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

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Creator:

Jim Henson
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | unknown

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 | Hidden Civilization | Singing | Exploration | Workshop

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jerry Nelson	...	Gobo Fraggle / ... (33 episodes, 1983-1987)
Richard Hunt	...	Junior Gorg / ... (33 episodes, 1983-1987)
Jim Henson	...	Additional Muppets / ... (27 episodes, 1983-1987)
Hans Helmut Dickow	...	Doc (German version) (24 episodes, 1983-1987)
Gerard Parkes	...	'Doc' / ... (20 episodes, 1983-1987)
Steve Whitmire	...	Sprocket the Dog / ... (19 episodes, 1983-1987)
Dave Goelz	...	Boober Fraggle / ... (19 episodes, 1983-1987)
Kathryn Mullen	...	Mokey Fraggle / ... (19 episodes, 1983-1987)
Karen Prell	...	Red Fraggle / ... (19 episodes, 1983-1987)
Patricia Leeper	...	Muppet Performer / ... (14 episodes, 1983-1987)

(more)

Series Directed by
George Bloomfield		(10 episodes, 1983)
Jim Henson		(7 episodes, 1983)
Perry Rosemond		(6 episodes, 1983-1984)
Douglas Williams		(2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Norman Campbell		(2 episodes, 1983)
Richard Hunt		(unknown episodes)
Terry Maskell		(unknown episodes)
Wayne Moss		(unknown episodes)
Les Rose		(unknown episodes)
Eric Till		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Jim Henson		(30 episodes, 1983-1984)
Jerry Juhl		(11 episodes, 1983-1987)
Jocelyn Stevenson		(8 episodes, 1983-1984)
B.P. Nichol		(3 episodes, 1983)
David Young		(3 episodes, 1983)
Susan Juhl		(2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Laura Phillips		(2 episodes, 1983)
Sugith Varughese		(2 episodes, 1983)
Robert Sandler		(unknown episodes)
David Young		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Duncan Kenworthy	....	producer / series producer (13 episodes, 1983-1984)
Martin G. Baker	....	associate producer (4 episodes, 1984)
Jim Henson	....	executive producer (3 episodes, 1984)
Jerry Juhl	....	creative producer (3 episodes, 1984)
Gerard Lee	....	technical producer (3 episodes, 1984)
Lawrence S. Mirkin	....	producer (3 episodes, 1984)
Diana Birkenfield	....	executive producer in charge of production (2 episodes, 1984)

Series Original Music by
Philip Balsam		(1 episode, 1984)
Dennis Lee		(1 episode, 1984)

Series Film Editing by
Pat Hamilton		(1 episode, 1984)
Jack Walker		(1 episode, 1984)

Series Art Direction by
Diane Pollack		(1 episode, 1984)
Robert Hackborn		(unknown episodes)

Series Set Decoration by
Stephen Finnie		(2 episodes, 1984)

Series Production Management
Diana Birkenfield	....	executive in charge of production (2 episodes, 1984)

Series Art Department
Michael K. Frith	....	conceptual designer (2 episodes, 1984)
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
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 (1 episode, 1984)

Series Music Department
Don Gillis	....	musical director (31 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Other crew
Bonnie Erickson	....	muppet design consultant (2 episodes, 1984)
Carroll Hyde	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1984)
Gerard Lee	....	technical producer (2 episodes, 1984)
Ron Robinson	....	staging crew leader (2 episodes, 1984)
Jocelyn Stevenson	....	creative consultant / senior script editor (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)
Duncan Kenworthy	....	creative consultant (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)

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:

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:

'Doc': Sometimes I wonder why I keep a dog here at all!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Seth Rogen/Phoenix (#34.19)" (2009)

Arguably the best children's series of all time.

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!