Entertainment :: Television
Fraggle Rock - The Complete Final Season by Howie Green
EDGE ContributorSaturday Nov 14, 2009 The good news is that the final season (1987) of the Muppets TV series Fraggle Rock is finally available on DVD; the bad news is that while the shows and bonus features are great to see, it’s surprising that set contains no booklet, guide or anything other than the 5 DVDs, especially given the lavish treatment found in the previous season’s boxed set.
But despite the cheapo package its fun to watch the 24 episodes and see Fraggles finally connect with the other creatures outside their underground world during the 3-episode series finale. The ever diligent adventure-seeking Gobo decides he needs to look beyond the Fraggle world and ventures into ’outer space’ to Doc’s workshop where he connects with Sprocket the dog and eventually with Doc who is in the process of moving to the desert. When Doc offers to take the Fraggles with him they have to decide if they are ready for the biggest adventure of their lives or if they are better off staying with their friends and families.
Gobo and Red and Mokey and the other also connect with the giant Gorgs when the Gorg king’s son gets accidentally shrunken down to Fraggle size and gets a chance to see what things are like living down under. The experience changes the relationship between the two species and peace may finally reign in the above ground world. But then again, given the grumpy personality of the King, maybe not.
The real treat with this box set is the bonus disc of extra features which are worth having in your collection. The extra features include a touching and heartfelt look at behind the scenes on the last day of filming the series with interviews and memories from cast and crew members. There is also a look at the final wrap party with comments by the entire cast, crew and even some of the puppets.
Also included in the bonus features is a look at the task of acting under the huge Gorg costumes, interviews with the puppet makers, interviews with the series’ directors, and looks at the series’ musical creators and the process they went through each episode. Watching the inspired mayhem that the Muppets manage to create it easy to get caught up in all colors and chaos and fun and overlook the thoughtful content and messages that were delivered in each episode of this series. Seeing the creative team talking about the characters and stories and their process will give you insight into the amazing team of people that were assembled to create this award-winning program that was a ground-breaking show for the early years of cable TV and a timeless addition to the Muppets portfolio. Despite being over 20-years old Fraggle Rock looks as fresh and fun as if it was just produced yesterday.
The Muppets have always been a wonder to see and when they were in the groove with Fraggle Rock they produced shows that were as good as anything they have ever done. Jim Henson’s endearing creations will no doubt live on for generations to come and there can be no better memorial to the man and his genius than the love audiences around the world feel for the Muppets, especially the Fraggles.
Howie Green is a Boston-based artist and painter whose portrait of rapper Biggie Smalls appears on the 2007 compliation album "Incredible". He was winner of Absolut Vodka’s 25th Anniversary art competition and he painted 3 of the cows in the Jimmy Fund’s Cow Parade 2006. He recently painted a series of Pop Art Murals at the Dimock Center in Boston, MA and completed a large art and mural instllation in Delray Beach and Jacksonville, FL. He is also a multi-media designer and author of several books including "Jazz Fish Zen: Adventures in Mamboland" - and he once sang back-up for the opening act at a Shaun Cassidy concert in Madison Square Garden.
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