggle is obviously greatly respected by the Fraggles, but he's not their leader. His role seems to be mostly ceremonial; he presides over games and leads meetings a lot, but he doesn't make rules for anyone.

[edit] Doozers

Within Fraggle Rock lives a second species of small humanoid creatures, the pudgy, green, ant-like Doozers. Standing only 6 inches tall (knee high to a fraggle), Doozers are in a sense anti-Fraggles; their lives are dedicated to work and industry. Doozers spend much of their time busily constructing all manner of scaffolding throughout Fraggle Rock using miniature construction equipment and wearing hardhats and work boots. No one but the Doozers themselves seem to understand the actual purpose of their intricate and beautiful constructions.

Often their building is accompanied by marching songs and various doozer chants. To ensure that they always have a steady stream of work to do, Doozers build their constructions out of an edible candy-like substance (manufactured from radishes) which is greatly enjoyed by Fraggles. They actually want the Fraggles to eat their constructions because "architecture's supposed to be enjoyed" and also so they can go on to build again. This is essentially the only interaction between Doozers and Fraggles; Doozers spend most of their time building, and Fraggles spend much of their time eating Doozer buildings. They thus form an odd sort of symbiosis.

This symbiosis was part of an episode where Mokey called upon the Fraggles not to eat the Doozers' constructions - because they spend so much time making them. Fraggle Rock was quickly filled with constructions and the Doozers had no space left to build. After running out of space the Doozers finally decided that it was time to move on to a new area because the Fraggles would not eat their construction, and there was even a tragic scene with a mother explaining to her daughter about how things don't always work out but that they would find a new place to live where their construction would get eaten. Overhearing this convinced Mokey that they didn't mind that the constructions were eaten, because this enabled the Doozers to build ad infinitum. As a result, Mokey frantically rescinded her prohibition and encouraged the Fraggles to ravenously eat the structures just in time to encourage the Doozers to stay.

At one point, there was a series of Fraggle Rock books, one entitled "The Legend of the Doozer Who Didn't." This book details the story of a Doozer who went against Doozer tradition when he stopped working and going to school. According to this book, a Doozer who doesn't becomes a Fraggle.

The series had several episodes that featured a Doozer as a main character, a young female named Cotterpin. She was performed by Kathryn Mullen.

[edit] Known Doozers

  • The Architect (Jerry Nelson) is the one responsible for designing all of the Doozers’ creations. He also becomes Cotterpin’s mentor in episode 32.
  • Bailiff Doozer (Mike Petersen) is involved in Cotterpin's trial.
  • Bulldoozer (Tim Gosley)
  • Cotterpin Doozer (Kathy Mullen) is a rather rebellious young Doozer with a stubborn streak. She’s possibly the only Doozer who interacts with the Fraggles on a fairly regular basis. In episode 32 she becomes an apprentice to The Architect.
  • Crusty Doozer (Steve Whitmire) is originally one of the Doozers left behind in the Cavern of Lost Dreams (the original Doozer Cave).
  • Flex Doozer gets covered by Boober's lucky hat in episode 8.
  • Hammerhead Doozer
  • Judge Gavel Doozer (Karen Prell) presides over Cotterpin's trial
  • Rotary Doozer (Sandra Shamas)
  • Scoop Doozer
  • Tumbrell Doozer (Gordon Robertson) tries to get the Architect to get rid of Cotterpin as his apprentice.
  • Turbo Doozer (Richard Hunt) introduces Wrench to flooping.
  • Tweezer Doozer
  • Wrench Doozer (Dave Goelz) is Cotterpin’s friend and Modem Doozer's son.
  • Yeaster Doozer (Sandra Shamas) is one of the Doozers originally left behind in the Cavern of Lost Dreams (the original Doozer Cave).

[edit] The Silly Creatures of Outer Space

Gobo's uncle Matt, known as Traveling Matt, has gone into "Outer Space" (which is what the Fraggles call the human world) to explore, and he sends postcards back to Gobo regularly. The name "Traveling Matt" is also a joke, as the special-effects technique for combining objects (such as spaceships and starry background) is known as a travelling matte. Humans are known to Fraggles by the name "Silly Creatures", bestowed by Matt after observing and interacting with them in his travels.

In the North American version, the connection between Fraggle Rock and Outer Space is a small hole in the wall of the workshop of an eccentric inventor called "Doc", and Gobo must go out into Doc's workshop to retrieve the postcards from the wastebasket where Doc throws them. Doc is unaware of the Fraggles' existence, but his dog Sprocket has seen them and attempts in vain to prove their existence to his master.

Doc's true name was revealed in the last episode to be Jerome Christian (or Crystal, according to the official Encyclopedia Fragglia). In the second-to-last episode, he finally learns that the Fraggles exist and befriends them. Matt also returns home to Fraggle Rock.

Doc has a friend, Ned Shimmelfinnie. At first Sprocket hates Shimmelfinnie, who has a cat, Fluffanella. Sprocket makes a face and choking gestures every time Shimmelfinnie's name is mentioned. He stops doing this after Doc and Shimmelfinnie have a fight in episode 19 of Season One.

Doc also helps out Ms. Ardeth, who moves into his neighborhood in episode 44. She runs a bed & breakfast called The Captain's Inn. Sprocket has a crush on her pet Airedale, Marigold.

[edit] Gorgs

Outside another exit from Fraggle Rock live a small family of Gorgs, giant furry humanoids standing 22 feet tall. The husband and wife of the family consider themselves the King and Queen of the Universe, with their son Junior as its prince and heir, but to all appearances they are really simple farmers with a rustic house and garden patch. The second episode of the first season reveals that the Gorgs have never actually met anyone besides themselves ("I've never met a subject before!"), suggesting that King and Queen of the Universe are self-imposed titles. Fraggles are considered pests by the Gorgs, as they steal radishes. In one episode it is revealed that the Gorgs use radishes to make "anti-vanishing cream" that prevents them from becoming invisible. Thus, the three main races of the Fraggle Rock universe — Fraggles, Doozers and Gorgs — are all dependent on the radishes for their own particular reason. While the King and Queen consider the Fraggles disgusting vermin, Junior enjoys chasing, catching and imprisoning them, much like a boy would lizards and bugs ("Look, Maw! I caught a Fwaggle!").

[edit] Marjory, The Trash Heap

Marjory, The Trash Heap
Marjory, The Trash Heap

The Trash Heap is a wise being, referred to as an "oracle", that is the garbage dump of the Gorgs. She and her heckling heralds live near the Gorg's garden, and she gives the Fraggles guidance and advice, which the Fraggles regard with reverence, but not worship. She also appears to have some magical abilities (specifically telepathy and the ability to teleport items or Fraggles), though she doesn't use them often. The Trash Heap was voiced by Jerry Nelson.

[edit] Philo & Gunge

The heralds of the Trash Heap, they often introduced her as the "all-knowing, all-seeing Trash Heap!" Their main job was to provide humor, bad jokes, and puns. Although Gunge professed to be the brains of the pair, neither ever really prove to be a great help. They watched over the Trash Heap; if they left for a long time she would begin to die out. When she was finished speaking, they would announce, "The Trash Heap has spoken! Nyeah!" Philo and Gunge did get two episodes of the series devoted to them: "Home Is Where The Trash Is" and "Gunge The Great & Glorious". After Fraggle Rock ended, Philo went into retirement, but Gunge appeared on Dinosaurs and Mopatop's Shop. Philo was played by Dave Goelz and Gunge was played by Richard Hunt.

[edit] Other Characters and Creatures

  • Aretha (Sharon Lee Williams) is a cave creature who accompanies Gobo when he sings "Only Way Home" in episode 33.
  • The Avalanche Monster (Bob Stutt) is a terrible pile of walking boulders. This creature has very poor eyesight, but quite acute hearing, and lives in Avalanche Pass, which is on the Wonder Trail.
  • Baby Tree Creature (Karen Prell) is a type of Gorg bird.
  • Balsam the Minstrel is one of the five Minstrels who plays the bongo drums.
  • The Beast (Karen Prell) is Tosh Fraggle's lion-esque pet.
  • The Beast of Bluerock lives in a mysterious lair that is only visible for 2 days after the Doozer equinox never to be seen for another year, later proven to be the fear in the Fraggles' hearts, a test by the Trash Heap.
  • Begoony (John Pattison) is a magical creature that Mokey befriends in episode 68.
  • The Blob is a giant rolling blob that has a generally amorphous shape but has some kind of mouth somewhere. In one episode, the Blob comes in and continues to eat Doozer after Doozer. The Fraggles finally find a way to get the Blob to regurgitate all the Doozers by telling jokes and getting the thing to laugh very intensely.
  • Blue Dragon (Rob Mills) is the creature that Red encounters in one of the worlds beyond the magical arches of the T. Matthew Fraggle Room in episode 80.
  • The Blustering Bellowpane Monster (Tom Vandenberg) is the creature which blows Boober's lucky hat off his head in episode 8.
  • Brool the Minstrel (Tim Gosley) is one of the five Minstrels. He plays a string instrument that looks like a large guitar.
  • Cooties are creatures whose sting causes Rock Fever.
  • Ditzies are small tiny creatures that give off light. They live off music and are the source of all light in Fraggle Rock.
  • Dreedlebugs build nests which are good for making ink.
  • Food is a strange, brown creature that makes his appearance many times in Fraggle Rock. He first appeared on Saturday Night Live with the Muppets during a sketch.
  • Enigma Fish
  • Flying Batworm (Steve Whitmire) is a nocturnal creature also known as the Hairy-Chested Flying Batworm
  • Gaga Bugs have a bite that causes insanity.
  • Giant Bolo Monster
  • Gridgen Spiders
  • Honkfish are found in the river near the Gorg's Castle. They swim around a bend and get stuck once a year.
  • The Inkspots (Rob Mills and Gordon Robertson) are little creatures with bulging eyes who appear in the background of various episodes.
  • The Invisible Garboyle is of unknown size and shape due to its invisibility; what is known of it is that it is a fearsome demon of Fraggle lore living in the Great Outer Maze, Gobo accidentally releases it but tricks it back in its rocky tomb.
  • Lanford (Rob Mills) is Mokey's pet plant, a Night-Blooming Yellow-Leaved Deathwort.
  • The Last of the Lilly Creatures is a Sea Monster that Red discovered in the episode Red's Sea Monster. The Sea Monster is a purple Monster and performed by Bob Stutt.
  • Lizard (Rob Mills) is what Mudwell becomes after he’s transformed.
  • The Magical Spider-Fly (Richard Hunt) is a flying insect capable of turning into an avuncular Fraggle-like being and granting wishes.
  • Mavis, the Magic Mirror (Sandra Shamas) is a magical mirror which Red and Cotterpin encounter in episode 84.
  • The Mean Genie (Richard Hunt) is found by Wembley in episode 57.
  • Merggles appear in episode 89 when roots are taking over the pond and Red tries to kill them, yet when she touches the roots she receives the message "follow the roots" and indeed does follow the roots to find a new land inhabited by Merggles, who are like Fraggles but have fins instead of legs.
    • Merboo Merggle (Kathy Mullen) is a prophet.
    • Merkey Merggle (Rob Mills) is the seer of the dark side.
    • Mermer Merggle (Steve Whitmire) is the leader of the Merggles
    • Merple Merggle (Nikki Tilroe) is always happy and also the seer of the bright side.
    • Mervin Merggle (Jerry Nelson) sells hats
  • Mirkmonster (Bob Stutt)) is an enormous creature. All you ever see is its arm, and it's longer than a handful of Fraggles.
  • Moss-billed Flubberducks
  • Mudwell the Mudbunny (Richard Hunt) is a creature that Wembley meets. He has a short life span and he dies, leaving Wembley to learn about life's greatest mystery.
  • Murray the Minstrel (Steve Whitmire) is one of the five Minstrels and "second in command" to Cantus. He plays a guitar.
  • The Plants of the Cave Of Boredom/Forgetfulness are carnivorous plants that release a gas (or a form of pollen) that causes anyone who breathes it in to forget absolutely everything. Eventually, the victim reaches the point where they forget how to stand up and the plants move in and eat them.
  • The Poison Cackler (Tim Gosley) is a large, fearsome, scorpion-like creature who enjoys eating smoke bombs.
  • Purple Sproingers are jellyfish-like creatures that float through the air. They are actually metamorphosed Toe Ticklers – think caterpillars to butterflies.
  • Rock Clingers live in the Crystal Cavern. If they fall in love with a Fraggle, the creature will follow that Fraggle everywhere.
  • Rockbeetles
  • Rumblebugs are bugs that create humming sounds.
  • Screaming Iceworms
  • The Singing Cacti have a song that mesmerizes all those who hear it. They live on the Wonder Trail.
  • Skenfrith (Dave Goelz) is magical creature whose appearance and personality are altered depending on what those around him believe or imagine.
  • The Terrible Tunnel may or may not be considered a creature (it's unknown whether it is actually alive or not), but it is terrible. It is a long, cobweb encrusted tunnel that leads to a large head-shaped boulder. If the boulder is touched, it snaps open like a set of jaws and pulls any unfortunate creature into it with a powerful vacuum. Wembley, Gobo and Red just barely escaped from it. So far, they're the only ones who have.
  • Thimblebeetles; otherwise known as "Thimblebugs"
  • Toe Ticklers are fuzzy caterpillar-like creatures that are despised by the Gorgs since they eat flowers. However they eventually pupate and turn into flying jelly-fish like creatures (Purple Sproingers) which the Gorgs admire as beautiful creatures of the skies (much in the same way that humans look upon caterpillars and butterflies).
  • Wander McMooch (Bob Stutt) is a terrible warty creature who lives in some form of swamp or bog. He first appears in "Junior Sells the Farm" where he tries to swindle the Gorgs out of their homestead. He seems to have some prior experience with Fraggles because he hates them. He is revealed to be an old nemesis of Marjory the trash heap and enslaves Philo and Gunge when they leave home for greener pastures in "Home is Where the Trash is". When the Fraggles discover this predicament (Marjory is sure they are in trouble but unclear in what way), it is up to them to track down McMooch and assail him with a barrage of mushy sentiments and hugs and kisses (which he despises) to get him to free Philo and Gunge.
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] FraggleRADIO - The Radio Station

The Radio Station: 'FraggleRADIO'[citation needed]

FraggleRADIO was an internet radio station based in Liverpool England created by Dave Carter in 2004. The radio station later moved to a new location in the Quiggins building on School Lane in Liverpool city centre and a new team was recruited for better and much more entertaining radio shows. FraggleRADIO and its name had no professional association with Fraggle Rock or its producers. The station is no longer operational due to the closure of Quiggins.

[edit] Home Video

Season Releases

DVD Name Release Date Ep # Additional Information
Fraggle Rock: Complete First Season September 6, 2005 24 Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock notepad, Behind the Scenes Documentary narrated by Jim Henson, Interviews with the cast and creators, Deluxe collectors box.
Fraggle Rock: Complete Second Season September 5, 2006 24 Jim Henson's Creatures and places of Fraggle Rock notepad, Steve Whitmire's Home Videos, Deluxe Collectors Box and tribute to Jerry Juhl.
Fraggle Rock: Complete Third Season September 11, 2007 24 All-new featurettes and interviews with Fraggle Rock cast and creators, Deluxe embossed collector's packaging.
Fraggle Rock: Complete Fourth Season October 28, 2008 24 All-new featurettes and interviews with Fraggle Rock cast and creators.

Select episodes have been released on VHS at one point or another. A petition to get Fraggle Rock released on DVD was run on the web for many years[citation needed]. For a long time the only DVD release had been in the UK, a "best of" collection that was 12 episodes in a grainy transfer.

HIT Entertainment produced a DVD containing three episodes of Fraggle Rock (titled Fraggle Rock: Where it All Began). It was first released on July 27, 2004, to Wal-Mart Stores in the USA, as a test to see if there still is a market for Fraggle Rock. The test was apparently a success: several more DVDs have been released in the USA, including the Fraggle Rock - Complete First Season DVD set on September 6, 2005 (these DVDs also include some episodes of the animated series, plus episodes of the claymation series Pingu). HIT Entertainment released a DVD collection of the complete second season of Fraggle Rock on September 5, 2006. Season 3 was released on September 11, 2007. Season 4 has been announced and is planned to be released on October 28, 2008. There was also a DVD released with three more episodes of Fraggle Rock titled "Fraggle Rock: Live by the Rule of the Rock."

Fraggle Rock is available in its entirety on DVD in Australia (Region 4) from Magna Pacific. Sold as four season box sets, each set contains one season across four discs. "The Complete Fourth Season" set actually contains the complete fourth and fifth seasons. These releases contain the American broadcast version of the episodes and have no special features.

A set of plush dolls of Gobo, Wembley and Red were released with a DVD packed in that features two episodes of the show and an episode of the animated series.

[edit] 2007 syndication

In 2007, Fraggle Rock reruns aired on television in several countries.

On July 23, 2007, Boomerang started repeating episodes of the North American co-production of Fraggle Rock in the UK.

On October 24, 2007, The Australian Broadcasting Corporation begins repeating episodes on the digital-only ABC2 channel.

On September 20, 2007, TVNZ 6 in New Zealand began airing episodes daily.

[edit] Cast

Cast 

[edit] Spin-offs

[edit] Animated series

Main article: Fraggle Rock (animated TV series)

An animated Fraggle Rock series aired for one season on NBC's Saturday morning lineup in 1987.

[edit] Feature film

In September 2005, it was announced that The Jim Henson Company had begun work on Fraggle Rock: The Movie, with the aim of a release in 2009. The story is said to involve the original Fraggle characters.[2] As of October 2006 this is still current and the BBC reports that the film will be set in the human world with Frank Zappa's son at the helm. [3] As of October 20, 2006; according to Darkhorizons.com: "Henson's company has hired executive producer Ahmet Zappa ("The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless") to write a treatment for the film which will be a full-length live-action musical fantasy starring the underground dwellers who venture out into the human world. Henson Co. co-topper Lisa Henson is producing, whilst Brian Henson will exec produce." Also, Walt Disney Pictures and Universal Pictures have both teamed up to distribute this film, either with Disney handling US distribution and Universal handling overseas distribution, or Universal handling US distribution and Disney handling overseas distribution.

In May 2008 it was announced that The Weinstein Company will be distributing the Fraggle Rock movie. The film is being written as a live-action musical by Cory Edwards, who will also direct. The film will be produced by The Jim Henson Company; Ahmet Zappa is still executive producing along with Brian Inerfeld. The film will involve all of the core characters from the series. The story will take the characters "outside of their home in Fraggle Rock, where they interact with humans, which they think are aliens." [1]

[edit] The songs of Fraggle Rock

Music was central to Fraggle Rock. Every episode featured two or three original songs co-written by Canadian poet Dennis Lee and Philip Balsam, as well as incidental music. Several episodes (usually involving Cantus and the Minstrels) were primarily about music, such as Red Fraggle trying to find "her song" for the Fraggle Medley, or the effect of music on the breaking of winter or the presence of light in Fraggle Rock.

[edit] Album releases

Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock: The Fraggle Rockin' Collection, a 3-disc box set of Fraggle Rock music, was released by KOCH Records on October 30, 2007. The collection is said to feature "restored and remastered" versions of three original Fraggle Rock LPs. The collection is also reported to include "special liner notes featuring rarely seen photos, contributions from the original composers and even sheet music for select songs."[4] The main portion of these liner notes, called "Getting Down at Fraggle Rock," features an interview with Philip Balsam and Lawrence R. Mirkin and is written by Mike Petersen and Saul Pincus.

[edit] Song list

Song list 

[edit] Soundtrack musicians

  • Don Gillis - musical director
  • Bernie LaBarge - guitar
  • Michael Francis - guitar
  • Bob McLaren - drums
  • Ray Parker - keyboards
  • Tom Szczesniak - bass guitar
  • Dick Smith - percussion

[edit] Books based on Fraggle Rock

Books based on Fraggle Rock 

There were also two separate Fraggle Rock comic book series, published by the Star Comics imprint of Marvel Comics. The first series lasted 8 issues, the second series lasted 6 issues.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Down at Fraggle Rock documentary; 1987, HBO and Jim Henson Productions
  2. ^ James, Greg (September 20, 2005). Fraggle Rock film in development. Muppet Central News. Retrieved on 2006-03-26.
  3. ^ BBC News "Fraggles get big screen adventure"
  4. ^ James, Greg. Fraggle Rockin' CD Details. The Muppet Newsflash. September 6, 2007

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