"Fraggle Rock" (1983) TV series 1983-1987

Creator:

Jim Henson

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

10 January 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical

Plot:

The adventures of the various inhabitants of an underground civilization.

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Workshop | Cult Favorite | Singing | Builder

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Gerard Parkes	...	Doc / ... (96 episodes, 1983-1987)
Steve Whitmire	...	Sprocket the Dog / ... (96 episodes, 1983-1987)
Dave Goelz	...	Boober Fraggle / ... (96 episodes, 1983-1987)
Terry Angus	...	Muppet Performer / ... (96 episodes, 1983-1987)
Jerry Nelson	...	Gobo Fraggle / ... (95 episodes, 1983-1987)
Karen Prell	...	Red Fraggle / ... (95 episodes, 1983-1987)
Tim Gosley	...	Muppet Performer / ... (94 episodes, 1983-1987)
Kathryn Mullen	...	Mokey Fraggle / ... (93 episodes, 1983-1987)
Cheryl Wagner	...	Muppet Performer / ... (90 episodes, 1983-1987)
Bob Stutt	...	Muppet Performer / ... (89 episodes, 1983-1987)
John Pattison	...	Muppet Performer / ... (86 episodes, 1983-1987)
Richard Hunt	...	Junior Gorg / ... (68 episodes, 1983-1987)
Lee Armstrong	...	Muppet Performer / ... (62 episodes, 1983-1987)
Sandra Shamas	...	Muppet Performer / ... (59 episodes, 1984-1987)
Robert Mills	...	Junior Gorg / ... (57 episodes, 1983-1987)
Tom Vandenberg	...	Muppet Performer / ... (48 episodes, 1983-1987)
Patricia Leeper	...	Ma Gorg / ... (46 episodes, 1983-1987)
Myra Fried	...	Muppet Performer / ... (42 episodes, 1983-1986)

Also Known As:

Fraggle Hill (USA) (working title)
Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson's Muppets (complete title)
Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock (USA) (complete title)
The International Show (USA) (working title)
The Woozles (USA) (working title)
Woozle World (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

Israel:30 min (96 episodes) | Sweden:24 min | USA:30 min

Country:

Canada | UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:G | Canada:G | USA:TV-Y | Iceland:L | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

CBC Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)

Trivia:

Karen Prell, the voice of Red Fraggle, auditioned for and very much wanted the role of Mokey. Jim Henson called her up and decided to hire her, but for the role of Red. Prell was excited to be hired, but when she hung up the phone she thought to herself, "They want me to play RED?"

Quotes:

Mokey Fraggle: It was rapturous!
Red Fraggle: Is "rapturous" the same as "boring"?
Wembley Fraggle: I don't think so.
Red Fraggle: Then she's wrong.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bad Santa (2003)

wonderful many years down the line; kids of today might want to take a look

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.