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

Creator:

Jim Henson
(more)

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)

Series Directed by
George Bloomfield		(29 episodes, 1983-1987)
Eric Till		(16 episodes, 1984-1987)
Terry Maskell		(16 episodes, 1985-1987)
Jim Henson		(11 episodes, 1983-1985)
Norman Campbell		(6 episodes, 1983-1986)
Perry Rosemond		(6 episodes, 1983-1984)
Douglas Williams		(4 episodes, 1983-1985)
Les Rose		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Wayne Moss		(2 episodes, 1987)

Series Writing credits
Jim Henson		(96 episodes, 1983-1987)
Jerry Juhl		(46 episodes, 1983-1987)
Jocelyn Stevenson		(27 episodes, 1983-1987)
B.P. Nichol		(10 episodes, 1983-1987)
Laura Phillips		(10 episodes, 1983-1987)
Sugith Varughese		(10 episodes, 1983-1987)
David Young		(10 episodes, 1983-1987)
Susan Juhl		(7 episodes, 1983-1987)
Robert Sandler		(6 episodes, 1984-1986)

Series Produced by
Martin G. Baker	....	associate producer / executive producer / ... (96 episodes, 1983-1987)
Jim Henson	....	executive producer (96 episodes, 1983-1987)
Jerry Juhl	....	creative producer (96 episodes, 1983-1987)
Gerard Lee	....	technical producer (96 episodes, 1983-1987)
Lawrence S. Mirkin	....	producer (84 episodes, 1983-1987)
Jack Budgell	....	line producer: CBC (42 episodes, 1985-1987)
John Dimon	....	producer: CBC (25 episodes, 1983-1984)
Duncan Kenworthy	....	producer / series producer (12 episodes, 1983)

Series Original Music by
Philip Balsam		(96 episodes, 1983-1987)
Dennis Lee		(96 episodes, 1983-1987)

Series Film Editing by
Pat Hamilton		(27 episodes, 1984-1987)
Wayne Ricketts		(23 episodes, 1985-1987)
Jack Walker		(9 episodes, 1984-1985)

Series Art Direction by
Russell Chick		(42 episodes, 1985-1987)
Robert Hackborn		(30 episodes, 1983-1984)
Diane Pollack		(12 episodes, 1984-1985)

Series Set Decoration by
Stephen Finnie		(95 episodes, 1983-1987)
Eric Gilks		(10 episodes, 1984-1986)
Dana Spot		(6 episodes, 1986-1987)

Series Production Management
Diana Birkenfield	....	executive in charge of production / production supervisor / ... (96 episodes, 1983-1987)
Kim Hester	....	unit manager (59 episodes, 1984-1987)
Barry Smith	....	unit manager (37 episodes, 1983-1984)
Donna Preece	....	production manager (21 episodes, 1986-1987)
Gregory J. Gettas	....	production manager (20 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Trevor Gittings	....	first assistant director (21 episodes, 1984-1985)
Terry Maskell	....	second unit director (5 episodes, 1984-1985)
Paul Starkman	....	second unit director (2 episodes, 1985)

Series Art Department
Michael K. Frith	....	conceptual designer / set designer (96 episodes, 1983-1987)
William Beeton	....	set designer (34 episodes, 1983-1984)
Marian Wihak	....	assistant designer (7 episodes, 1984-1985)
Pat Flood	....	assistant designer (3 episodes, 1987)
Derrick Eldridge	....	construction crew chief / head carpenter (2 episodes, 1984-1987)
Robert Hackborn	....	set designer (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Douglas Payne	....	assistant designer (2 episodes, 1986)
Robert Liivoja	....	construction crew chief (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Floyd Burrell	....	sound effects (2 episodes, 1984)
Brian Radford	....	audio / sound (2 episodes, 1984)
Peter Campbell	....	sound effects (unknown episodes)
Tom Wood	....	sound effects (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Faz Fazakas	....	muppet mechanical director / special effects director (2 episodes, 1984)
Leigh Donaldson	....	muppet special effects (unknown episodes)
Tad Krzanowski	....	muppet special effects (unknown episodes)
Dick Loveless	....	muppet special effects (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Bruce Macaulay	....	still photographer (24 episodes, 1983)
George Clements	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1984)
Gordon Luker	....	lighting director (2 episodes, 1984)
Ron Manson	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1984)
Dave Denman	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Stephen Finnie	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Debbie the Roboteer	....	consultant: sculpture, animation and robotics (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Jack Walker	....	vtr editor / videotape editor (29 episodes, 1983-1984)
Susan Juhl	....	editorial assistant (20 episodes, 1984-1987)
Pat Hamilton	....	vtr editor (9 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Music Department
Don Gillis	....	musical director (96 episodes, 1983-1987)
Tim Wynne-Jones	....	additional lyrics (7 episodes, 1984-1985)
B.P. Nichol	....	additional lyrics (2 episodes, 1984)

Series Other crew
Jocelyn Stevenson	....	creative consultant / senior script editor / ... (89 episodes, 1983-1987)
Duncan Kenworthy	....	creative consultant (24 episodes, 1983-1984)
Gregory J. Gettas	....	production coordinator (5 episodes, 1984-1985)
Carroll Hyde	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Bonnie Erickson	....	muppet design consultant (2 episodes, 1984)
Ron Robinson	....	staging crew leader (2 episodes, 1984)
Harley Walker	....	switcher (2 episodes, 1984)
Linda Glover	....	production secretary (unknown episodes)
Larry Jameson	....	muppets special effects (unknown episodes)
Marian Keating	....	muppet designer (unknown episodes)
Rollin Krewson	....	muppet designer (unknown episodes)
Maria McNamara	....	muppet designer (unknown episodes)
Will Morrison	....	muppet designer (unknown episodes)
Lyndon Mosse	....	muppet designer (unknown episodes)
Robert Payne	....	muppet designer (unknown episodes)
Victor Pemberton	....	consultant (unknown episodes)
Jan Rosenthal	....	muppet designer (unknown episodes)
Polly Smith	....	muppet designer (unknown episodes)
Mary Strieff	....	muppet designer (unknown episodes)
Norman Tempia	....	muppet designer (unknown episodes)
Caroly Wilcox	....	muppet designer (unknown episodes)

Series Thanks
Don Sahlin	....	in memory of (1 episode, 1987)

Production Companies

• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
• Henson Associates (HA)
• Home Box Office (HBO)
• Jim Henson Television
• NHK
• TVS Television

Distributors

• Hit Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Box Office (HBO)
• KBS Productions
• Katholieke Radio Omroep (KRO) (1984-1986) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Lebanese Brodcasting Company (LBC)
• Muppet Home Video (Sweden)
• NHK
• Universum Film (UFA) (2008) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Robotorium Inc.  robotics

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:

Jim Henson spent many hours at the Robotorium, INC with Debbie the Roboteer learning to use the new Apple IIE desktop computer (her cousin programmed with the first RS232 interface ports) and interfaced with a Rhino XRII bored out airplane aluminum 6 to 8 axis robotic arm. Through experimentation they came up with a way to have one puppeteer use an actuated mitt controller arm to animate miniature puppets (the worm-like critters) or even choruses of different puppets through the use of the same robotic applications and programming. The mitt ran the motors on each axis of each of the puppets. The puppeteer put their arm into the mitt controller and went through the motions.

Quotes:

Ma Gorg: Our little Junior's growing up!
Pa Gorg: I think he's too big already!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Down at Fraggle Rock... Behind the Scenes (1987) (TV)

A Great Show Lives on in the Next Generation

I remember watching this as a kid with my family. I loved it. It showed so many different types of creatures (Fraggles, Doozers, the Trash Heap...etc) that all made up one world. Everyone lived in relative peace with one another (with a few exceptions.) It showed our world from a different perspective and taught me (remember I was watching this at a young age) different things about the world that I may not have noticed.

Leave it to Jim Henson and crew to come up with this. It seems that everything that he touches is great. Now, I have a young son, and thanks to an old video store that I found tapes of the series that I have bought for him. He loves to watch these shows as much as I did, and I hope that he learns as much from them as I did.