Fraggle Rock

Fraggle Rock
Title card
Created by	Jim Henson
Country of origin	United Kingdom Canada United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	4
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
Original run	January 10, 1983 – March 30, 1987
External links
Official website

Fraggle Rock is a children's television series with a total of 4 seasons and 96 episodes. The series originally ran from January 10, 1983 to March 30, 1987 on HBO in the United States, CBC Television in Canada, TV2 in New Zealand and TVS in the UK. Later Boomerang and Cartoonito broadcast it in the UK. In 2008, Fraggle Rock is showing in the UK on POP! and Tiny Pop, in Australia on Boomerang and in Canada on Teletoon Retro. 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.

Jim Henson articulated a vision of Fraggle Rock as depicting a colourful and fun world; "It is a high-energy, raucous musical romp. It's a lot of silliness. It's wonderful."^[1] The setting depicts 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.^[2] Fraggle Rock generally refused to over-simplify any individual issue, instead simply illustrating the consequences and inherent difficulties of different actions and relationships.^[2]

The show became a worldwide hit, like Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. The "Fraggle Rock Theme" reached number 33 in the British music charts during the phenomenon.^[3]

The television show

Fraggle Rock made its debut on January 10, 1983 and the final episode aired on March 30, 1987 — after four 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 sound stage, (later at Elstree Studios, London). Acclaimed avant-garde poet bpNichol worked as one of the show's writers. In the early days of development, the script called Fraggles "Woozles" pending the devising of a more suitable name.

International co-productions

The producers made the series with the intention of it airing in various forms internationally. That concept grew out of Duncan Kenworthy's experience adapting Sesame Street to the requirements of foreign markets.^[1] 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, Dutch, Irish, Scandinavian, Spanish and Eastern European shows the North American human surroundings were used. The series has appeared now in over ten countries and languages.

The British version presents Fraggle Rock as a rocky sea-island with a lighthouse; it used as an actual shown location 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 (Jim Henson's creative director) took inspiration for the setting of Fraggle Rock from the Crystal Caves in Bermuda, known during his childhood in Bermuda.

Episodes

The inhabitants of Fraggle Rock

Fraggles

Example of Fraggle dreamsharing

Fraggles, tiny humanoid creatures about 18 inches tall ^[1], 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 - caves 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. However, they are by no means irresponsible or simple, and manage to maintain a fairly complex culture and society, with each Fraggle having a particular responsibility to uphold. The series presents Fraggles as curious, clever, brave and quick to act in an emergency. They have basic skills with tools and with crude machinery, and even the concept of war is familiar enough to them (although wars between Fraggles are very rare). Fraggles live on a diet of vegetables, especially radishes and "doozer sticks" (see below). 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. Deep in the caves of Fraggle Rock lives another group of Fraggles that are known to other Fraggles as Enemy Fraggles (as shown in the episode "Fraggle Wars"). Enemy Fraggles live in a place they call Fraggle Cave. The Enemy Fraggles are dull and seem to be a lot like Doozers in a way in that both dislike Fraggles and neither have a lot of fun.

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 distinct personality.

Primary Fraggles

• Gobo a "leader", unusually level-headed and practical for a Fraggle, prefers to control most situations. He plays a 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. He is an unfailing pragmatist, and resists the influence of his friends. Gobo has an orange complexion and purple hair, and wears a yellow sweater with a brown vest: in early episodes he used to wear a dark magenta jacket.
• Mokey represents a highly spiritual and artistic type (she recites poetry, sketches and paints), and usually remains quiet and contemplative, though even she can get annoyed from time to time. She functions as 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. According to episode 15, Mokey can make friends quite easily because of her optimistic personality. Though spiritual and serene, Mokey has the dangerous job of procuring radishes from the Gorgs' garden. Mokey has mauve skin and light blue hair; she wears a greyish brown cardigan. She also wears the pop-top from a soda can as a necklace pendant.
• Red, in direct contrast to her best friend Mokey, has an exuberant and athletic nature; 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 Traveling Matt (occasionally yawning while he reads the postcards). Red, like Gobo, wants to be in control, and there is often friction between them over who should be the one in charge. During the course of the show, Red and Mokey become roommates. Red has a yellowish orange hue, red hair, and wears a red sweater.
• Wembley, Gobo's best friend and roommate, appears nervous and pathologically indecisive (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 meaning "to be indecisive". Starting with the episode "The Thirty-Minute Work Week" and in later episodes, Wembley works with the fire department, as their siren. Wembley looks greenish yellow, with yellow hair. He wears a white shirt with palm trees on it.
• Boober's cardinal traits include depression and worry, and his favorite activity is washing socks – Fraggles, however, do not seem to use footwear most of the time. Boober almost always expresses a negative attitude, and displays hypochondriac tendencies (he is apparently allergic to dogs) and he is deeply superstitious. Boober is also Fraggle Rock's cook and launderer. Boober is greenish blue with reddish orange hair, and always wears a brown hat and scarf. He is the only primary Fraggle whose eyes remain invisible, and he prefers to live on his own.

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), an evangelist-like Fraggle, 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, however, have a group of singing, dancing acolytes.
• The Eminent and Venerable Council of Sages. The council comprises whichever are the first three Fraggles to show up for a hearing. Red brings Mokey before the council (comprised of the dopey Limbo, Hambone and a sleeping female fraggle) when she mistakenly thinks Mokey has stolen her radish bars.
• Henchy Fraggle acts as assistant to the World's Oldest Fraggle. 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), an obese Fraggle who loves snacking and also swimming: he is a long-time nemesis of Red Fraggle.
• Lou "Louise" Fraggle, (Cheryl Wagner), a female fraggle who becomes Wembley's girlfriend in the episode We Love You Wembley.
• Marlon Fraggle (Steve Whitmire), an odd-looking Fraggle, resembles Peter Lorre. He wants to form a cult, has "ideas about behavioural modification" (in "The Finger of Light") and carves 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) functions as Boober's alter ego. He is funny, loud and messy, unlike Boober. He sometimes appears during Boober's dreams and causes problems.
• The Storyteller (Terry Angus) lives somewhere in the Fraggle tunnels and tells the Fraggles the story of the terrible tunnel. She has an infatuation with Gobo's Uncle Traveling Matt which comes to light while she is telling the story of Uncle Matt's first adventure, In her first appearance where she was performed Richard Hunt.
• Tosh Fraggle, a friend of Boober's, has a pet Beast.
• 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. He first appears in the 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.

Doozers

Within Fraggle Rock lives a second species of small humanoid creatures, the pudgy, green, ant-like Doozers. Standing only 6 inches (150 mm) tall (knee-high to a Fraggle), Doozers in a sense represent 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 hard-hats and work boots. No one but the Doozers themselves seem to understand the actual purpose of their intricate and beautiful constructions.

Often they accompany their building with 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. In one episode, the flavor of the Doozer sticks is augmented^{[by whom?]} by adding other flavors, such as tomato and mustard.

This symbiosis becomes integral to an episode where Mokey calls upon the Fraggles to stop eating the Doozers' constructions - because they spend so much time making them. Fraggle Rock quickly fills with constructions and the Doozers have no space left in which to build. After running out of space, the Doozers finally decide that it is time to move on to a new area because the Fraggles won't eat their construction, and there is even a tragic scene with a mother explaining to her daughter about how things don't always work out but that they will find a new place to live where their construction will get eaten. Overhearing this, Mokey realises that she has inadvertently disrupted a vital symbiotic relationship through ignorant good intentions. As a result, Mokey frantically rescinds her prohibition and encourages the Fraggles to gorge on the structures — just in time to persuade the Doozers to stay.

At one point a series of Fraggle Rock books appeared, 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.

Known Doozers

• Angle Doozer
• The Architect (Jerry Nelson) designs all of the Doozers’ creations. He also becomes Cotterpin's mentor in episode 32.
• Bailiff Doozer (Mike Petersen) is involved in Cotterpin's trial.
• Board Doozer
• Bulldoozer (Tim Gosley)
• Cotterpin Doozer (Kathy Mullen), a rather rebellious young Doozer, has 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, because of her passion for drawing.
• Crosscut Doozer (Kathy Mullen)
• Crusty Doozer (Steve Whitmire) is originally one of the Doozers left behind in the Cavern of Lost Dreams (the original Doozer Cave).
• Derrick Doozer
• Drillbit Doozer mentioned by Cotterpin in the episode "Boober and the Glob".
• Flex Doozer gets covered by Boober's lucky hat in the episode "You Can't Do That Without a Hat".
• Flange Doozer (Steve Whitmire) is Cotterpin's father.
• Hammerhead Doozer
• Judge Gavel Doozer (Karen Prell) presides over Cotterpin's trial.
• Lock Doozer, one of the Doozers eaten by The Glob.
• Modem Doozer (Karen Prell) is Wrench Doozer's mother.
• Rotary Doozer (Sandra Shamas)
• Scoop Doozer
• Spanner 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
• Wingnut Doozer (Karen Prell) is Cotterpin's mother.
• 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).

The Silly Creatures of Outer Space

Gobo's uncle Matt, known as Traveling Matt, has gone into "Outer Space" (as Fraggles call the human world) to explore, and he regularly sends postcards back to Gobo. The name "Traveling Matt" puns on the special-effects technique for combining objects (such as spaceships and starry background): known as a traveling matte. Humans are known to Fraggles by the name "Silly Creatures", bestowed by Matt after observing and interacting with them in his travels. His letters to Gobo describe his interactions with "the silly creatures", often showing an extreme lack of knowledge of the subject at hand; for example, one episode has him watching two teenage girls chewing bubble gum, and upon seeing them blow bubbles, believes that the gum (which he thinks of as food) has caused their tongues to inflate and explode.

The North American version shows the connection between Fraggle Rock and Outer Space as 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 remains unaware of the Fraggles' existence, but his dog Sprocket has seen them and attempts in vain to prove their existence to his master. Before becoming an inventor, Doc made his living as a barber.

The last episode reveals Doc's true name: 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. Betty Ardath, who moves into his neighborhood in episode 44. She runs a bed-and-breakfast called "The Captain's Inn". Sprocket has a crush on her pet Airedale, Marigold, just as Doc has a crush on Betty.

Gorgs

On the outside of another exit from Fraggle Rock — through a well — live a small family of Gorgs, giant furry humanoids standing 22 feet (6.7 m) tall. The husband and wife of the family consider themselves the King (Gordon Robertson and Jerry Nelson) and Queen (Trish Leeper and Myra Fried) of the Universe, with their son Junior (Richard Hunt and Rob Mills) 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 in years ("I've never met a real subject before!"), suggesting that King and Queen of the Universe are self-bestowed titles. The Gorgs regard Fraggles as pests, 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 different reasons. While the King and Queen consider the Fraggles disgusting vermin, Junior enjoys chasing, catching and keeping them like pets, much like a boy would lizards and bugs ("Look, Maw! I caught a Fwaggle!"). Junior is clearly lacking in friends, so it is arguable that he pursues the Fraggles just so he has someone to talk to. The Gorgs were developed by art director Douglas Cook in the Isle of Wight.

As the series progresses, we learn that at the beginning of time a God-like character placed the Gorgs to rule over the universe until he returned. We also get a few various visitors from the rest of the Gorgs' world. In one episode, a frog-like con-man (Wander McMooch) temporarily tricks the Gorgs out of their castle so he can raze the forest to build a village. This implies that other people (and indeed, other Gorgs) live in that world: at least enough to fill a village. This conflict is resolved when the con-man finds out there are hundreds and thousands of Fraggles living around the Gorg's castle. He seems to view Fraggles to be pests, like rodents, and gives back the castle. Significantly, this implies that Fraggles live scattered all over the Gorgs' world, are generally considered to be pests by everyone (not just Ma and Pa Gorg) and most of all, it is rare to find such a large collection of Fraggles in one place.

Marjory the Trash Heap

Marjory, The Trash Heap

The Trash Heap, a wise being (referred to as an "oracle"), serves as 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, although they do not worship her. She also appears to have some magical abilities (specifically telepathy and the ability to teleport items or Fraggles), although she does not often use them. Sometimes she knits to pass the time. Jerry Nelson voiced Marjory the Trash Heap.

Philo and Gunge

The heralds of the Trash Heap, they often introduce her as the "all-knowing, all-seeing Trash Heap!" They supply humor, bad jokes, and puns. Although Gunge portrays himself as the brains of the pair, neither ever really prove to be a great help. They watch over the Trash Heap; if they were to leave for a long time, she would begin to die out. When she finishes speaking, they announce, "The Trash Heap has spoken! Nyeah!" Philo and Gunge had 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.

Other characters and creatures

• Aretha (Sharon Lee Williams), a cave creature, accompanies Gobo when he sings "Only Way Home" in episode 33.
• The Avalanche Monster (Bob Stutt) consists of a terrible pile of walking boulders. This creature has very poor eyesight but quite acute hearing, and lives in Avalanche Pass, 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), Tosh Fraggle's pet, resembles a lion.
• The Beast of Bluerock lives in a mysterious lair that is only visible for the two days after the Doozer equinox, and then unseen 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, a giant rolling blob of generally amorphous shape, nevertheless has some kind of mouth somewhere. In one episode, the Blob comes in and eats 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.
• Clinging Creepers: killer weeds that can spread quickly; stoppable only by flowers. Bouquet brigades formed in order to hang flowers throughout the rock to repel the creepers.
• Cooties, 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
• Flutebird (Kathy Mullen)
• 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 inhabit the river near the Gorgs' 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 Gargoyle, a fearsome demon of Fraggle lore, living in the Great Outer Maze. No-one knows its size or shape — due to its invisibility. Gobo accidentally releases it but tricks it back into its rocky tomb.
• Lanford (Rob Mills) is Mokey's pet plant, a Night-Blooming Yellow-Leaved Deathwort. Though they have moments of reconciliation, for the most part Lanford and Red do not get along.
• The Last of the Lilly Creatures (Bob Stutt), a purple sea-monster: Red discovered it in the episode Red's Sea Monster.
• Lizard (Rob Mills) is what Mudwell becomes after he’s transformed.
• The Magical Spider-Fly (Richard Hunt), a flying insect, can turn into an avuncular Fraggle-like being and grant wishes.
• Mama Tree Creature (Kathy Mullen) is a kind of Gorg bird.
• 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. He is a rude and selfish bully who exhibits bad behaviors such as painting graffiti, breaking things and drinking radish beer.
• 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), an enormous creature, appears only as an arm, longer than a handful of Fraggles.
• Moss-billed Flubberducks
• Mudwell the Mudbunny (Richard Hunt), a creature whom Wembley meets, has a very short life-span. 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.
• Papa Tree Creature (Steve Whitmire) is a kind of Gorg bird.
• The Pipe Bangers (episode 2), Fraggles who come out after the King Gorg takes his daily bath and empties the Fraggle's pond, sing and repeatedly bang on the pipes in the wall until the pond fills with water again.
• 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.
• 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 barely escape 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.

Home video

USA

Season Releases

HIT Entertainment produced a DVD containing three episodes of Fraggle Rock (titled Fraggle Rock: Where it All Began), 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 a success as they subsequently released the first 3 seasons of the show followed by a complete series boxset. Season 4 had been announced and was scheduled to be released on November 4, 2008, the same release date for the Complete Series Collection but at the last minute it was scrapped and was never released. Fan response to the decision not to release season 4 was very negative and several online petitions were launched in protest. On August 10, 2009, Lionsgate announced it had reached a deal with The Jim Henson Company to release the final season on DVD. The 5-disc set will be released^{[by whom?]} on November 3, 2009, and will include extensive bonus features.^[4]

UK

Selected episodes have been released^{[by whom?]} on VHS. A petition to have Fraggle Rock released on DVD was run on the web for many years^{[citation needed]}; until 2004, the only DVD release had been in the UK, a "best of" collection of 12 episodes in a grainy transfer from the VHS release. TVS, the original broadcasters, has passed through several owners since 1992 and of the 96 episodes, only 12 master copies are so far known to still be in existence. HIT Entertainment has tried unsuccessfully to locate the missing tapes, including extensive enquiries with The Jim Henson Company both in the UK and the US. The television channels which currently broadcast the show in the UK are thus forced to use US versions.^{[citation needed]}

Australia

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, Boober, and Red were released, each accompanied by a DVD featuring two episodes of the show and one episode of the animated series.

Syndication

After the show ended on HBO in 1987, the channel started to rerun the series. In the late 1980s, it ran on TNT, and in the early 1990s, it aired on the Disney Channel. From 1999 until 2001 the show moved to Odyssey Network which was recently purchased by Henson & Hallmark. However, after Hallmark took full control they discontinued the reruns.

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.

The series has aired on Teletoon Retro in Canada daily since 2008.

Cast

Spin-offs

Animated series

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

Feature film

In September 2005, it was announced^{[by whom?]} that The Jim Henson Company had begun work on Fraggle Rock: The Movie, with the aim of a release in 2009. The story allegedly involves the original Fraggle characters.^[5] 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.^[6] 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."

In May 2008 it was announced^{[by whom?]} 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." ^[7] Karen Prell and Dave Goelz will return for the film as Red Fraggle, Boober Fraggle, and Uncle Traveling Matt, respectively. Shooting is expected to begin in early 2009 with the possible release in 2011.^[8] Unlike previous film adaptations of television series from the 1980s, the movie will not render the main characters in CGI. According to Cory Edwards' blog, Gerry Parkes will not reprise his role as Doc, the American human character, for the movie.

The songs of Fraggle Rock

Music played a central part in 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.

Album releases

KOCH Records released Fraggle Rockin': A Collection, a three-disc box set of Fraggle Rock music, on October 30, 2007. The collection allegedly^{[citation needed]} featured "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."^[9] 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.

Song list

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

Books based on Fraggle Rock

The Star Comics imprint of Marvel Comics published two separate Fraggle Rock comic-book series^[when?]. The first series lasted 8 issues, the second series lasted 6 issues.

Current location of Fraggle Rock puppets

As of 2009^[update], as part of the Jim Henson Foundation's donation of puppets to the Center for Puppetry Arts, the Atlanta museum displays many of the original puppet characters from Fraggle Rock in their exhibition Jim Henson: Wonders from his Workshop.^[10]

References

External links

• Fraggle Rock on Muppet Wiki, an external wiki
• Fraggle Rock at the Internet Movie Database
• Fraggle Rock at TV.com
• Chris Vaughn's Fraggle Rock Page includes lyrics, credits