User reviews

"Fraggle Rock" is a very funny and entertaining puppet TV series that ran from 1983 to 1987 in Canada. Adults as well as children could really enjoy this show. As with the Muppets, the show and characters were created by Jim Henson. It was produced in Canada, with an international design that provided for modifications in story and settings with the same characters in various market languages. It aired regularly in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries. England and several other countries had modified settings. It had German and Spanish language versions.

The DVD I watched recently has three of the original segments, and more than four hours of shows. It's called "Fraggle Rock - Beginnings: Where it All Began." I had seen segments of the show in the past on TV.

The series is a lot of fun to watch. The fantasy land of Fraggle is a rock island somewhere in the oceans. Numerous performers voice the various characters. Doc, Sprocket, Boober, Gobo, Red, Mokey and all their many companions are delightful. Kids from four to 94 have enjoyed this series around the world.

To folks at companies like [Lucasfilm and] Henson Productions: WE WANT THE LEGACY OF JIM HENSON on CD and DVD in our home stereos! Think of the money that Henson Productions is not making, by not releasing all of their back catalog on DVD and the soundtracks on CD! Oh but right, I'm supposed to be reviewing the product, not slamming the marketing idiocy of the company that owns it. What to say about Fraggle Rock... It's a good show, and it's the type of material that I would want my children to watch -- when I have kids, that is. Power Rangers just doesn't cut it. Fraggles are COOL. Period. And Doozers too! And we all know that Gorgs wouldn't *really* kill a Fraggle. Many muppet fans lambast this show because "it's just not as good as the Muppet Show or Sesame Street." Ok, fine. But it's a totally different show and is worthy of note. It was fun, and it featured a theme song that still pops into my head 18 years later. The show could have some educational value; of course, everything Jim Henson ever did could have educational value if parents would sit together with their kids and talk about what they're seeing when they watch TV. I guess the best way to summarize how I feel about this show is to state that I was 12 years old when it came out, and it provided a beautiful safe "kiddie" retreat from an otherwise bleak time in my life. There was always something about this show... the idea that just beneath your feet there might be a beautiful world with amazing creatures in it, who all learned somehow magically to JUST BE NICE TO EACH OTHER -- and who also learned some wisdom from listening to a heap of trash. "Metaphysics 101 For Kids"? If only the real world were as safe as Jim Henson's visions... but then again, that always *was* his magic -- expanding your mind, letting you have fun, but keeping you basically safe. We should all be so lucky. It's one of my greatest regrets that according to Henson Productions statements, my children will probably never have the joy of watching this show. If the misguided marketers at Henson Productions ever read any reviews such as this one, then know this: you have let your fans down, and tainted the memory of Jim Henson. Your marketing decisions have denied Mr Henson's legacy from an entire generation of fans -- and their children. All that money, which we will spend on other companies, whose products are undoubtedly inferior... such a shame. RELEASE THE BACK CATALOG ON DVD.

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!

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.

Jim Henson's "Fraggle Rock" was one of my all-time favorite shows when I was a kid, and it still is one of my all-time favorite shows now that I'm an adult (at 26 years of age, as of this writing). "Fraggle Rock" was about an underground civilization of subterranean creatures and their daily trials & tribulations. They also must contend with the elderly man who lives in the house above where their civilization is located. As many people here and abroad have commented, "Fraggle Rock" tackles a number of important real-world issues but is able to deal with such issues in a way that it doesn't pander to its young audience. That is a rare feat in children's shows these days, and is in fact something that always has long been a problem with children's entertainment. It was also able to do all this and still not lose its appeal as a show for young people. I'm also proud to say that I recently purchased "Fraggle Rock" when it was first released on DVD a few years back and fell in love with one of the most important shows from my childhood all over again.

Long live "Fraggle Rock."

10/10

It's funny. Unlike most of the reviews here, this was not my favorite when I was a child. In fact I remember seeing "Fraggle rock, coming up next" and changing the channel. Funny. I never saw this until I was in my 40s. But I wish I had. Now I'm in my mid 50s and I still think it's the best kids show ever. In fact, it's great for adults too.

I picked up the blueray prints and I'm enjoying my way through Fraggle rock for probably the 4th time. I enjoy the fact that the messages are all there no matter what your age, and they are enjoyable whatever your age. It's simple enough for a child but there's enough substance for an adult too. And what music! Even my 18 year old daughter watches it with me and she's at that age where nothing is good.

My advice? Pick out a couple of the higher rated ones and watch them. You'll soon be hooked and watching them all.

Jim Henson had a lofty goal with this series and while I doubt it will ever be achieved this hopefully may help kids start thinking about their relationships with other people and other parts of the world and how their actions may affect others, hopefully. This show tries to do that by showing how interconnected the 3 main species of fraggle rock are, and even some unwitting connection to humans as well (who live in outer space as they see it) as well as how differently they see and value the world they live in.

In the meantime this series has the absolute best music of any children's show out there, I put it on for my nieces and nephews and they will just start dancing to it, even the opening theme is wonderful and full of personality.

The characters each have their own voice and produce what is for kids (and even adults) pretty entertaining, if rather simple, drama. I wish more series were this upbeat and enthusiastic, I'll trade all the gritty reboots of the last 50 years for another happy gem of a show as this one. I recommend this to both adults and kids, at least listen to the music, it's fun.

Classic show, but where are the movie? Fraggle Rock was introduced in Denmark in the TV music show Eldorado back then.

I recently watched Fraggle Rock, and overall, it was a pretty enjoyable show! The characters were unique and likable, and their world was a whole of whimsy and wonder. The music was catchy and fun, and the show's messages about friendship, cooperation, and acceptance were heartwarming and timeless.

Some episodes felt repetitive or dragged on too long, so I'm giving it a 7 out of 10 stars. However, these were few and far between and only detract a little from my overall enjoyment of the show.

If you're looking for a fun, lighthearted show with a positive message, I recommend trying Fraggle Rock!

My neighbor has this on a bunch of vhses and it is so weird and creepfest. But the song is so good too.

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.

Fragglerock is excellent in the way that Schindler's List was excellent. A Great watch for children and adults of all genders. Big noses can be seen as hinting towards phallic symbols, in the same way that H.R. Puff N Stuff had hinted towards marijuana smoking. Your kids will love this movie. I enjoyed it very much as a child. My father showed me this movie as a child. He enjoyed it as well and pointed out that the exaggerated noses were phallic symbols. Although at the time I had no clue about what those were. The movie is comedy and adventure. The storyline is wacky and cheerful. I and you shall enjoy this together.

I remember when I was a child, back in the early 80's, when my dad first got HBO. And, this first came on. And, I fell in-love with it back then, just as much as I love it to this day! I always loved Jim Henson's work. It's still not bad, since his son sold the Henson company to Disney. But, it definitely never got any better, especially as it went "Politically Correct", changing many of the old school character's on Sesame Street, along with other show's, that even got Fraggle Rock cancelled, even though it was a hugely thriving kid's show, at the time. It was so helpful for me, as I was still learning so much. And, Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street, as well as many of the Henson movie's inspired me to learn so much more, than any political figure ever did! There was such great imagination and ingenuity involved with Fraggle Rock and the rest of Jim Henson's work's!

I loved this show and I'm very thankful for my mother introducing me to this when I was younger. Everything from the songs to the character designs is really good. This show has some really charming elements to it and each character is unique in their own way. The gorgs are really cool and there a Fraggle with their own unique songs that have creative and catchy tunes to them. I really enjoyed sprocket and doc's purpose in the show and how the roles they played in the show. I also think the doozers were an interesting community and I was intrigued on their roles throughout the series. I will give props to how they developed cotterpin throughout the series. All in all, this was a very charming show that had some great musical and story elements and I would recommend it to anyone who is still into children's shows.

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.

I grew up on Muppets...I watched Sesame Street since before I can remember, my worst punishment and the only one that stands out in my mind is when my mother made me go to bed without watching the Muppet Show, and then, when I was four, Fraggle Rock came out. This of the three shows is the one that stands out in my mind. Right now the theme song is going through my head with the rocking guitar. We have Fraggle Rock marathons (thanks to the episodes being released on video). We used to play with the little Happy Meals toys of them and still have them. What a great show for my generation.

This show ruled!! I watched when I was a little kid when it used to air on HBO, then I watched the reruns of the show when it aired on the Disney channel a few years back. This show was really cool since it had an assortment of strange characters like the Fraggles, the Doozers, and the Fraggle capturing Gorgs. It was also good for it's morals as well. Fraggle Rock like many classic children's shows of its time did not talk down to kids nor underestimate their intelligence for that matter. I my honest opinion, they should bring this back to T.V.

By the way, Wembley, and Boober Fraggle Rule!

Fraggle Rock was a good program. It was a unique program that featured so many of the wonderful Muppets! The show had a whole bunch of stuff and segments such as actors and other celebrities! The show was funny and exciting for what kind of program it was. In My opinion Fraggle Rock was really a head of its time and The show was perfect for the 1980s. I think the show was for both kids and the adults. I think it was a smart show. The main title of the show and the music was good. I don't know if this show is still on TV today but if it is watch this show because it was truly a special one so if you liked the classic Muppet Show, The Muppet Movie, any Muppet movie, and/or the classic Sesame Street Presents: Follow that Bird then check out Fraggle Rock today!

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 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!!!