Fraggle Rock

I watched Fraggle Rock when I was a kid, I thought it to be a magical world and actually believed in a place called Fraggle Rock when I was 4. Recently when it was aired it brought back old memories. The fraggles with their all play and no work was something that I enjoyed as a kid. However I didn't like the Gorgs and I also hoped that humans would one day interact with Fraggles. There are four different creatures: Man- Doc and his dog Sprocket, Fraggles, Douzers and Gorgs. Doc does not know the existence of the Fraggles, Gorgs want to capture the Fraggles and Douzers are the uncomplaining, untiring workers. The Fraggles are mainly Gobo the hero, Wembley, Mookey, Red & Boober.

Great for young kids.

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.

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.

Here we have a children's series that creates a world with a totally believable and frighteningly delicate ecology of creatures who really want nothing to do with each other (though they never really say so) but are completely dependent on one another. A series for children that's unafraid to tackle issues such as death, war, religion, self-sacrifice, self-actualization, and interdependency, all without resorting to "preachification" (a term from the series). The fact that "Fraggle Rock" achieved all this *and* kept the tone light and the attitude playful is nothing short of a true miracle.

"Fraggle Rock" has to be my all time favorite series as a kid, and looking back as an adult, I realize how ambitious it was. Leave it to Jim Henson to build an entire world that was so believable, you wanted to visit it. I am certain that this was a once in a lifetime thing. There will *never* be another series with this much imagination or dedication to its young audience. Too bad, as today we need this series' gentle messages more so than ever.

Recently, a few episode of "Fraggle Rock" were released on video. For many of us, these are the only ones we have access to, and I believe that a *real* "Fraggle Rock" fan should have been put in charge of which episodes were preserved. Instead, while volume three (entitled "the Fraggles Search and Find") has the two greatest episodes of all time in my opinion, the remaining tapes' episodes appear to have been chosen at random. Get tape three if you can!

I watched this show with my family when it used to be on HBO, and I just remember how much I loved the adventures and new characters. I found an old tape of them last month and watched them again...and man, they were just as much for adults as they were for kids. It was a really escapist, communist-themed show. All the characters represented something different, some element of a "perfect"community. It was crazy to watch it again and see it in a totally different light. It was then and still is one of the best television shows ever made, period. Even though Convincing John and the gypsy music group scared the hell out of me as a kid (I don't know why!), I loved it then and I love it now. LONG LIVE THE FRAGGLES!!!