Fraggle Rock
Encyclopedia
Fraggle Rock is a children's live action
puppet
television program series created by Jim Henson
. The central characters were a set of "Muppet
" creatures called Fraggles. The show ran from January 10, 1983, to March 30, 1987, on CBC Television
in Canada
, ITV
in the UK
, HBO in the United States
, and TV1 in New Zealand
. The show became a worldwide hit, like Sesame Street
and The Muppet Show
. The "Fraggle Rock Theme" reached number 33 on the British music charts during the phenomenon. Writers included Henson, Jerry Juhl
, and Jocelyn Stevenson, with songs by Philip Balsam
and Dennis Lee
.
As described by Henson, "[The series is] a high-energy, raucous musical romp. It's a lot of silliness. It's wonderful." While the program was accessible to audiences of all ages, it used the fantasy creatures as an allegory to deal with serious issues such as prejudice
, spirituality
, personal identity
, environment, and social conflict
.
in Canada
, ITV
in the UK
, HBO in the United States
and TV1 in New Zealand
. 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
and Deluxe Digital Studios
. A co-production between former British ITV production-company Television South
(TVS), the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
, United States pay-television service Home Box Office
and Henson Associates (later Jim Henson Productions), the show was filmed on a Toronto
sound stage, (later at Elstree Studios
, London
). The 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.
Nickelodeon
repeated it in the UK from 1993, as did Boomerang and Cartoonito
later. Fraggle Rock showed in the US on The Hub
, UK on POP! and Tiny Pop
, in Australia on Boomerang
and in Canada on Teletoon Retro
.
creatures, about 18 inches tall, with fur in a wide variety of colors and a tail like a lion’s, with a tuft of fur on the end. They live in a network of caves called Fraggle Rock, populated by a variety of creatures, and seeming to connect to at least two different worlds in separate dimensions of time and space. Fraggles spend much of their carefree lives in play, exploring their worlds, and generally enjoying themselves. However, at the same time they maintain a complex culture and society, with each individual having rights and responsibilities. They have basic skill with tools and with crude machinery, and the concept of war is known to them (although wars between Fraggles are very rare). Fraggles live on a diet of vegetables, especially radish
es. If individuals touch their heads together before falling asleep they can “share dreams.”
Five Fraggles are at the center of the series: Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, Boober and Red. They form a tight-knit group of friends, and each has a distinct personality.
-like Doozers. Standing only 6 inches (152.4 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 chant
s. 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 adding other flavors, such as tomato
and mustard
.
This symbiosis becomes integral to the episode "The Preachification of Convincing John" 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 to move on to a new area because the Fraggles won't eat their constructions, and there is even a tragic scene with a mother explaining to her daughter that Doozers must build or they will die, and so they must find a new place to live where they can build and hopefully find Fraggles who will eat their constructions. Overhearing this, Mokey realizes 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 "do" becomes a Fraggle — though "All Work And All Play," a second-season episode of the show, unmasks this as merely a story that Doozer parents tell their children to teach them the value of hard work: no Doozer seriously believes it.
The series had several episodes that featured a young female Doozer named Cotterpin as a main character.
(portrayed by Gord Robertson and voiced by Jerry Nelson
) and Queen
(portrayed by Trish Leeper and voiced by Myra Fried in 1983, Cheryl Wagner
in 1984-1987) of the Universe, with their son Junior (portrayed by Rob Mills
in Season 1-4, Frank Meschkuleit
in Season 5, and voiced by Richard Hunt
), as its Prince
and their heir, but to all appearances working as simple farmers with a hut 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, which steal radish
es from their garden. In one episode it is revealed that the Gorgs use radishes to make "anti-vanishing cream" that prevents them from becoming invisible. So 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 a boy would lizards and bugs. Junior has no friends, and perhaps 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.
Other creatures live in the Gorgs' world. In one episode, a frog-like con-man named Wander McMooch temporarily tricks the Gorgs out of their “castle” hut so he can raze the forest to build a village. This implies that enough 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 of thousands of Fraggles living around the Gorgs' castle. He seems to consider Fraggles pests, like rodents, and gives back the castle. Significantly, this implies that Fraggles live scattered all over the Gorgs' world, that they are generally considered to be pests by everyone (not just Ma and Pa Gorg), and that it is rare to find such a large collection of Fraggles.
In one of the final episodes, all leaves suddenly drop from 'The Nirvana Tree' in the Gorg's Garden, which is the traditional sign that the reigning King must surrender his throne to the crowned prince. But after eating the last Nirvana leaf, Junior shrinks to fraggle size, sees the realm from their point of view (including a consultation with the Trash Heap), and upon regaining his Gorg stature, invites his Fraggle friends to his coronation, at which time he immediately abolishes the Gorg's monarchy, introducing a Fraggle-like society where all creatures are socially equal.
"), 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. She has an uncle named Maximillian, whom she refers to as "Uncle Max". Jerry Nelson
voiced Marjory the Trash Heap.
and Gunge was played by Richard Hunt
.
), and he regularly sends postcard
s back to Gobo. The name "Traveling Matt" puns on the film special-effects device known as a traveling matte
. Matt calls the humans he meets the "Silly Creatures." Yet despite his contempt, the interactions related in his postcards often show his own ignorance. For example, he once sees two teenage girls chewing
bubble gum: when they blow bubbles, he believes that the "food" has made their tongue
s 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
and former barber
"Doc" (portrayed by Gerard Parkes
). 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 (performed by Steve Whitmire
while the right hand and wagging tail were done by Karen Prell
) has seen them and tries in vain to prove their existence to his master. The last episode reveals Doc's true name: Jerome Crystal (spelling of the surname verified according to the official Encyclopedia Fragglia, an internal document compiled by Karen Prell and other staffers). 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 named Ned Shimmelfinney who lives next door to him. At first, Sprocket hates Shimmelfinney, who owns a cat
named Fluffanella (voiced by Karen Prell
). Sprocket makes a face and choking gestures every time Shimmelfinney's name is mentioned. He stops doing this after Doc and Shimmelfinney have a fight in "The Great Radish Famine." In the last episode, Ned Shimmelfinney moves to the desert for his health causing Doc and Sprocket to go with him.
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 Terrier
named Marigold just as Doc has a crush on Betty.
'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.
A set of plush dolls of Gobo, Wembley, Boober, and Red were released by Sababa Toys, each accompanied by a DVD featuring two episodes of the show and one episode of the animated series.
. A petition to have Fraggle Rock released on DVD was run on the web for many years; 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 episodes
, including extensive enquiries with The Jim Henson Company
both in the UK and the US.
When UK television channels wish to broadcast the show, they are forced to use US versions; such was the case with Cartoon Network
in 2004.
released the first three seasons of Fraggle Rock on DVD in Region 1 between September 2005 and September 2007. They also released a complete series box set on November 4, 2008 but did not release the final season in a separate release. Season 4 had originally been scheduled to be released on the same day as the complete series set but at the last minute it was scrapped and was never released. Fan response to this decision was very negative and several online petitions were launched in protest .
On August 10, 2009, Lionsgate Home Entertainment
announced that they had reached a deal with The Jim Henson Company to acquire the rights to release Fraggle Rock on DVD. They subsequently released the final season on DVD for the very first time on November 3, 2009. They also re-released The Complete series collection with new packaging (due to numerous complaints about the previous release) on the same day.
but went with the Deluxe Digital Studios
logo after the Jim Henson Productions logo on VHS in 1993. From 1999 until 2001 the show moved to Odyssey Network
, which had recently been 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.
In October 2010, Fraggle Rock reruns returned to U.S. airwaves on The Hub
, the newly launched cable-network jointly owned by Hasbro
and by Discovery Communications
.
's Saturday morning lineup in 1987.
On October 20, 2006, Darkhorizons.com reported "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 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." Karen Prell and Dave Goelz will return for the film as Red Fraggle, Boober Fraggle, and Uncle Traveling Matt, respectively. However in 2011, Weinstein's deal with Henson had expired leaving production of the film in doubt. It was also announced that the Scissor Sisters
would write music for the film, making the film possible. In October 2011 New Regency acquired the rights to the movie to be produced by The Jim Henson Company and The Montecito Picture Company
. New Regency (the company behind Alvin and the Chipmunks movies) and the producers are currently in discussion whether to use muppets or CGI as well as a mix of live action. Once this has been decided they will look to a writer for the movie.
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.
and Philip Balsam
, as well as incidental music. Several episodes (usually involving Cantus and the Minstrels) focused primarily on music—such as Red Fraggle's attempt 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.
released Fraggle Rockin': A Collection
, a three-disc box set of Fraggle Rock music, on October 30, 2007. The collection featured "restored and remastered" versions of three original Fraggle Rock LPs. The collection also included "special liner notes featuring rarely seen photos, contributions from the original composers and even sheet music for select songs." The main portion of these liner notes, called "Getting Down at Fraggle Rock," features an interview with Philip Balsam
and Lawrence S. Mirkin and is written by Mike Petersen
and Saul Pincus.
's Talk 'n Play
:
Listed as: title, author, illustrator, and date of publication.
imprint of Marvel Comics
published two separate Fraggle Rock comic-book
series. The first series lasted eight issues, the second series lasted six issues.
In early 2010, Archaia Studios Press
published their first three-issue series of Fraggle Rock. A second three-issue series was followed in January 2011. Both series were collected in two hardcover editions shortly after their respective publications. No further announcements were made regarding any future volumes.
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
television program series created by Jim Henson
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
. The central characters were a set of "Muppet
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
" creatures called Fraggles. The show ran from January 10, 1983, to March 30, 1987, on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, HBO in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and TV1 in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The show became a worldwide hit, like Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
and The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
. The "Fraggle Rock Theme" reached number 33 on the British music charts during the phenomenon. Writers included Henson, Jerry Juhl
Jerry Juhl
Jerome Ravn "Jerry" Juhl was an American television and movie writer, best known for his work with Jim Henson's "Muppets".Juhl was born in St. Paul, Minnesota; his family moved to Menlo Park, California, when he was 14...
, and Jocelyn Stevenson, with songs by Philip Balsam
Philip Balsam
Philip Balsam is a Canadian songwriter and author.With fellow Canadian Dennis Lee, he wrote most of the songs for the television series Fraggle Rock....
and Dennis Lee
Dennis Lee (author)
Dennis Beynon Lee, OC, MA is a Canadian poet, teacher, editor, and critic born in Toronto, Ontario. He is also a children's writer, well known for his book of children's rhymes, Alligator Pie.-Life:...
.
As described by Henson, "[The series is] a high-energy, raucous musical romp. It's a lot of silliness. It's wonderful." While the program was accessible to audiences of all ages, it used the fantasy creatures as an allegory to deal with serious issues such as prejudice
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
, spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
, personal identity
Identity (social science)
Identity is a term used to describe a person's conception and expression of their individuality or group affiliations . The term is used more specifically in psychology and sociology, and is given a great deal of attention in social psychology...
, environment, and social conflict
Social conflict
Social conflict is the struggle for agency or power in society.Social conflict or group conflict occurs when two or more actors oppose each other in social interaction,reciprocally exerting social power in an effort to attain scarce or incompatible goals and prevent the opponent from attaining them...
.
Television series
Fraggle Rock ran from January 10, 1983 to March 30, 1987 on CBC TelevisionCBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, HBO in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and TV1 in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It was one of the first shows to be co-produced by HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
since its foundation in 1989 when it was called Henson International Television, the international arm of Jim Henson Productions
The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company, an American entertainment organization, traces its origins to the founding of Muppets, Inc. in 1958 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. The Muppets helped the company gain worldwide acclaim in family entertainment for more than four decades...
and Deluxe Digital Studios
Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc.
Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. is a leading company in the business of traditional and digital cinema services.By focusing on both theatrical and home entertainment, Deluxe sets up complete digital workflow solutions for such major motion-picture groups as The Walt Disney Company, 20th...
. A co-production between former British ITV production-company Television South
Television South
Television South was the ITV franchise holder in the south and south east of England between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1992. The company operated under various names, initially as Television South plc and then following reorganisation in 1989 as TVS Entertainment plc, with its UK...
(TVS), the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, United States pay-television service Home Box Office
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
and Henson Associates (later Jim Henson Productions), the show was filmed on a Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
sound stage, (later at Elstree Studios
Elstree Studios
"Elstree Studios" refers to any of several film studios that were based in the towns of Borehamwood and Elstree in Hertfordshire, England, since film production begun in 1927.-Name:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
). The avant-garde poet bpNichol
BpNichol
Barrie Phillip Nichol , who often went by his lower-case initials and last name, with no spaces , was a Canadian poet. He became widely known for his concrete poetry while living there in the 1960s...
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. The human "wraparound" segments were produced separately in several countries, with the intention that the child viewer would always be able to relate to the world of the program. The series has appeared now in over ten countries and languages. Head producer was Wesley James Tomlinson.- The main version that was filmed in Canada features an inventor named Doc (played by Gerard ParkesGerard ParkesGerard Parkes is an Irish Canadian actor who was born in Dublin, Ireland, and moved to Canada in 1956. His acting career has spanned film, radio, television, and the stage...
) and his dog Sprocket. This wraparound was also used in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Ireland, Scandinavia, Spain and Eastern European shows. Dutch, Scandinavian, Spanish and Eastern European shows were dubbedDub localizationDub localization, also often simply referred to as localization, which is a form of a voice-over. It is the practice of voice-over translation altering a foreign language film, art film or television series by voice actors to further adapt the material for a "local" audience.Dub localization is a...
in their respective languages.
- The British inserts was filmed at the TVS Television TheatreTelevision SouthTelevision South was the ITV franchise holder in the south and south east of England between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1992. The company operated under various names, initially as Television South plc and then following reorganisation in 1989 as TVS Entertainment plc, with its UK...
in GillinghamGillingham-United Kingdom:* Gillingham, Dorset **Gillingham railway station**Gillingham Town F.C., association football club* Gillingham, Kent **Gillingham **Gillingham railway station...
, KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
(since closed) and presents Fraggle Rock as a rocky sea-island with a lighthouseLighthouseA lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
. It used as an actual shown location St. Anthony's LighthouseSt. Anthony's LighthouseSt Anthony's Lighthouse is a lighthouse on St Anthony Head on the eastern coast of the entrance to the harbour of Falmouth, Cornwall.The lighthouse was built in 1835 by Olver of Falmouth. The light originally came from eight Argand oil lamps. The light source was changed to pressure vapour and...
located near FalmouthFalmouth, CornwallFalmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
in CornwallCornwallCornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. The lighthouse keeper is The Captain (played by Fulton MackayFulton MackayFulton Mackay OBE was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his role as prison officer Mr. Mackay in the 1970s sitcom Porridge.-Early life:...
), a retired sailor who lives with his faithful dog Sprocket. In the third season the role was filled by John Gordon SinclairJohn Gordon SinclairJohn Gordon Sinclair is a Scottish actor most famous for playing Gregory in Gregory's Girl. He was born as Gordon John but took the stage name 'John Gordon Sinclair' because Equity already had a Gordon John registered....
as P.K. (the captain's nephew) and in the fourth Simon O'Brien as B.J. (the captain's son). 96 of these British wraparounds are now missing believed wipedWipingWiping or junking is a colloquial term for action taken by radio and television production and broadcasting companies, in which old audiotapes, videotapes, and telerecordings , are erased, reused, or destroyed after several uses...
. Only 12 are known to remain.
- 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 with its version of Doc (played by Michel RobinMichel RobinMichel Robin is a French film actor and comedian. He has appeared in 120 films since 1966.-Selected filmography:* The Invitation * Les Guichets du Louvre * L'important c'est d'aimer...
) and a French alter-ego for Sprocket called Croquette. Doc inherited the home from his eccentric Uncle Georges (who was a noted inventor). Thus, when the frame story required the use of a mechanical device, Doc would merely find yet another of Uncle George's machines. Plotlines also frequently involved the elegant but unseen Madame Pontaven (who Doc repeatedly attempted to impress and invite to dinner with no success).
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon UK
Nickelodeon is a children's television channel available on Sky, Virgin Media, Smallworld Cable, TalkTalk TV and UPC Ireland in the United Kingdom and Ireland, including on demand on BT Vision. The channel was launched on 1 September 1993...
repeated it in the UK from 1993, as did Boomerang and Cartoonito
Cartoonito
Cartoonito is a British preschool television channel in the UK, available in both English and French. The channel usually airs programmes directed towards children under age 8, or "kids" versions of popular children's shows...
later. Fraggle Rock showed in the US on The Hub
The Hub (TV network)
The Hub is an American digital cable and satellite television channel that launched on October 10, 2010. The channel, which replaced Discovery Kids, is a joint venture of Discovery Communications, Inc. and Hasbro...
, UK on POP! and Tiny Pop
Tiny Pop
Tiny Pop is a free-to-air television channel in the UK. It is owned by CSC Media Group, and launched on 24 July 2004, and broadcasts cartoons and pop music videos for pre-schoolers.Its sister channel is Pop which was launched on 29 May 2003...
, in Australia on Boomerang
Boomerang (Australian TV channel)
For the original Boomerang channel, see Boomerang .Boomerang is a cable and satellite television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting, a unit of Time Warner and its main flagship channel of Cartoon Network...
and in Canada on Teletoon Retro
Teletoon Retro
Teletoon Retro is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel based on the Teletoon programming block Teletoon Retro. The service consists of animation series from Canada and around the world, all of which commenced production at least 10 years prior to their exhibition...
.
Fraggles
Fraggles are humanoidHumanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
creatures, about 18 inches tall, with fur in a wide variety of colors and a tail like a lion’s, with a tuft of fur on the end. They live in a network of caves called Fraggle Rock, populated by a variety of creatures, and seeming to connect to at least two different worlds in separate dimensions of time and space. Fraggles spend much of their carefree lives in play, exploring their worlds, and generally enjoying themselves. However, at the same time they maintain a complex culture and society, with each individual having rights and responsibilities. They have basic skill with tools and with crude machinery, and the concept of war is known to them (although wars between Fraggles are very rare). Fraggles live on a diet of vegetables, especially radish
Radish
The radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that was domesticated in Europe, in pre-Roman times. They are grown and consumed throughout the world. Radishes have numerous varieties, varying in size, color and duration of required cultivation time...
es. If individuals touch their heads together before falling asleep they can “share dreams.”
Five Fraggles are at the center of the series: Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, Boober and Red. They form a tight-knit group of friends, and each has a distinct personality.
- Gobo Fraggle (performed by Jerry NelsonJerry NelsonJerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
) - The "leaderLeadershipLeadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
" of the five main Fraggles. He is 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 to his Uncle Traveling Matt than from personal inclination. An unfailing pragmatist, he 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 Fraggle (performed by Kathryn MullenKathryn MullenKathryn "Kathy" Mullen is an actress, voice actress, and puppeteer most closely associated with Jim Henson projects. She began performing on The Muppet Show in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat...
) - Mokey represents a highly spiritualSpiritualitySpirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
and artistic, hippie-type and usually remains quiet and contemplative, though even she can get annoyed from time to time. Mokey often enjoys painting and reciting poetry, although, according to the episode "Mokey's Funeral," her friends, Gobo, Boober, Wembley, and Red, do not enjoy listening to her poems, especially the unusually long ones about death and friendships. 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 mauveMauveMauve is a pale lavender-lilac color, one of many in the range of purples. The color mauve is named after the mallow flower....
skin and light blue green hair. She wears a greyish brown robe-like sweater and later an actual turtleneck sweater underneath the robe-like sweater starting in "The Great Radish Caper." She also wears the pop-top from a soda can as a necklace pendant. Mokey Fraggle's puppet regularly switches back and forth between live hands and rod hands, depending on the requirements of the scene. During those times, Mokey's right hand is usually performed by Trish Leeper. Also, she is the only Fraggle character to have moveable eyelids which open wide when scared, excited, or surprised. - Red Fraggle (performed by Karen PrellKaren PrellKaren Prell is best known as the performer of Red Fraggle on Fraggle Rock. She also performed some characters in other Jim Henson films, and has enjoyed a significant second career as a computer animator for such studios as Pixar and DNA. On Sesame Street she performed Deena Monster, which was a...
) - In direct contrast to her best friend Mokey, Red has an exuberant and athletic nature; she is one of the best swimmers among the Fraggles. Red has a yellowish orange hue, red hair, and wears a red sweater. Mo RoccaMo RoccaMaurice Alberto "Mo" Rocca is an American writer, comedian and political satirist.-Early life and work:...
described her on VH1VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's I Love the 80s: Strikes Back as the "Buck the establishment Fraggle" (comparable to Peppermint PattyPeppermint PattyPatricia "Peppermint Patty" Reichardt is a fictional character featured in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. A freckle-faced auburn/brunette, she is one of a small group in the strip who lives across town from Charlie Brown and his school friends...
of the PeanutsPeanutsPeanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
Gang). 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. - Wembley Fraggle (performed by Steve WhitmireSteve WhitmireSteven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
) - Gobo's room-mate and best friend, 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" (though the episode "The Secret of Convincing John" points out that to not be able to choose, one must first understand ALL the possibilities, suggesting an "up" side to the condition). 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, which he refers to as his "banana shirt". As quite a talented percussionist, he often plays bongo drums. - Boober Fraggle (performed by Dave GoelzDave GoelzDave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
) - His cardinal traits include depression and worry, and he most enjoys washing socks even though Fraggles do not seem to use footwear most of the time (possibly he collects them). Boober almost always expresses a negative attitude, and displays hypochondriac tendencies (he is apparently allergic to dogs) and he expresses deeply ingrained superstition. Boober is Fraggle Rock's most talented cook and does everyone's laundry, and has a penchant for singing the blues. Boober is greenish-blue with reddish-orange hair, and always wears a red hat and brown scarf. He is the only primary Fraggle whose eyes remain invisible, and he prefers to live on his own, although he is close friends with both Red and Wembley. - Uncle "Traveling" Matt (performed by Dave GoelzDave GoelzDave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
) - Gobo's famous explorer uncle, 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". He sometimes refers to himself as "Matthew": he identifies the room filled with entrances to "Outer Space" as the "T. Matthew Fraggle Room." His name puns on "traveling matte." - Cantus (performed by Jim HensonJim HensonJames Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
) and the Minstrels - Cantus 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."- Brio the Minstrel (performed by Terry AngusTerry AngusTerence "Terry" Angus is a retired English professional footballer who played for VS Rugby, Northampton Town, Fulham, Slough Town and Nuneaton Borough. Despite a series of injuries, Angus was still active as a player up to the age of 40. He is particularly a legend at Nuneaton Borough, known as...
) - A Fraggle who is one of the Minstrels following Cantus. Brio is a bespectacled Fraggle who plays the cymbals. According to puppeteer Terry Angus, Brio is also the only female minstrel, conceived by Jocelyn Stevenson to balance the gender ratio. She first appeared in the Fraggle Rock episode "The Minstrels."
- Brio the Minstrel (performed by Terry Angus
- Cave Fraggles - Deep in the caves of Fraggle Rock lives another group of Fraggles that are known to other Fraggles as Cave 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 that neither have a lot of fun.
- The Cave's Oldest Fraggle (performed by Tim GosleyTim GosleyTim Gosley is a Canadian puppeteer who is primarily known for his work on numerous Muppet productions. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from the University of Alberta and studied puppeteering with Richard Hunt from 1981-1983. He began his career portraying several minor characters on the...
) - She urges her group of Cave Fraggles on to combat against the opposition as seen in "Fraggle Wars." Ultimately, humor prevails, and both Cave's Oldest and World's Oldest can only express disdain for modern youth. - Beige Fraggle (performed by Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
) - One of the Cave Fraggles from the second season Fraggle Rock episode "Fraggle Wars". He is in charge of guarding Mokey when she is captured and kept prisoner in a cage. Beige tries very hard to be a tough, efficient Security Fraggle, but secretly begins to feel sorry for Mokey. When war threatens to break out between the Cave Fraggles and the Rock Fraggles, Beige finds the courage to help Mokey and, with Red's help, stop the battle before it starts. Like Red, however, his name is the same as his color, except his is the same color as his skin, and Red's is the same as her hair. While Mokey was being kept in the cage, she and Beige discussed the differences between their two cultures. Beige demonstrates the Cave Fraggles' unique sense of humor with the song "Ho Ho Ho (What a Funny World It Is)." One joke they find particularly amusing goes, "I met a man who had a son, he also had a daughter too!"
- The Cave's Oldest Fraggle (performed by Tim Gosley
- Chuchu Fraggle - Appeared in "Playing Till It Hurts" and has extremely large, yellow teeth, which are knocked out in the course of the episode. He played first base on Rumpel Fraggle's rock hockey team and was an aggressive player. Despite his teeth being knocked out, he continued to play.
- Clerk Fraggle (performed by Dave GoelzDave GoelzDave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
) - Clerk Fraggle is responsible for taking attendance at the meetings of the Fraggle Rock Volunteer Fire Department as seen in the Fraggle Rock episode "The Thirty-Minute Work Week." - Convincing John (performed by Jim HensonJim HensonJames Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
) - An evangelistEvangelismEvangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
-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 trio of backing singers/dancers who are almost his acolytes, though when not performing, they are aware of his true nature and are less than impressed. In "The Secret Society of the Poobahs," Convincing John was the Vanguard of the Poobahs. - Eminent and Venerable Council of SageWise old manThe wise old man is an archetype as described by Carl Jung, as well as a classic literary figure, and may be seen as a stock character...
s - The council comprises the first three Fraggles to show up for a hearing. It is composed of the dopey Lambo (performed by Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
), Hambo (performed by Steve WhitmireSteve WhitmireSteven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
) and an unnamed sleeping female Fraggle (performed by Sharon Lee Williams). Red brings Mokey before the council when she mistakenly thinks Mokey has stolen her radish bars as seen in "Red-Handed and the Invisible Thief." - Felix the Fearless (performed by Bob StuttBob StuttBob Stutt is a Canadian puppeteer/writer, who has starred in various children's television programs throughout his career.He has appeared in the following television series:* Canadian Sesame Street – Basil...
) - A tan Fraggle with green and gray hair who serves as head of the Fraggle Rescue Squad. He possesses a high-pitched voice which contrasts with his name and reputation (as well as his over-sized outfit), and values bureaucracy over practical methods. He appeared in "Marooned" and "Wembley's Wonderful Whoopie Water." - Feenie Fraggle (performed by Jerry NelsonJerry NelsonJerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
) - A good-natured but rather slow-witted Fraggle. Best friend to Large Marvin Fraggle. - Firechief Fraggle (performed by Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
) - Firechief Fraggle heads the Fraggle Rock Volunteer Fire Department, and swears Wembley in as a new member, allowing him to be the siren. Like the other members, Firechief Fraggle doesn't know how to start a fire. - Gillis Fraggle (performed by Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
) - A lavender Fraggle with green hair. He wears a black jacket and a pair of half-moon glasses. Gillis is the resident musician of Fraggle Rock, but unlike the Minstrels, he lives in the Rock full-time. His first appearance was in the episode "Uncle Matt Comes Home" where he conducts a song to welcome Uncle "Traveling" Matt back to Fraggle Rock. In "The Secret Society of Poobahs," Gillis was the Beggler-Beg of the Poobahs. Gillis' name is a reference to Fraggle Rock music arranger Don Gillis. - Herkimer Fraggle (performed by Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
) - A Fraggle who serves as the caretaker of Rhyming Rock. - Large Marvin Fraggle (performed by Dave GoelzDave GoelzDave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
) - A fat Fraggle who loves snacking and also swimming. He is a long-time nemesis of Red Fraggle as he is the opposite of Red's personality. - Lou "Louise" Fraggle (performed by Cheryl WagnerCheryl WagnerCheryl Wagner, the creator of The Big Comfy Couch, is a Gemini Award and Emmy award- winning Canadian children’s television writer, showrunner and producer who began her career as a performer in both theatre and on the screen...
) - A female Fraggle who becomes Wembley's girlfriend in the episode "We Love You Wembley". - Marlon Fraggle (performed by Steve WhitmireSteve WhitmireSteven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
) - An odd-looking Fraggle, resembles Peter LorrePeter LorrePeter Lorre was an Austrian-American actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner.He caused an international sensation in 1931 with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film M...
. He wants to form a cult, has "ideas about behavioural modification" (as seen in "The Finger of Light") and carves a sculpture out of radishes for his turn as Moon Greeter (as seen in "Capturing the Moon"). As Fraggles go, he's probably the closest they come to evil as he one time tried to trap the Last of the Lily Creatures (as seen in "Red's Sea Monster"). - Old Gypsy Lady (performed by Kathryn MullenKathryn MullenKathryn "Kathy" Mullen is an actress, voice actress, and puppeteer most closely associated with Jim Henson projects. She began performing on The Muppet Show in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat...
) - The only gypsy lady in Fraggle Rock, and walks with a wooden leg and a squeaky shoe. Boober pretends to be the Old Gypsy Lady when Sidebottom comes along to try to convince him to have some fun. However, he is caught in his lie when, at the end, the Gypsy Lady arrives. - Pipebangers - The Pipebangers are 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.
- Archbanger Fraggle (performed by Jerry NelsonJerry NelsonJerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
) - The head of the Pipebangers, who have the job of refilling the Fraggle Pond with water when it runs low. He does this by leading the Pipebangers in a ritual that involves striking the pipes in Fraggle Rock with sticks. The noisy pipes lead Doc to believe that there is a problem with his boilerBoilerA boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
, which he consequently empties. The Fraggles, however, believe the appearance of water to be magically related to the Pipebangers' actions. In his only appearance, in the Fraggle Rock episode "Let the Water Run," the Archbanger Fraggle is shocked when the water doesn't flow out of the pipes, despite repeated banging; he is unaware that Doc is fixing his boiler. When Red brings back an umbrella from Doc's Workshop, the Archbanger insists on using it to bang on the pipes, claiming, "I know a sacred banging stick when I see one." Doc turns his boiler on at the very moment that the Archbanger begins to strike the pipes with the umbrella, and the Fraggles' faith in the pipe-banging ritual is restored. He also appeared in the animated version of Fraggle RockFraggle Rock (animated TV series)Fraggle Rock is an American animated television series based on the original live action version of the same name created by Jim Henson. NBC aired this spin-off program on Saturday mornings for one season during 1987.-Synopsis:...
, in the episode "Mokey's Flood of Wizard." For the 100th pipe-banging, the Archbanger wants a special ceremony, and is persuaded to allow Mokey to recite a poem for the occasion. The recitation, or so the Fraggles assume, is the cause of a flood, which spreads throughout the cavern. The Archbanger re-appeared in "The Great Fraggle Freeze."
- Archbanger Fraggle (performed by Jerry Nelson
- Rock Hockey Hannah (performed by Kathryn MullenKathryn MullenKathryn "Kathy" Mullen is an actress, voice actress, and puppeteer most closely associated with Jim Henson projects. She began performing on The Muppet Show in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat...
) - Red Fraggle's role model and a famous sports figure in Fraggle Rock. She appeared in "Playing Till It Hurts" where she attended a Rock Hockey Game where Red was supposed to play in until she injured herself and took the place of one of the teammates. She did congratulate Red when she knew when to give up when Red got even more injured during the game. - Rumple Fraggle (performed by Gord Robertson) - He is a friend of Large Marvin who wears an aviator's hat and goggles. In the Fraggle Rock episode "Wembley and the Great Race," Rumple bets Boober Fraggle radishes on who they think will win the race.
- Sidebottom (performed by Dave GoelzDave GoelzDave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
) - Functions as Boober's alter ego. He is funny, loud, and messy, unlike Boober. He sometimes appears during Boober's dreams and causes problems. - Sir Blunderbrain (performed by Steve WhitmireSteve WhitmireSteven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
) - A brave Fraggle who appeared in a legend told in the Fraggle Rock episode "The Terrible Tunnel." According to the Storyteller Fraggle, Sir Blunderbrain ventured into the Terrible Tunnel but "never came home again." - StorytellerStorytellingStorytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
Fraggle (performed by Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
in the first appearance, Terry AngusTerry AngusTerence "Terry" Angus is a retired English professional footballer who played for VS Rugby, Northampton Town, Fulham, Slough Town and Nuneaton Borough. Despite a series of injuries, Angus was still active as a player up to the age of 40. He is particularly a legend at Nuneaton Borough, known as...
in later appearances) - She 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. She has a crush on Uncle Matt. - Tosh Fraggle (performed by Trish Leeper) - A friend of Boober's. She has a pet beast named Beastie.
- Uncle Gobo (performed by Jerry NelsonJerry NelsonJerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
) - Uncle Traveling Matt's uncle, Gobo's great-uncle and greatest Fraggle explorer only seen in flashbacks as seen in "Born to Wander" and "The Riddle of Rhyming Rock." - WizardMagician (fantasy)A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
(performed by Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
) - The Wizard supposed master of prestidigitation who visits Fraggle Rock occasionally to show off his magic tricks, which include the "Blooming Flower" trick and the "Double Twisted Over Back Flip While Escaping from Ropes and Waiting to Be Eaten While You're All Tied Up" trick. He is also fond of using smoke pellets to create the illusion of magic happening when he really hasn't done anything. The Wizard's incantation while performing magic is "Horse enchiladas, ho-ho!" Without his glasses and false beard, the Wizard closely resembles Wembley Fraggle. In the second season episode "The Wizard of Fraggle Rock," he fools Wembley into switching places with him. Wembley wants the other Fraggles to give him attention and praise; the Wizard hopes to escape from the Poison Cackler that is pursuing him.- 7-Words-Max (performed by Dave GoelzDave GoelzDave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
) - The Wizard's lackey who is easily excited and loves to boast about the Wizard's accomplishments.
- 7-Words-Max (performed by Dave Goelz
- The World's Oldest Fraggle (performed by Dave GoelzDave GoelzDave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
) - He 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.- Henchy Fraggle (performed by John Pattison) - 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!"
Doozers
Within Fraggle Rock lives a second species of small humanoid creatures, the pudgy, green, antAnt
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
-like Doozers. Standing only 6 inches (152.4 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
Scaffolding
Scaffolding is a temporary structure used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures. It is usually a modular system of metal pipes or tubes, although it can be from other materials...
throughout Fraggle Rock using miniature construction equipment
Construction Equipment
Construction Equipment is a trade publication and web site serving the information needs of construction contractors, materials producers, and other owners and operators of 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 chant
Chant
Chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes to highly complex musical structures Chant (from French chanter) is the rhythmic speaking or singing...
s. 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
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
'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
Symbiosis
Symbiosis is close and often long-term interaction between different biological species. In 1877 Bennett used the word symbiosis to describe the mutualistic relationship in lichens...
. In one episode, the flavor of the Doozer sticks is augmented by adding other flavors, such as tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
and mustard
Mustard (condiment)
Mustard is a condiment made from the seeds of a mustard plant...
.
This symbiosis becomes integral to the episode "The Preachification of Convincing John" 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 to move on to a new area because the Fraggles won't eat their constructions, and there is even a tragic scene with a mother explaining to her daughter that Doozers must build or they will die, and so they must find a new place to live where they can build and hopefully find Fraggles who will eat their constructions. Overhearing this, Mokey realizes 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 "do" becomes a Fraggle — though "All Work And All Play," a second-season episode of the show, unmasks this as merely a story that Doozer parents tell their children to teach them the value of hard work: no Doozer seriously believes it.
The series had several episodes that featured a young female Doozer named Cotterpin as a main character.
- AngleAngleIn geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays sharing a common endpoint, called the vertex of the angle.Angles are usually presumed to be in a Euclidean plane with the circle taken for standard with regard to direction. In fact, an angle is frequently viewed as a measure of an circular arc...
Doozer - - ArchitectArchitectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Doozer (performed by Jerry NelsonJerry NelsonJerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
) - The designs all of the Doozers' constructions. He also becomes Cotterpin's mentor in episode 32. - BailiffBailiffA bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
Doozer (performed by Mike PetersenMike PetersenMichael Petersen is a retired Australian soccer player. He is an inductee of the Football Federation Australia - Football Hall of Fame.-Club career:...
) - Bailiff is involved in Cotterpin's trial. - BoardLumberLumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
Doozer - - BulldoozerBulldozerA bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
(performed by Tim GosleyTim GosleyTim Gosley is a Canadian puppeteer who is primarily known for his work on numerous Muppet productions. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from the University of Alberta and studied puppeteering with Richard Hunt from 1981-1983. He began his career portraying several minor characters on the...
) - - Cotterpin Doozer (performed by Kathryn MullenKathryn MullenKathryn "Kathy" Mullen is an actress, voice actress, and puppeteer most closely associated with Jim Henson projects. She began performing on The Muppet Show in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat...
) - Cotterpin is a rather rebellious young Doozer who has a stubborn streak. She hates working and building (unlike the other Doozers) and states she would rather be a Fraggle. Cotterpin enjoys drawing, and actually was able to become Architect's apprentice. Though seen as a Baby Doozer in "The Great Radish Famine," she was introduced in "All Work and All Play" when she rejected the pressure placed on her to take the helmet, and ran away to become a Fraggle. Cotterpin met and befriended Red Fraggle at this time, though Cotterpin finally realized that she couldn't become a Fraggle since she can't do what Red Fraggle could do. However, Architect Doozer understood her plight, as he himself was once in her shoes, and allowed her to "take the drawing board" rather than the helmet. She still maintains a friendship with Red, Wembley, and Boober. - Crosscut Doozer (performed by Kathryn MullenKathryn MullenKathryn "Kathy" Mullen is an actress, voice actress, and puppeteer most closely associated with Jim Henson projects. She began performing on The Muppet Show in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat...
) - Crosscut is a Doozer welder and a member of Flange's work team. - Crusty Doozer (performed by Steve WhitmireSteve WhitmireSteven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
) - Originally one of the Doozers left behind in the Cavern of Lost Dreams (the original Doozer Cave) alongside Yeaster Doozer. - DerrickDerrickA derrick is a lifting device composed of one tower, or guyed mast such as a pole which is hinged freely at the bottom. It is controlled by lines powered by some means such as man-hauling or motors, so that the pole can move in all four directions. A line runs up it and over its top with a hook on...
Doozer - - Drillbit Doozer — He was mentioned by Cotterpin in the episode "Boober and the Glob."
- FlexCableA cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry...
Doozer (performed by Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
) - He gets covered by Boober's lucky hat in the episode "You Can't Do That Without a Hat." - FlangeFlangeA flange is an external or internal ridge, or rim , for strength, as the flange of an iron beam such as an I-beam or a T-beam; or for attachment to another object, as the flange on the end of a pipe, steam cylinder, etc., or on the lens mount of a camera; or for a flange of a rail car or tram wheel...
Doozer (performed by Steve WhitmireSteve WhitmireSteven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
) - Flange is Cotterpin's father and often works as a Doozer foremanConstruction foremanA construction foreman is the worker or tradesman who is in charge of a construction crew. While traditionally this role has been assumed by a senior male worker, the title in the modern sense is gender non-specific in intent...
. - Granny CantileverCantileverA cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
Doozer - The grandmother of Cotterpin Doozer and mother of Wingnut Doozer. - HammerHammerA hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...
head Doozer - - JudgeJudgeA judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
GavelGavelA gavel is a small ceremonial mallet commonly made of hardwood, typically fashioned with a handle and often struck against a sound block to enhance its sounding qualities. It is a symbol of the authority and right to act officially in the capacity of a chair or presiding officer. It is used to call...
Doozer (performed by Karen PrellKaren PrellKaren Prell is best known as the performer of Red Fraggle on Fraggle Rock. She also performed some characters in other Jim Henson films, and has enjoyed a significant second career as a computer animator for such studios as Pixar and DNA. On Sesame Street she performed Deena Monster, which was a...
) - Judge Gavel Doozer presides over Cotterpin's trial. - LockLock (device)A lock is a mechanical or electronic fastening device that is released by a physical object or secret information , or combination of more than one of these....
Doozer - He is one of the Doozers eaten by The Glob. - ModemModemA modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
Doozer (performed by Karen PrellKaren PrellKaren Prell is best known as the performer of Red Fraggle on Fraggle Rock. She also performed some characters in other Jim Henson films, and has enjoyed a significant second career as a computer animator for such studios as Pixar and DNA. On Sesame Street she performed Deena Monster, which was a...
) - Modem is Wrench Doozer's mother and an occasional Doozer forewoman, which at least once led to a rivalry with Flange. - RotaryRotary table (drilling rig)A rotary table is a mechanical device on a drilling rig that provides clockwise rotational force to the drill string to facilitate the process of drilling a borehole.In the diagram, #20 is the rotary table...
Doozer (performed by Sandra ShamasSandra ShamasSandra Shamas is a Canadian comedic actress and writer.The oldest of three children born to Lebanese immigrants, Shamas left home at age 17 and moved to Toronto, where she held a variety of jobs before a workshop at The Second City inspired her to pursue a career in performing arts...
) - - Scoop Doozer - Scoop Doozer is a Doozer who appears in the second season Fraggle Rock episode "Doozer Is As Doozer Does". Scoop is one of Turbo Doozer's cronies, who helps pressure Wrench Doozer into flooping, against his own judgment.
- SpannerWrenchA wrench or spanner is a tool used to provide grip and mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn objects—usually rotary fasteners, such as nuts and bolts—or keep them from turning....
Doozer - - TumbrelTumbrelA tumbrel , is a two-wheeled cart or wagon typically designed to be hauled by a single horse or ox. Their original use was for agricultural work in particular they were associated with carrying manure. Their most notable use was taking prisoners to the guillotine during the French Revolution. They...
l Doozer (performed by Gord Robertson) - Tumbrell Doozer tries to get Judge Gavel Doozer to get rid of Cotterpin as Architect Doozer's apprentice as seen in "The Trial of Cotterpin Doozer." - Turbo Doozer (performed by Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
) - Turbo Doozer introduces Wrench to flooping, which is a dangerous pastime because it causes hiccups, a potentially disastrous condition for Doozers given their small size. - Tweezer Doozer - Tweezer Doozer is a Doozer who works at Turbo's team, which was Tower Team F, until the Architect Doozer made it Support Squad A.
- WingnutWingnut (hardware)A wingnut or wing nut is a type of nut with two large metal "wings," one on each side, so it can be easily tightened and loosened by hand without tools. It is sometimes called a thumbscrew.-Bicycles:...
Doozer (performed by Karen PrellKaren PrellKaren Prell is best known as the performer of Red Fraggle on Fraggle Rock. She also performed some characters in other Jim Henson films, and has enjoyed a significant second career as a computer animator for such studios as Pixar and DNA. On Sesame Street she performed Deena Monster, which was a...
) - Wingnut Doozer is Cotterpin's mother. - WrenchWrenchA wrench or spanner is a tool used to provide grip and mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn objects—usually rotary fasteners, such as nuts and bolts—or keep them from turning....
Doozer (performed by Dave GoelzDave GoelzDave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
) - Wrench Doozer is Cotterpin's best friend and Modem Doozer's son. - Yeaster Doozer (performed by Sandra ShamasSandra ShamasSandra Shamas is a Canadian comedic actress and writer.The oldest of three children born to Lebanese immigrants, Shamas left home at age 17 and moved to Toronto, where she held a variety of jobs before a workshop at The Second City inspired her to pursue a career in performing arts...
) - Yeaster is one of the Doozers originally left behind in the Cavern of Lost Dreams (the original Doozer Cave) alongside Crusty Doozer.
Gorgs
On the outside of another exit from Fraggle Rock, through a well, live a family of Gorgs, giant furry humanoids standing 22 feet (6.7 m) tall. The husband and wife of the family call themselves the KingMonarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
(portrayed by Gord Robertson and voiced by Jerry Nelson
Jerry Nelson
Jerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
) and Queen
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
(portrayed by Trish Leeper and voiced by Myra Fried in 1983, Cheryl Wagner
Cheryl Wagner
Cheryl Wagner, the creator of The Big Comfy Couch, is a Gemini Award and Emmy award- winning Canadian children’s television writer, showrunner and producer who began her career as a performer in both theatre and on the screen...
in 1984-1987) of the Universe, with their son Junior (portrayed by Rob Mills
Rob Mills
Rob Mills is an Australian singer best known as one of the finalists from Australian Idol 2003. He was a co-host on the late-night quiz show The Mint as well as a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network...
in Season 1-4, Frank Meschkuleit
Frank Meschkuleit
Frank Meschkuleit is a voice actor who plays the voice of Toopy and Binoo, a flagship cartoon of Treehouse TV. In addition to this role, Meschkuleit has appeared as a voice actor and puppeteer on many other shows, such as Internet Slutts, Don't Eat The Neighbours, and Dragon. His original...
in Season 5, and voiced by Richard Hunt
Richard Hunt (puppeteer)
Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
), as its Prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
and their heir, but to all appearances working as simple farmers with a hut 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, which steal radish
Radish
The radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that was domesticated in Europe, in pre-Roman times. They are grown and consumed throughout the world. Radishes have numerous varieties, varying in size, color and duration of required cultivation time...
es from their garden. In one episode it is revealed that the Gorgs use radishes to make "anti-vanishing cream" that prevents them from becoming invisible. So 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
Vermin
Vermin is a term applied to various animal species regarded by some as pests or nuisances and especially to those associated with the carrying of disease. Since the term is defined in relation to human activities, which species are included will vary from area to area and even person to person...
, Junior enjoys chasing, catching and keeping them like a boy would lizards and bugs. Junior has no friends, and perhaps 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.
Other creatures live in the Gorgs' world. In one episode, a frog-like con-man named Wander McMooch temporarily tricks the Gorgs out of their “castle” hut so he can raze the forest to build a village. This implies that enough 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 of thousands of Fraggles living around the Gorgs' castle. He seems to consider Fraggles pests, like rodents, and gives back the castle. Significantly, this implies that Fraggles live scattered all over the Gorgs' world, that they are generally considered to be pests by everyone (not just Ma and Pa Gorg), and that it is rare to find such a large collection of Fraggles.
In one of the final episodes, all leaves suddenly drop from 'The Nirvana Tree' in the Gorg's Garden, which is the traditional sign that the reigning King must surrender his throne to the crowned prince. But after eating the last Nirvana leaf, Junior shrinks to fraggle size, sees the realm from their point of view (including a consultation with the Trash Heap), and upon regaining his Gorg stature, invites his Fraggle friends to his coronation, at which time he immediately abolishes the Gorg's monarchy, introducing a Fraggle-like society where all creatures are socially equal.
Marjory the Trash Heap
The Trash Heap, a wise being (referred to as an "oracleOracle
In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....
"), 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
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
and the ability to teleport
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
items or Fraggles), although she does not often use them. Sometimes she knits to pass the time. She has an uncle named Maximillian, whom she refers to as "Uncle Max". Jerry Nelson
Jerry Nelson
Jerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
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 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". Philo was played by Dave GoelzDave Goelz
Dave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
and Gunge was played by Richard Hunt
Richard Hunt (puppeteer)
Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
.
The Silly Creatures of Outer Space
Gobo's uncle Matt, known as Traveling Matt, has gone to explore the human world (Fraggles call it Outer SpaceOuter space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
), and he regularly sends postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
s back to Gobo. The name "Traveling Matt" puns on the film special-effects device known as a traveling matte
Matte (filmmaking)
Mattes are used in photography and special effects filmmaking to combine two or more image elements into a single, final image. Usually, mattes are used to combine a foreground image with a background image . In this case, the matte is the background painting...
. Matt calls the humans he meets the "Silly Creatures." Yet despite his contempt, the interactions related in his postcards often show his own ignorance. For example, he once sees two teenage girls chewing
Chewing gum
Chewing gum is a type of gum traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, or synthetic rubber known as polyisobutylene. For economical and quality reasons, many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle...
bubble gum: when they blow bubbles, he believes that the "food" has made their tongue
Tongue
The tongue is a muscular hydrostat on the floors of the mouths of most vertebrates which manipulates food for mastication. It is the primary organ of taste , as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly...
s 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
Invention
An invention is a novel composition, device, or process. An invention may be derived from a pre-existing model or idea, or it could be independently conceived, in which case it may be a radical breakthrough. In addition, there is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social...
and former barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
"Doc" (portrayed by Gerard Parkes
Gerard Parkes
Gerard Parkes is an Irish Canadian actor who was born in Dublin, Ireland, and moved to Canada in 1956. His acting career has spanned film, radio, television, and the stage...
). 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 (performed by Steve Whitmire
Steve Whitmire
Steven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
while the right hand and wagging tail were done by Karen Prell
Karen Prell
Karen Prell is best known as the performer of Red Fraggle on Fraggle Rock. She also performed some characters in other Jim Henson films, and has enjoyed a significant second career as a computer animator for such studios as Pixar and DNA. On Sesame Street she performed Deena Monster, which was a...
) has seen them and tries in vain to prove their existence to his master. The last episode reveals Doc's true name: Jerome Crystal (spelling of the surname verified according to the official Encyclopedia Fragglia, an internal document compiled by Karen Prell and other staffers). 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 named Ned Shimmelfinney who lives next door to him. At first, Sprocket hates Shimmelfinney, who owns a cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
named Fluffanella (voiced by Karen Prell
Karen Prell
Karen Prell is best known as the performer of Red Fraggle on Fraggle Rock. She also performed some characters in other Jim Henson films, and has enjoyed a significant second career as a computer animator for such studios as Pixar and DNA. On Sesame Street she performed Deena Monster, which was a...
). Sprocket makes a face and choking gestures every time Shimmelfinney's name is mentioned. He stops doing this after Doc and Shimmelfinney have a fight in "The Great Radish Famine." In the last episode, Ned Shimmelfinney moves to the desert for his health causing Doc and Sprocket to go with him.
Doc also helps out Ms. Betty Ardath, who moves into his neighborhood in episode 44. She runs a bed-and-breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
called "The Captain's Inn". Sprocket has a crush on her pet Airedale Terrier
Airedale Terrier
The Airedale Terrier is a breed of the terrier type that originated in Airedale, a geographic area in Yorkshire, England. It is traditionally called the "King of Terriers" because it is the largest of the terrier breeds...
named Marigold just as Doc has a crush on Betty.
Other characters and creatures
- Aretha (voiced by Sharon Lee Williams) - A cave creature that accompanies Gobo when he sings "Only Way Home" in the episode "Sir Hubris and the Gorgs."
- The Avalanche Monster (performed by Bob StuttBob StuttBob Stutt is a Canadian puppeteer/writer, who has starred in various children's television programs throughout his career.He has appeared in the following television series:* Canadian Sesame Street – Basil...
) - An animated 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 (performed by Karen PrellKaren PrellKaren Prell is best known as the performer of Red Fraggle on Fraggle Rock. She also performed some characters in other Jim Henson films, and has enjoyed a significant second career as a computer animator for such studios as Pixar and DNA. On Sesame Street she performed Deena Monster, which was a...
) - The Baby Tree Creature is a type of Gorg bird that is seen in "Wembley's Egg". Its egg was accidentally dropped down into the well by Junior Gorg, and hatched by Wembley. The tree creature believed Wembley was its mother, and was eventually reunited with its real parents. - Balsam the Minstrel - An unidentified insectInsectInsects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
-like creature that is one of the five Minstrels. He plays the bongo drums. - Beastie (performed by Karen PrellKaren PrellKaren Prell is best known as the performer of Red Fraggle on Fraggle Rock. She also performed some characters in other Jim Henson films, and has enjoyed a significant second career as a computer animator for such studios as Pixar and DNA. On Sesame Street she performed Deena Monster, which was a...
) - Tosh Fraggle's pet beast that resembles a lionLionThe lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
. - The Beast of Bluerock - It lives in a mysterious lair that is only visible for the two days after the Doozer equinox, and then unseen for another year. It is later proven to be the fear in the Fraggles' hearts, a test by the Trash Heap.
- Begoony (performed by John Pattison) - Begoony is a magical rabbitRabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
-like creature that Mokey befriends in "The Incredible Shrinking Mokey." He had been abandoned by others before and tried to keep Mokey from abandoning him by shrinking her and trapping her in a small house. - Blue DragonDragonA dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
(performed by Rob MillsRob MillsRob Mills is an Australian singer best known as one of the finalists from Australian Idol 2003. He was a co-host on the late-night quiz show The Mint as well as a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network...
) - Blue Dragon is the creature that Red encounters in one of the worlds beyond the magical arches of the T. Matthew Fraggle Room in "Red's Blue Dragon." - Blustering Bellowpane Monster (performed by Tom Vandenberg) - The Blustering Bellowpane Monster is the creature which blows Boober's lucky hat off his head in "You Can't Do That Without a Hat."
- Brool the Minstrel (performed by Tim GosleyTim GosleyTim Gosley is a Canadian puppeteer who is primarily known for his work on numerous Muppet productions. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from the University of Alberta and studied puppeteering with Richard Hunt from 1981-1983. He began his career portraying several minor characters on the...
) - Brool is an unspecified creature who 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. They are stoppable only by flowers. Bouquet brigades are formed in order to hang flowers throughout the rock to repel the creepers.
- Cooties - Cooties are creatures whose sting causes Rock Fever.
- Ditzies (voiced by Kathryn MullenKathryn MullenKathryn "Kathy" Mullen is an actress, voice actress, and puppeteer most closely associated with Jim Henson projects. She began performing on The Muppet Show in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat...
) - Ditzies are tiny creatures that give off light. They live off music and are the source of all light in Fraggle Rock as seen in "The Day the Music Died." In the event that there is a lack of music, the entire rock gets dark causing the Fraggles, Doozers, and any other life in the rock to fall alseep. - Dreedlebugs - The Dreedlebugs build nests which are good for making ink.
- Enigma FishFishFish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
- - Flutebird (performed by Kathryn MullenKathryn MullenKathryn "Kathy" Mullen is an actress, voice actress, and puppeteer most closely associated with Jim Henson projects. She began performing on The Muppet Show in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat...
) - A bird with a flute-like beak. - Flying Batworm (performed by Steve WhitmireSteve WhitmireSteven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
) - Flying Batworm is a nocturnal creature that is also known as the Hairy-Chested Flying Batworm. - Food - Food is a strange, brown creature that makes his appearance many times in Fraggle Rock.
- Gaga Bugs - The Gaga Bugs have a bite that causes insanity.
- Giant Bolo Monster -
- The Glob - A giant rolling blob of generally amorphous shape, nevertheless has some kind of mouth somewhere. In "Boober and the Glob," the Glob comes in and eats Doozer after Doozer. The Fraggles finally find a way to get the Glob to regurgitate all the Doozers by telling jokes and getting the thing to laugh very intensely.
- Gridgen SpiderSpiderSpiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s - - Honkfish - The Honkfish inhabit the river near the Gorgs' Castle. They swim around a bend and get stuck once a year.
- Inkspots (performed by Trish Leeper, Rob MillsRob MillsRob Mills is an Australian singer best known as one of the finalists from Australian Idol 2003. He was a co-host on the late-night quiz show The Mint as well as a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network...
and Gord Robertson) - The Inkspots are little creatures with bulging eyes who appear in the background of various episodes. - The Invisible Garboil - A fearsome demonDemoncall - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
of Fraggle lore that lives 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 (performed by Rob MillsRob MillsRob Mills is an Australian singer best known as one of the finalists from Australian Idol 2003. He was a co-host on the late-night quiz show The Mint as well as a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network...
) - Lanford is Mokey's pet plantPlantPlants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
, 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 (performed by Bob StuttBob StuttBob Stutt is a Canadian puppeteer/writer, who has starred in various children's television programs throughout his career.He has appeared in the following television series:* Canadian Sesame Street – Basil...
) - A purple sea monsterSea monsterSea monsters are sea-dwelling mythical or legendary creatures, often believed to be of immense size.Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or multi-armed beasts. They can be slimy or scaly and are often pictured threatening ships or spouting jets of water...
. Red discovered it in the episode "Red's Sea Monster." - The Magical SpiderSpiderSpiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
-FlyFlyTrue flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
(performed by Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
) - A flying insectInsectInsects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
that can turn into an avuncular Fraggle-like being and grant wishes. - Mama Tree Creature (performed by Kathryn MullenKathryn MullenKathryn "Kathy" Mullen is an actress, voice actress, and puppeteer most closely associated with Jim Henson projects. She began performing on The Muppet Show in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat...
) - The Mama Tree Creatureis a kind of Gorg bird. - Mavis the Magic Mirror (performed by Sandra ShamasSandra ShamasSandra Shamas is a Canadian comedic actress and writer.The oldest of three children born to Lebanese immigrants, Shamas left home at age 17 and moved to Toronto, where she held a variety of jobs before a workshop at The Second City inspired her to pursue a career in performing arts...
) - Mavis is a magical mirror which Red and Cotterpin encounter in "Mirror, Mirror." - Mean GenieJinnJinn are supernatural beings in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings.Jinn may also refer to:* Jinn , a Japanese band* Qui-Gon Jinn, a character in the Star Wars universe...
(performed by Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
) - The Mean Genie is found by Wembley in "Wembley and the Mean Genie." He is a rude and selfish bully who exhibits bad behaviors such as painting graffiti, breaking things, and drinking radish beer. - Merggles - They appear in "Beyond the Pond" 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 indicating that the Merggles are the Fraggle Rock version of the MerpeopleMermanMermen are mythical male equivalents of mermaids – legendary creatures who have the form of a human from the waist up and are fish-like from the waist down.-Mythology:...
.- Merboo Merggle (performed by Kathryn MullenKathryn MullenKathryn "Kathy" Mullen is an actress, voice actress, and puppeteer most closely associated with Jim Henson projects. She began performing on The Muppet Show in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat...
) - Merboo is a prophetProphetIn religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
. - Merkey Merggle (performed by Rob MillsRob MillsRob Mills is an Australian singer best known as one of the finalists from Australian Idol 2003. He was a co-host on the late-night quiz show The Mint as well as a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network...
) - Merkey is the prophetProphetIn religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
of the dark side. - Mermer Merggle (performed by Steve WhitmireSteve WhitmireSteven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
) - Mermer is the leader of the Merggles. - Merple Merggle (performed by Nikki TilroeNikki TilroeNikki Tilroe was an Emmy Award-winning American puppeteer. She is best known for her work as the "Mime Lady" on the children's television series Today's Special...
) - Merple is always happy and also the prophetProphetIn religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
of the bright side. - Mervin Merggle (performed by Jerry NelsonJerry NelsonJerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
) - Mervin sells hats.
- Merboo Merggle (performed by Kathryn Mullen
- Mirkmonster (performed by Bob StuttBob StuttBob Stutt is a Canadian puppeteer/writer, who has starred in various children's television programs throughout his career.He has appeared in the following television series:* Canadian Sesame Street – Basil...
) - An enormous creature that appears only as an arm and longer than a handful of Fraggles. It appears in "A Cave of One's Own." - Moss-billed Flubberducks -
- Mudwell the Mudbunny (performed by Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
) - A creature whom Wembley meets and has a very short life-span. He dies leaving Wembley to learn about life's greatest mystery. It is revealed that when a Mudbunny dies, it is reborn as a LizardLizardLizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
(performed by Rob MillsRob MillsRob Mills is an Australian singer best known as one of the finalists from Australian Idol 2003. He was a co-host on the late-night quiz show The Mint as well as a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network...
) with faint memories of its past life. - Murray the Minstrel (performed by Steve WhitmireSteve WhitmireSteven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
in all other episodes, Gord Robertson in "The Honk of Honks") - An unspecified creature who is one of the five Minstrels and "second in command" to Cantus, plays a guitar. - Papa Tree Creature (performed by Steve WhitmireSteve WhitmireSteven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
) - The Papa Tree Creature is a kind of Gorg bird. - Plants of the Cave of Boredom/Forgetfulness - The Plants of the Cave of Boredome/Forgetfulness are carnivorous plants that release a gas (or a form of pollenPollenPollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
) 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. - Poison Cackler (performed by Tim GosleyTim GosleyTim Gosley is a Canadian puppeteer who is primarily known for his work on numerous Muppet productions. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from the University of Alberta and studied puppeteering with Richard Hunt from 1981-1983. He began his career portraying several minor characters on the...
) - The Poison Cackler is a large, fearsome, scorpionScorpionScorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
-like creature who enjoys eating smoke bombs. One has been pursuing the Wizard because of this. In "The Trial of Cotterpin Doozer," a Baby Poison Cackler (performed by Rob MillsRob MillsRob Mills is an Australian singer best known as one of the finalists from Australian Idol 2003. He was a co-host on the late-night quiz show The Mint as well as a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network...
) was featured. Large Marvin Fraggle had to give it his food in order to save Cotterpin Doozer enough for Judge Gavel Doozer to let Cotterpin Doozer keep her job. - Rock Clingers (performed by Lee ArmstrongLee ArmstrongLee Armstrong is an American actress. She starred in two movies in 1995, Magic Island and Leprechaun 3. She had an uncredited role in the 40 minute family short "Classic Stories for Children" in 1992. According to IMDB she appeared in a commercial for Ocean Spray. She also served as an intern on...
) — The Rock Clingers live in the Crystal Cavern. If a Rock Clinger falls in love with a Fraggle, the creature will follow that Fraggle everywhere. - Rockbeetles -
- Rumblebugs - The Rumblebugs are bugs that create humming sounds.
- Screaming Iceworms -
- Singing CactiCactusA cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
(voiced by Sharon Lee Williams) — The Singing Cacti have a song that mesmerizes all those who hear it. They live on the Wonder Trail that leads up to Wonder Mountain. - Skenfrith (performed by Dave GoelzDave GoelzDave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
) — Skenfrith is a magical creature whose appearance and personality are altered depending on what those around him believe or imagine. - Terrible Tunnel — The Terrible Tunnel may or may not be considered a creature (it is 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. In its self-titled episode, Wembley, Gobo, and Red barely escape from it. So far, they're the only ones who have.
- Thimblebeetles - The Thimblebeetles otherwise known as "Thimblebugs". They are considered pets of the Fraggles. Gobo does mention in the episode "Gone, But Not Forgotten", that he had a Thimblebug as a pet.
- Toe Ticklers - The Toe Tickers are fuzzy caterpillarCaterpillarCaterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
-like creatures that are despised by the Gorgs since they eat flowers. They get their name because they are known to tickle the feet of Fraggles. However, they eventually pupate and turn into Purple Sproingers, floating jellyfishJellyfishJellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
-like creatures which the Gorgs admire as beautiful creatures of the skies (much in the same way that humans look upon caterpillars and butterflies). - Wander McMooch (performed by Bob StuttBob StuttBob Stutt is a Canadian puppeteer/writer, who has starred in various children's television programs throughout his career.He has appeared in the following television series:* Canadian Sesame Street – Basil...
) - Wander McMooch is a terrible warty toadToadA toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...
-like 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), the Fraggles track Wander McMooch to his home in the swamp where Philo and Gunge start to do acts of cuteness enough for Wander McMooch to let them go.
Current location of Fraggle Rock puppets
, as part of the Jim Henson FoundationJim Henson Foundation
The Jim Henson Foundation was founded by puppeteer and Muppet creator Jim Henson to promote and develop puppetry in the United States. It is the only grantmaking institution with this mission. The Jim Henson Foundation has bestowed 440 grants. Its president is Cheryl Henson, Jim Henson's...
's donation of puppets to the Center for Puppetry Arts
Center for Puppetry Arts
The Center for Puppetry Arts, located in Atlanta, is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to the art form of puppetry. The Center focuses on three areas: performance, education and museum. It is one of the only puppet museums in the world. The Center is located in Midtown, the city's arts...
, the Atlanta museum displays many of the original puppet characters from Fraggle Rock in their exhibition Jim Henson: Wonders from his Workshop.
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 by Sababa Toys, each accompanied by a DVD featuring two episodes of the show and one episode of the animated series.
United Kingdom
A selection of episodes was released on VHS Hit EntertainmentHIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
. A petition to have Fraggle Rock released on DVD was run on the web for many years; 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
Television South
Television South was the ITV franchise holder in the south and south east of England between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1992. The company operated under various names, initially as Television South plc and then following reorganisation in 1989 as TVS Entertainment plc, with its UK...
, 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 episodes
Wiping
Wiping or junking is a colloquial term for action taken by radio and television production and broadcasting companies, in which old audiotapes, videotapes, and telerecordings , are erased, reused, or destroyed after several uses...
, including extensive enquiries with The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company, an American entertainment organization, traces its origins to the founding of Muppets, Inc. in 1958 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. The Muppets helped the company gain worldwide acclaim in family entertainment for more than four decades...
both in the UK and the US.
When UK television channels wish to broadcast the show, they are forced to use US versions; such was the case with Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
in 2004.
UK releases
- Palace Video (1984–1988)
- Buena Vista Home Video (1995)
- Hit EntertainmentHIT EntertainmentHit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
(2005–present)
United States
HIT EntertainmentHIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
released the first three seasons of Fraggle Rock on DVD in Region 1 between September 2005 and September 2007. They also released a complete series box set on November 4, 2008 but did not release the final season in a separate release. Season 4 had originally been scheduled to be released on the same day as the complete series set but at the last minute it was scrapped and was never released. Fan response to this decision was very negative and several online petitions were launched in protest .
On August 10, 2009, Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Lionsgate Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD distribution arm of Lions Gate Entertainment and most former Artisan Entertainment releases. Its library of more than 8000 films owes some of its size to output deals with other studios...
announced that they had reached a deal with The Jim Henson Company to acquire the rights to release Fraggle Rock on DVD. They subsequently released the final season on DVD for the very first time on November 3, 2009. They also re-released The Complete series collection with new packaging (due to numerous complaints about the previous release) on the same day.
| DVD Name | Release Date | Ep # | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fraggle Rock: Complete First Season | September 6, 2005 | 24 | Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock notepad, Behind the Scenes Documentary narrated by Jim Henson, Interviews with the cast and creators, Deluxe collectors box. |
| Fraggle Rock: Complete Second Season | September 5, 2006 | 24 | Jim Henson's Creatures and places of Fraggle Rock notepad, Steve Whitmire's Home Videos, Deluxe Collectors Box and tribute to Jerry Juhl. |
| Fraggle Rock: Complete Third Season | September 11, 2007 | 24 | All-new featurettes and interviews with Fraggle Rock cast and creators, Deluxe embossed collector's packaging. |
| Fraggle Rock: The Complete Final Season | November 3, 2009 | 24 | All-new featurettes and interviews with Fraggle Rock cast and creators. |
| Fraggle Rock: Complete Series Collection | November 4, 2009 | 96 | All 96 Episodes in one collectible Package Art, Original Fraggle Rock Illustrated Poster, All New Featurettes and Interviews with Fraggle Rock cast and creators. |
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 ChannelDisney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
but went with the Deluxe Digital Studios
Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc.
Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. is a leading company in the business of traditional and digital cinema services.By focusing on both theatrical and home entertainment, Deluxe sets up complete digital workflow solutions for such major motion-picture groups as The Walt Disney Company, 20th...
logo after the Jim Henson Productions logo on VHS in 1993. From 1999 until 2001 the show moved to Odyssey Network
Odyssey Network
The Odyssey Network was a cable television network that was launched in 1996.-History:* 1984: The channel was launched as ACTS;* 1988: VISN was launched as a television network;...
, which had recently been 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
Boomerang (TV channel)
Boomerang is a 24-hour American cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a division of Time Warner. Boomerang specializes in reruns of animated programming from Time Warner's extensive archives, including pre-1986 MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
started repeating episodes of the North American co-production of Fraggle Rock in the UK. On October 24, 2007, The Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
begins repeating episodes on the digital-only ABC2
ABC2
ABC2 is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia...
channel. On September 20, 2007, TVNZ 6
TVNZ 6
TVNZ 6 was a digital-only, commercial-free television channel operated by Television New Zealand. It was available in 60.3% of New Zealand homes on the Freeview and SKY Television Digital platforms...
in New Zealand began airing episodes daily. The series has aired on Teletoon Retro
Teletoon Retro
Teletoon Retro is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel based on the Teletoon programming block Teletoon Retro. The service consists of animation series from Canada and around the world, all of which commenced production at least 10 years prior to their exhibition...
in Canada daily since 2008.
In October 2010, Fraggle Rock reruns returned to U.S. airwaves on The Hub
The Hub (TV network)
The Hub is an American digital cable and satellite television channel that launched on October 10, 2010. The channel, which replaced Discovery Kids, is a joint venture of Discovery Communications, Inc. and Hasbro...
, the newly launched cable-network jointly owned by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
and by Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications, Inc. is an American global media and entertainment company. The company started as a single channel in 1985, The Discovery Channel. Today, DCI has global operations offering 28 network entertainment brands on more than 100 channels in more than 180 countries in 39...
.
Animated series
An animated Fraggle Rock series aired for one season on NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Saturday morning lineup in 1987.
Feature film
In September 2005, The Jim Henson Company announced that it was working on a film adaptation of Fraggle Rock, known as Fraggle Rock: The Movie, with the aim of a release in 2009. The story allegedly involves the original Fraggle characters. As of October 2006 this is still current.On October 20, 2006, Darkhorizons.com reported "Henson's company has hired executive producer Ahmet Zappa
Ahmet Zappa
Ahmet Emuukha Rodan Zappa is an American musician, actor and novelist.-Early life:Ahmet was born in Los Angeles, California, the third of four children born to businesswoman Adelaide Gail Sloatman and musician Frank Zappa. Ahmet's father was of Sicilian, Greek-Arab and French descent and his...
(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
Lisa Henson
Lisa Henson is a television and movie producer who has been involved in television shows such as Sid the Science Kid and blockbuster movies Lethal Weapon and Batman...
is producing, whilst Brian Henson will exec produce."
In May 2008 it was announced that The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company is an American film studio founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in 2005 after the brothers left the then-Disney-owned Miramax Films, which they had co-founded in 1979...
will be distributing the Fraggle Rock movie. The film is being written as a live-action musical by Cory Edwards
Cory Edwards
Cory Edwards is a director, writer, and stand-up comedian. He is probably best known for co-directing, co-writing, and voice acting in Hoodwinked , and for co-writing and voice acting in the 2011 sequel Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil.-Career:Cory Edwards acted in his brother Todd's 1999 film...
, 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." Karen Prell and Dave Goelz will return for the film as Red Fraggle, Boober Fraggle, and Uncle Traveling Matt, respectively. However in 2011, Weinstein's deal with Henson had expired leaving production of the film in doubt. It was also announced that the Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters are an American band "spawned by the scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York" who took their name from a sexual position between two women also known as tribadism...
would write music for the film, making the film possible. In October 2011 New Regency acquired the rights to the movie to be produced by The Jim Henson Company and The Montecito Picture Company
The Montecito Picture Company
The Montecito Picture Company is a film production company owned by Ivan Reitman.-Filmography:*Road Trip *Evolution *Alienators: Evolution Continues *Killing Me Softly *Old School...
. New Regency (the company behind Alvin and the Chipmunks movies) and the producers are currently in discussion whether to use muppets or CGI as well as a mix of live action. Once this has been decided they will look to a writer for the movie.
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
Gerard Parkes
Gerard Parkes is an Irish Canadian actor who was born in Dublin, Ireland, and moved to Canada in 1956. His acting career has spanned film, radio, television, and the stage...
will not reprise his role as Doc, the American human character, for the movie.
Music
Music played a central part in Fraggle Rock. Every episode featured two or three original songs co-written by Canadian poet Dennis LeeDennis Lee (author)
Dennis Beynon Lee, OC, MA is a Canadian poet, teacher, editor, and critic born in Toronto, Ontario. He is also a children's writer, well known for his book of children's rhymes, Alligator Pie.-Life:...
and Philip Balsam
Philip Balsam
Philip Balsam is a Canadian songwriter and author.With fellow Canadian Dennis Lee, he wrote most of the songs for the television series Fraggle Rock....
, as well as incidental music. Several episodes (usually involving Cantus and the Minstrels) focused primarily on music—such as Red Fraggle's attempt 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 RecordsKoch Records
E1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...
released Fraggle Rockin': A Collection
Fraggle Rockin': A Collection
Fraggle Rockin': A Collection is a three-disc CD box-set of Fraggle Rock music, released by KOCH Records on October 30, 2007, and contains all 53 tracks...
, a three-disc box set of Fraggle Rock music, on October 30, 2007. The collection featured "restored and remastered" versions of three original Fraggle Rock LPs. The collection also included "special liner notes featuring rarely seen photos, contributions from the original composers and even sheet music for select songs." The main portion of these liner notes, called "Getting Down at Fraggle Rock," features an interview with Philip Balsam
Philip Balsam
Philip Balsam is a Canadian songwriter and author.With fellow Canadian Dennis Lee, he wrote most of the songs for the television series Fraggle Rock....
and Lawrence S. Mirkin and is written by Mike Petersen
Mike Petersen
Michael Petersen is a retired Australian soccer player. He is an inductee of the Football Federation Australia - Football Hall of Fame.-Club career:...
and Saul Pincus.
Song list
- Fraggle Rock Theme Song
- Afraid to Be Afraid
- All Around the World
- Bad News
- Ball of Fire
- The Ballad of Sir Blunderbrain
- Beetle Song
- Brave Alone
- Brave Boy, Jump Up
- Bring Back the Wonder
- Catch the Tail by the Tiger
- Cave Flute
- Choose-Right (Up-Tight Move-Now) Blues
- The Clown Concerto
- Convincing John
- Count on Me
- Dixie Wailin’
- Do It On My Own
- Doom Dee Doom (March Alone)
- Doozer Building Song (We'll Work Together Building Shapes in the Air)
- Doozer Gong Music
- Doozer Knitting Song
- Doozer March Song (Set Your Shoulder)
- Down in Fraggle Cave
- Dream Girl Lover
- Dream a Dream (and See)
- Dreaming of Someone
- Dum De Dum
- Dum De Dum II (I Wish I Had a Genie)
- Dum of a Son of a Gun
- Dump the Stuff Out (Yucky for Sure)
- Easy is the Only Way to Go
- Everybody's Doin' It
- Eye to Eye
- Face Facts, Pack Snacks, Make Tracks
- Feel So Bad
- The Fireman's Anthem
- Fly to the Sky (Learn to Fly)
- Follow Me
- Follow the Road
- Follow Your Heart
- Fraggle Rock Rock
- A Fraggle You Can't See
- Friends Till the End
- Friendship Song
- Front 'N' Back Patter Song (Turn Around Now!)
- The Garbage of Time
- Get Blue (Goin' Down the Road)
- Get Goin’
- Go with the Flow
- Good-bye, Good-bye (Just a Rainbow in the Sky)
- The Gorg's Lament (O World O Time O Woe)
- The Gypsy Song (I Sniff the Rose)
- Help Me for a Change
- Helping Hand
- Here to There
- Hip Hip Hooray
- Ho Ho Ho (What a Funny World It Is)
- Home
- I Knew I Was Good
- I Seen Troubles
- I Swear (To Be Fair)
- I'm Never Alone
- I'm Not Scared
- I'm a Little Stew Pot
- If It Happened to You
- Inny Minny Cow Cow
- Is It True?
- The Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
- The Joy
- Just Don't Know What Time It Is
- Just a Little Wimp
- Kick a Stone
- Learn to Love a Wimp
- Let Me Be Your Song
- A Little Doozer Music
- Lose Your Heart (And It's Found)
- Lost and Found
- Lover, Lover, Number 9
- The Me I Wanna Be
- Magic Be with You (Last song, appeared in the episode "Change of Address")
- Mokey's Jam Session
- Muck and Goo
- Music Box
- Music Makes Us Real (Ping!)
- Noodlin' Nut
- Now You See Me (Now You Don't)
- Now's the Time for Parting
- Once Upon a Time (I Knew My Name)
- One and One (I'm the One that Won!)
- Only Way Home
- Our Melody
- Pantry Chant
- Party Hard (Who Knows What You See)
- Pass It On
- (Today Has Been) A Perfect Day
- Perfect Harmony
- Pipe Bangers Theme
- Please/See/Feel the Water Run
- Pukka, Pukka, Pukka Squeetily Boink
- Ragtime Queen
- Recruiting Song (Heed the Drumbeat Now)
- Remembering Song (Na-Na-Na)
- Rev
- The Rock Goes On
- Rollin', Rollin' On
- The Rules Song (I'm the Leader Now)
- Rumble Bug Hum
- Sail Away
- Share and You're Not Alone
- Shine On Us Now (Moon Come Soon)
- Shine On, Shine On Me
- Sing It and Say
- Sing That Law Again
- (Sleep By the) Light of the Moon
- Somewhere There's a Special Place
- Sorrow and Shame
- Spring Cleaning
- Stuff Samba
- Sunlight and Shadow
- Sweet, Sweet Little Treat
- There's a Lot I Want to Know
- Time to Live as One
- Trash is Back in Town
- Turn Your Buttons Down
- Water Drip Song
- The Way I've Got to Go
- Welcome Back, Uncle Matt
- Wembley, Wembley, Number 9
- Wemblin' Fool
- What If
- What If a Friend
- What an Awful Day
- Why?
- Wise to Myself
- Without a Hat
- Workin’
- Yes, We Can
- Yucky!
- Closing Theme
Soundtrack musicians
- Don Gillis — Musical Director
- Bernie LaBargeBernie LaBargeBernie LaBarge is a Canadian guitarist, singer, and songwriter.-History:Bernie LaBarge began studying guitar at age 11, shortly after seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, February 9, 1964. Bernie has been playing professionally since 1967...
— Guitar - Michael Francis — Guitar
- Bob McLaren — Drums
- Ray Parker — Keyboards
- Tom Szczesniak — Bass Guitar
- Dick Smith — Percussion
Books
Interactive books produced for PlayskoolPlayskool
Playskool is an American company that produces educational toys and games for children. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and is headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.-History:...
's Talk 'n Play
Talk 'n Play
Talk 'n Play is an interactive desktop toy book reader with a built in microphone and green, yellow, red and blue action buttons. It appears to work like a 4-track tape player, where both side of the tape are used at once, utilizing the two sets of right/left audio to have the 4 "interactive" mono...
:
- Fraggle Rock: The Great Fraggle Travel Race
Listed as: title, author, illustrator, and date of publication.
- The Radish Day Jubilee, Sheilah B. Bruce, Lawrence DiFiori 1983
- Red and the Pumpkins, Jocelyn Stevenson, Kelly Oechsli 1983
- They Call Me Boober Fraggle, Michaela Muntean, Lisa McCue 1983
- Wembley Fraggle Gets the Story, Deborah Perlberg, Steven Schindler 1984
- Gobo and the River, Joseph Killorin Brennan, Diane Dawson Hearn 1985
- Marooned in Fraggle Rock, David Young, Barbara McClintock
- Best Friends, Jocelyn Stevenson, Sue Venning 1984
- Boober Fraggle's Celery Soufflé, Louise Gikow, Kelly Oechsli 1984
- Danger: Boober Cooking, Louise Gikow, Kelly Oechsli 1984
- Boober Fraggle's Giant Wish, Jocelyn Stevenson, Jeffrey Severn 1984
- If I Were King of the Universe, Danny Abelson, Lawrence DiFiori 1984
- The Legend of the Doozer Who Didn't, Louise Gikow, Barbara McClintock 1984
- No One Knows Where Gobo Goes, Mark Saltzman, Peter Elwell 1984
- The Tale of Traveling Matt, Michaela Muntean, Lisa McCue 1984
- Traveling Matt's Adventures in Outer Space, Michaela Muntean, Lisa McCue 1984
- What Do Doozers Do?, Michaela Muntean, Sue Venning 1984
- What's a Fraggle?, Louise Gikow, Barbara McClintock 1984
- Wembley's Egg, Laura Phillips, Sue Venning 1984
- The Cave of the Lost Fraggle, Michael Teitelbaum, Peter Elwell 1985
- Follow That Fraggle, Louise Gikow, Barbara Lanza 1985
- Mokey's Birthday Present, Ellen Weiss, Elizabeth Miles 1985
- Waggleby of Fraggle Rock, Stephanie Calmenson, Barbara McClintock 1985
- Why Wembley Fraggle Couldn't Sleep, H. B. Gilmour, Barbara McClintock 1985
- Goodnight Wembley Fraggle, H. B. Gilmour, Barbara McClintock 1985
- Cotterpin's Perfect Building, Ellen Weiss, Lauren Attinello 1986
- Wembley and the Soggy Map, Louise Gikow, Lisa McCue 1986
- Wembley Fraggle and the Magic Stone, Louise Gikow, Lauren Attinello 1986
- Gobo and the Prize from Outer Space, Lyn Calder, Frederic Marvin 1986
- The Case of the Missing Socks, Rebecca Grand, Jeffrey Severn 1986
- Wembley Fraggle's Big, Bigger, Biggest, Harry Ross, Larry DiFiori 1988
- The Fraggles Alphabet Pie, Harry Ross, Larry DiFiori 1988
- The Fraggles Counting Book, Harry Ross, Larry DiFiori 1988
- Mokey Fraggle's New Colors, Emily Paul, Larry DiFiori 1988
- The Fraggles Cooperate, Harry Ross, Larry DiFiori 1989
Comics
The Star ComicsStar Comics
Star Comics was an imprint of Marvel Comics that began in 1984 and continued to publish comic books until early 1988. Titles published by the imprint were aimed at child readers and were often adaptations of children's television series, animated series or toys...
imprint of Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
published two separate Fraggle Rock comic-book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series. The first series lasted eight issues, the second series lasted six issues.
In early 2010, Archaia Studios Press
Archaia Studios Press
Archaia Entertainment, LLC is an American comic book publishing company established by Mark Smylie in 2002.-History:Mark Smylie formed the company as a home for his comic Artesia because the publisher, Sirius Entertainment, wanted to print the third series in black and white...
published their first three-issue series of Fraggle Rock. A second three-issue series was followed in January 2011. Both series were collected in two hardcover editions shortly after their respective publications. No further announcements were made regarding any future volumes.
Other televised appearances
- Before its background appearance on Fraggle Rock, Food first appeared on Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
during the "Land of Gorch" sketch. It also made a cameo in The Muppet ShowThe Muppet ShowThe Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
and was recycled as Zsa Zsa Porkmustard in the "Science Fiction" episode of The Jim Henson HourThe Jim Henson HourThe Jim Henson Hour was a short-lived television series that aired on NBC in 1989. It was developed as a showcase for The Jim Henson Company's various puppet creations, including the popular Muppet characters. Only nine of the twelve episodes produced managed to air on NBC before the low-rated...
as well as an undersea creature cameo in the "Aquatic Life" episode. Poison Cackler was also recycled as JoBeth Garfdoohoo in the "Science Fiction" episode. Sprocket the Dog was seen in "Secret of the Muppets" where he was a member of the OMD (short for Organization of Muppet Dogs) alongside Rowlf the DogRowlf the DogRowlf the Dog is a Muppet character, a scruffy brown dog of indeterminate breed with a rounded black nose and long floppy ears. He was created by Jim Henson....
, characters from the "Dog City" episode (Ace Yu, Bugsy Them, Colleen Barker), Foo-FooFoo-FooFoo-Foo is a fictional dog in The Muppet Show. She is a white poodle owned by Muppet diva Miss Piggy. She is very tender towards her, even to the point of sickly saccharine baby talk. In the first episode of Muppets Tonight, Piggy gets jealous of Michelle Pfeiffer and sics the poodle on her during...
, Ambrosius from LabyrinthLabyrinth (film)Labyrinth is a 1986 British/American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed by Brian Froud. Henson collaborated on the screenwriting with children's author Dennis Lee, Terry Jones from Monty Python, and Elaine May .The film stars David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin...
, the Dog from The StorytellerThe StorytellerThe StoryTeller is a live-action/puppet television series. It was an American/British co-production which originally aired in 1988 and was created and produced by Jim Henson....
, and the Dog from The Tale of the Bunny PicnicThe Tale of the Bunny PicnicThe Tale of the Bunny Picnic is a 1986 TV special directed by Jim Henson and David G. Hillier. In the United States it was shown annually on HBO in the spring, usually during Easter time. It was later released on VHS in 1993...
. On a related note, Sprocket was seen in the "Dog City" episode being thrown out of a bar.
- Uncle Traveling Matt appears in The Muppets Take ManhattanThe Muppets Take ManhattanThe Muppets Take Manhattan is the third of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Henson's Muppets, and also the final film before Henson's death. This film was produced by Henson Associates and TriStar Pictures, and was filmed on location in New York City during the summer of...
seated in Piggy's wedding party during the play.
- There was a special featuring the Fraggles called Fraggles Look for Jobs which details the Fraggles after the show had ended. Gobo has secured a singing job billed as "Gobo the Frosty Fraggle," Wembley has no immediate plans except to stop wearing banana tree shirts, Mokey is writing a screenplay called Girls of the Sixties, and Red has signed a contract to play hockey for the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Boober spends most of the video on the phone (with Bernie and others), hoping to find another acting job, preferably as a romantic lead. Two clips from this have been shown on The Jim Henson Company's YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
page.
- Uncle Traveling Matt and Sprocket the Dog appeared in The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 YearsThe Muppets: A Celebration of 30 YearsThe Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years is a 1985 one-hour special that aired on CBS starring Jim Henson's Muppets.-Plot:The Muppets, the characters from Sesame Street, the characters from Sam and Friends, Uncle Traveling Matt and Sprocket the Dog from Fraggle Rock, and other Muppet-related...
.
- Doc, Sprocket the Dog, Gobo Fraggle, Wembley Fraggle, Boober Fraggle, Mokey Fraggle, Red Fraggle, and Uncle Traveling Matt appeared in A Muppet Family ChristmasA Muppet Family ChristmasA Muppet Family Christmas is a 1987 Christmas television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets.This is one of the very few Muppet productions to feature Muppets associated with all four of the major Muppet franchises: The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock and Muppet Babies...
. Doc and Sprocket rent the farmhouse of Fozzie Bear's mother while she plans to go to Malibu until Fozzie shows up with his friends. Doc and Sprocket end up adjusting to the Muppets and the characters from Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
even to the part where Doc volunteers to help Kermit by looking for Miss Piggy in the blizzard. While Doc was out looking for Miss Piggy, Kermit and Robin find a Fraggle Hole in the basement and enter Fraggle Rock where they encounter the five main Fraggles and tell them about Christmas. The Fraggles mention they have a similar holiday which included a reprisal of "Pass It On" (joined in by Large Marvin Fraggle and some of the generic Fraggles). During the Christmas Medley, the five main Fraggles come up to investigate the music as Uncle Traveling Matt is shown sitting next to Doc. During this Christmas special when it came to him meeting Fozzie and his friends, Doc asked Sprocket if they are anything like those Fraggles he keeps telling him about. Judging by that comment, it is assumed that the events of this episode take place sometime during the Fraggle Rock series.
- Mama Tree Bird and Baby Tree Bird appeared in The Ghost of Faffner HallThe Ghost of Faffner HallThe Ghost of Faffner Hall is a children's television series from The Jim Henson Company which aired from September 11, 1989 to December 4, 1989.-Plot:...
episode "The Voice Is an Instrument." Baby Tree Creature also appeared in the episode "Music Brings Us Together."
- Sprocket the Dog made a cameo appearance in The Muppets at Walt Disney WorldThe Muppets at Walt Disney WorldThe Muppets at Walt Disney World is a television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. This was the last Muppets project that Jim Henson worked on before his death on May 16, 1990. The special aired on NBC May 6, 1990.-Plot:In this...
. He is seen as an inmate at the Disney World Pet Care Center.
- Gobo Fraggle, Mokey Fraggle, and Wembley Fraggle made a cameo appearance in The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson alongside the other Muppets and characters from "Sesame Street" in the "Just One Person" tribute song to Jim Henson.
- The puppets for Sprocket the Dog, Begoony, Mudwell the Mudbunny, Murray the Minstrel, Aretha, Wander McMooch, Brool the Minstrel, and the Inkspots make cameo appearances in The Muppet Christmas CarolThe Muppet Christmas CarolThe Muppet Christmas Carol is a 1992 musical comedy film adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, starring Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, directed by Brian Henson, produced by The Jim Henson Company, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
. Begooney was shown as the child of the characters depicted by Mudwell and Murray. Sprocket was seen in a crowd cameo. Aretha appears in a crowd chorus. Wander McMooch and Brool the Minstrel make cameo appearances as one of the guests at Fred's party.
- The puppets for Begoony and Mudwell the Mudbunny were later used as one of the pirates of the Hispaniola in Muppet Treasure IslandMuppet Treasure IslandMuppet Treasure Island is a 1996 American musical film based on Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. It is the fifth feature film to star The Muppets and was directed by Jim Henson's son Brian Henson....
. Mudwell's character was the operator of the pirate Dead Tom (whom Mudwell sobs over following Dead Tom's "death" at the hands of Long John Silver before being reminded by Walleye Pike that Dead Tom is "already dead"). Mudwell was performed by Bill BarrettaBill BarrettaBill Barretta has been performing with the Muppets since 1991, when he performed the body of family father Earl Sinclair on Dinosaurs...
here. The puppets for Brool the Minstrel, Murray the Minstrel, and Wander McMooch were used as one of the pirates that attacked the Admiral Benbow Inn. Aretha appeared as a townsperson. The Inkspots were sighted during the opening song.
- Large Marvin Fraggle, Begoony, and Blustering Bellowpane Monster made audience cameos in Muppets TonightMuppets TonightMuppets Tonight is a live-action/puppet television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring The Muppets. Much like the "MuppeTelevision" segment of The Jim Henson Hour, Muppets Tonight was a continuation of The Muppet Show, set in a television studio, rather than a theater.-Format:The...
. The Inkspots also made appearances in the show as background crew members. Poison Cackler appeared in episode 4 in a background appearance in the "Tales from the Vet" segment.
- Aretha appeared in The Muppets' Wizard of OzThe Muppets' Wizard of OzThe Muppets' Wizard of Oz is a 2005 musical telefilm directed by Kirk Thatcher and starring Ashanti and The Muppets. The film was produced by Bill Barretta and written by Debra Frank, Steve L. Hayes, Tom Martin, and Adam F...
as a Flying Monkey.
- The puppets for Philo, Begoony, Blustering Bellowpane Monster, The Inkspots, Murray the Minstrel, Beastie, Mudwell the Mudbunny, and an unnamed background cave creature appeared in Mopatop's ShopMopatop's ShopMopatop's Shop is a television series that which premiered on CITV in the UK in 1999. 260 ten-minute episodes were made and aired daily. It was a co-production between Jim Henson Productions and Carlton Television.-Production:...
as various guests.
- Fraggle Rock is parodied in the Robot ChickenRobot ChickenRobot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
episode "Monstourage" with Gobo Fraggle voiced by Chris EvansChris Evans (actor)Christopher Robert "Chris" Evans is an American actor. He played Cary Baston on the television series Opposite Sex, and transitioned to a film career, starring in several hits, including Not Another Teen Movie , Fierce People , Fantastic Four, sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer , and...
, Mokey Fraggle voiced by Emmanuelle ChriquiEmmanuelle ChriquiEmmanuelle Sophie Anne Chriqui is a Canadian film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on HBO's Entourage as Sloan McQuewick, as well as the love interest of Adam Sandler in the movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan...
, Wembley Fraggle and Boober Fraggle voiced by Drew MasseyDrew MasseyDrew Massey is a puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company for the Muppets and has performed in many TV shows, movies, and TV commercials. He also lends his voice for commercials and video games. His film credits include The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, The Producers, Dr. Dolittle, Cats & Dogs, Team...
, Red Fraggle voiced by Seth GreenSeth GreenSeth Benjamin Green is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer. He is well known for his role as Daniel "Oz" Osbourne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Dr. Evil's son Scott in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, Mitch Miller in That '70s Show, and the voice of Chris...
, and Doc voiced by Michael ChiklisMichael ChiklisMichael Charles Chiklis is an American actor, voice actor, occasional director and television producer. Some of the previous roles for which he is best known include Commissioner Tony Scali on the ABC police drama The Commish, LAPD Detective Vic Mackey on the FX police drama The Shield, Thing in...
. In a segment that parodies Fraggle Rock in the style of Watership DownWatership DownWatership Down is a classic heroic fantasy novel, written by English author Richard Adams, about a small group of rabbits. Although the animals in the story live in their natural environment, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language , proverbs, poetry, and mythology...
, Doc tells an exterminator that his dog Sprocket has been barking down a hole stating that something must be down there. The exterminator first throws a flashlight-like object down there so that he can see where he can throw the grenade and ducks himself and Doc out of the way. As the Fraggles are enjoying their day, the grenade explodes in Fraggle Rock causing the Fraggles to scramble to get out of the cave-in. Out of the Fraggles, Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, Boober, Red and three nameless Fraggles make it out while the rest are trapped in the cave-in. Gobo vows to find a new home for the surviving Fraggles using the guides of the postcards he gets from Uncle Traveling Matt. Though Wembley starts to have bad visions of what's to come, the other Fraggles give him a kick in the crotch. When it came to crossing a road, Gobo's postcard from Uncle Traveling Matt refers to the cars as "Beep-Beep-Outta-the-Way-A*******." When it comes to crossing, two cars crash killing a green Fraggle. Then the Fraggles are chased across the water by Sprocket who ends up killing a purple Fraggle. When they arrive at a farm, a pink Fraggle is killed by a trap near a radish patch. When they find a cave under the radish patch, the surviving Fraggles make it their new home where Gobo plans to repopulate the Fraggles (which makes Red and Mokey nervous as they are the only females in the group). Wembley's latest vision ends up a good one until an oil rig drills into the cave causing the Fraggles to emerge from the oil rig on top of the oil and then hit the ground already dead. In "Saving Private Gigli," a segment shows a Foreman Doozer (voiced by Patrick PinneyPatrick PinneyPatrick Pinney is an American voice actor. He attended college at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, where he had many friends including assistant director Michele Panelli Venetis and San Francisco Bay area costumer Alison Barnwell Morris , with whom he costarred in "The...
) asking a Migrant Doozer (voiced by Seth GreenSeth GreenSeth Benjamin Green is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer. He is well known for his role as Daniel "Oz" Osbourne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Dr. Evil's son Scott in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, Mitch Miller in That '70s Show, and the voice of Chris...
) for his work visa. When the Migrant Doozer doesn't have one, the foreman Doozer has the Migrant Doozer deported back to his country and order the other Doozers to shut down the building project.
- In recent years, a new Red Fraggle puppet was built to be used by Karen PrellKaren PrellKaren Prell is best known as the performer of Red Fraggle on Fraggle Rock. She also performed some characters in other Jim Henson films, and has enjoyed a significant second career as a computer animator for such studios as Pixar and DNA. On Sesame Street she performed Deena Monster, which was a...
at live events including Comic-con.
- In Little BritainLittle BritainLittle Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
, Linda Flint described everyone she insulted as "the whole cast of Fraggle Rock."
- In the FriendsFriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
episode "The One With All The Resolutions," Chandler asks "Hornswaggle, who are you dating? A character from Fraggle Rock?"
- Blustering Bellowpane Monster was seen in the official trailer of The MuppetsThe Muppets (film)The Muppets is a 2011 American musical and comedy film, and the first Muppets theatrical release in 12 years, as well as the first Disney-produced Muppets film since 1996's Muppet Treasure Island...
.