Fraggle Rock

I grew up on Muppets...I watched Sesame Street since before I can remember, my worst punishment and the only one that stands out in my mind is when my mother made me go to bed without watching the Muppet Show, and then, when I was four, Fraggle Rock came out. This of the three shows is the one that stands out in my mind. Right now the theme song is going through my head with the rocking guitar. We have Fraggle Rock marathons (thanks to the episodes being released on video). We used to play with the little Happy Meals toys of them and still have them. What a great show for my generation.

Fraggle Rock was a good program. It was a unique program that featured so many of the wonderful Muppets! The show had a whole bunch of stuff and segments such as actors and other celebrities! The show was funny and exciting for what kind of program it was. In My opinion Fraggle Rock was really a head of its time and The show was perfect for the 1980s. I think the show was for both kids and the adults. I think it was a smart show. The main title of the show and the music was good. I don't know if this show is still on TV today but if it is watch this show because it was truly a special one so if you liked the classic Muppet Show, The Muppet Movie, any Muppet movie, and/or the classic Sesame Street Presents: Follow that Bird then check out Fraggle Rock today!

This show ruled!! I watched when I was a little kid when it used to air on HBO, then I watched the reruns of the show when it aired on the Disney channel a few years back. This show was really cool since it had an assortment of strange characters like the Fraggles, the Doozers, and the Fraggle capturing Gorgs. It was also good for it's morals as well. Fraggle Rock like many classic children's shows of its time did not talk down to kids nor underestimate their intelligence for that matter. I my honest opinion, they should bring this back to T.V.

By the way, Wembley, and Boober Fraggle Rule!

Shows like Fraggle Rock don't get the chance to grace the TV screens anymore. Indeed, back in the 80's and early 90's when the show was most popular among kids and (some) of their parents, there was almost nothing else like it on TV. While it shared its connection to the other Jim Henson driven show, Sesame Street, it wasn't restricted to all of the same conventions. I remember the show as a kid bringing some memorable songs, lovable characters, and some morals that rivaled most of the animated cartoons. It was also at times, along with the tradition of the muppets, very funny. The dynamics of the world of the Fraggles, of their middle-world between the world of humans and the flip-side to the Gorgs, is something of fantasy fascination even as I'm now an adult.

Once the basic premise is set-up from episode 1- Uncle "Travelly" Matt goes off into the real world to explore leaving his nephew Gobo and his pals (Mokey, Boober, Red, and Wembly) to have to retrieve a postcard each episode. In each episode, however, the Fraggles- along with their little friends the dozers, and the ominous Gorgs who think of themselves as the "rulers of the universe"- learn some new lessons, and sing some catchy songs. The whole concept of the show is practically never cynical, and like the best animated kids shows they give a variety of characters for kids to identify with and simple adventures for them to go through. There's also the wonderful touch of Doc and his dog Sprocket, who sort of keep a parallel to what the Fraggles learn.

Was this as groundbreaking as the Muppet Show or Sesame Street? Yes and no; the humor and general storytelling is definitely at times more geared to kids, and for some adults it could be a little boring. But on a technical level it's still a marvel- the little dozers especially seem hard to control, which goes to show how much ahead of the game Henson was with his creations (and the mechanics of them). The sad thing is, those who are kids right now have an idea and have seen many of the Muppet stuff- the movies, the show maybe, the cartoons- as Fraggle Rock lays dormant. Luckily there is the new DVD of the first season out, which can provide a glimpse into what made it such a cult favorite in the 80's. I still like watching an episode every so often, and like with the other Muppet films and such, it brings a smile to my face, and not very cheaply either.

I cannot believe that the Henson studios are not selling a DVD box collection of the Fraggles. This series was simply the most beautiful, artistic, and imaginative children's series of the '80's. Children's programming has suffered a serious setback ever since Jim Henson passed away.

Nowadays, instead of such films as Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal and television programs like Fraggle Rock, kids are forced to rely on the unimaginative blatherings and the artistic joke known as the Disney Corporation and Barney.

Where has the magic and art gone??? And since the magic and the splendor has receded into the mists, why can't they provide us the DVDs required to bring it back, even in just our own homes??

I just hope that this dream just comes true.