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Fraggle Rock (also known as Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock) is a Canadian children's live action puppet television 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, Channel 7 in Australia, and TV1 in New Zealand.^[2] 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.^[3] Writers included Jim 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."^[4] 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.^[5]

Television series[link]

Fraggle Rock 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. It was a co-production between British regional ITV franchise holder 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.

International co-productions[link]

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.^[4] 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 Parkes) 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 dubbed in their respective languages.

• The British inserts was filmed at the TVS Television Theatre in Gillingham, Kent (since closed) and presents Fraggle Rock as a rocky sea-island with a lighthouse. It used as an actual shown location St. Anthony's Lighthouse located near Falmouth in Cornwall. The lighthouse keeper is The Captain (played by Fulton Mackay), a retired sailor who lives with his faithful dog Sprocket. In the third season the role was filled by John Gordon Sinclair as P.K. (the captain's nephew) and in the fourth Simon O'Brien as B.J. (the captain's son). 84 of these British wraparounds are now missing believed wiped. 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 Robin) 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 repeated it in the UK from 1993, as did Boomerang and Cartoonito in 2007. The episodes shown were the US versions. As of 2010^[update] 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.

Episodes[link]

Characters[link]

Fraggles[link]

Fraggles are humanoid creatures, about 18 inches tall,^[4] 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 radishes. 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 Nelson) - The "leader" of the five main Fraggles. He is unusually level-headed and practical for a Fraggle, prefers to control most situations.^[2] 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. When it comes to the Outer Space segments, Gobo is operated by Mike Quinn with Jerry Nelson still voicing Gobo.
• Mokey Fraggle (performed by Kathryn Mullen) - Mokey represents a highly spiritual and artistic, hippie-type and usually remains quiet and contemplative, though even she can get annoyed from time to time.^[6] 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 mauve 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. Mokey thinks more about the heart and is the oldest of the Fraggle group, serving as a den mother.
• Red Fraggle (performed by Karen Prell) - 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.^[6] Red has a yellowish orange hue, red hair, and wears a red sweater. Mo Rocca described her on VH1's I Love the 80s: Strikes Back as the "Buck the establishment Fraggle" (comparable^{[citation needed]} to Peppermint Patty of the Peanuts 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 Whitmire) - Gobo's roommate 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).^[6] In fact, "to wemble" is a Fraggle verb meaning "to be indecisive"^{[citation needed]} (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 Goelz) - 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.^[6] 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, and he often subtly hits on Mokey. He has so much knowledge that he is actually a capable medic to the other fraggles, as evidenced in the later seasons.
• Uncle Traveling Matt (performed by Dave Goelz) - 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."
• Ancient Fraggles - A tribe of Fraggles that were seen in "Mokey, Then and Now." Back then, Fraggles had leaders and didn't have hairs on the heads yet. Mokey, Wembley, and Booker ended up somewhere back in time where the Ancient Fraggles mistook Mokey as the legendary Blundig (who Mokey was dressed as when she, Wembley, and Boober were rehearsing a play about Blundig).
  • Fishface Fraggle (performed by Jerry Nelson) - The autocratic ruler of the Ancient Fraggles.
  • Bigmouth Fraggle (performed by Bob Stutt) - An Ancient Fraggle that speaks a lot.
  • Bonehead Fraggle (performed by Cheryl Wagner) - An Ancient Fraggle with a bone through her nose. She tends to repeat every phrase Fishface Fraggle says.
  • Noodlenose Fraggle (performed by Tim Gosley) - An Ancient Fraggle that is amused a lot and often ends up in the Ancient Fraggles' prison since being amused back then was a bad thing.
• Cantus the Minstrel (performed by Jim Henson) - 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 Angus) - 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."
• 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 Boober, in that they share his pessimistic attitude and dislike of most forms of fun.
  • The Cave's Oldest Fraggle (performed by Tim Gosley) - The elder of the Cave Fraggles. 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 Hunt) - 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!"
• 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 Goelz) - 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 Henson) - An evangelist-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 Sages - The council comprises the first three Fraggles to show up for a hearing. It is composed of the dopey Lambo (performed by Richard Hunt), Hambo (performed by Steve Whitmire) and an unnamed sleeping female Fraggle (voiced 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 Stutt) - 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 Nelson) - A good-natured but rather slow-witted Fraggle. Best friend to Large Marvin Fraggle.
• Firechief Fraggle (performed by Richard Hunt) - 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 Hunt) - 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 Hunt) - A Fraggle who serves as the property caretaker of Rhyming Rock.
• Large Marvin Fraggle (performed by Dave Goelz) - 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 Wagner) - A female Fraggle who becomes Wembley's girlfriend in the episode "We Love You Wembley".
• Marley Fraggle (performed by Karen Prell) - A Fraggle that was around during Uncle Traveling Matt's childhood.
• Marlon Fraggle (performed by Steve Whitmire) - An odd-looking Fraggle, resembles Peter Lorre. 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 Mullen) - 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.
• Pedley Fraggle (performed by Mike Peterson) - A Fraggle that appeared in "A Brush with Jealousy."
• 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 Nelson) - 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 boiler, 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 "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 at the time. 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 Rock, 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."
• Rock Hockey Hannah (performed by Kathryn Mullen) - 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 Goelz) - 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 Whitmire) - 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."
• Storyteller Fraggle (performed by Richard Hunt in the first appearance, Terry Angus 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 Traveling Matt.
• Tosh Fraggle (performed by Trish Leeper) - A friend of Boober's. She has a pet beast named Beastie.
• Uncle Gobo (performed by Jerry Nelson) - 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."
• Wimple Fraggle (performed by Kathryn Mullen) - A Fraggle that was around during Uncle Traveling Matt's childhood.
• Wizard (performed by Richard Hunt) - The Wizard is a 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 Goelz) - The Wizard's lackey who is easily excited and loves to boast about the Wizard's accomplishments.
• The World's Oldest Fraggle (performed by Dave Goelz) - 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[link]

Within Fraggle Rock lives a second species of small humanoid creatures, the pudgy, green, ant-like Doozers. Standing only 6 inches (150 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 chants. 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.

• Angle Doozer -
• Architect Doozer (performed by Jerry Nelson) - The designs all of the Doozers' constructions. He also becomes Cotterpin's mentor in episode 32.
• Bailiff Doozer (performed by Mike Petersen) - Bailiff is involved in Cotterpin's trial.
• Board Doozer -
• Bulldoozer (performed by Tim Gosley) -
• Cotterpin Doozer (performed by Kathryn Mullen) - 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 Mullen) - Crosscut is a Doozer welder and a member of Flange's work team.
• Crusty Doozer (performed by Steve Whitmire) - Originally one of the Doozers left behind in the Cavern of Lost Dreams (the original Doozer Cave) alongside Yeaster Doozer.
• Derrick Doozer -
• Drillbit Doozer — He was mentioned by Cotterpin in the episode "Boober and the Glob."
• Flex Doozer (performed by Richard Hunt) - He gets covered by Boober's lucky hat in the episode "You Can't Do That Without a Hat."
• Flange Doozer (performed by Steve Whitmire) - Flange is Cotterpin's father and often works as a Doozer foreman.
• Granny Cantilever Doozer - The grandmother of Cotterpin Doozer and mother of Wingnut Doozer.
• Hammerhead Doozer -
• Judge Gavel Doozer (performed by Karen Prell) - Judge Gavel Doozer presides over Cotterpin's trial.
• Lock Doozer - He is one of the Doozers eaten by The Glob.
• Modem Doozer (performed by Karen Prell) - Modem is Wrench Doozer's mother and an occasional Doozer forewoman, which at least once led to a rivalry with Flange.
• Rotary Doozer (performed by Sandra Shamas) -
• 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.
• Spanner Doozer -
• Tumbrell 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 Hunt) - 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.
• Wingnut Doozer (performed by Karen Prell) - Wingnut Doozer is Cotterpin's mother.
• Wrench Doozer (performed by Dave Goelz) - Wrench Doozer is Cotterpin's best friend and Modem Doozer's son.
• Yeaster Doozer (performed by Sandra Shamas) - Yeaster is one of the Doozers originally left behind in the Cavern of Lost Dreams (the original Doozer Cave) alongside Crusty Doozer.

Gorgs[link]

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 King (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 radishes 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.

Marjory the Trash Heap[link]

The Trash Heap, a wise being (referred to as an "oracle"), serves as the garbage dump of the Gorgs.^[2] 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.

Philo and Gunge[link]

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 Goelz and Gunge was played by Richard Hunt.

The Silly Creatures of Outer Space[link]

Gobo's uncle Matt, known as Traveling Matt, has gone to explore the human world (Fraggles call it Outer Space), and he regularly sends postcards 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 tongues 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).^[7] 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.

Other characters and creatures[link]

• 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 Stutt) - 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 Prell) - 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 insect-like creature that is one of the five Minstrels. He plays the bongo drums.
• Beastie (performed by Karen Prell) - Tosh Fraggle's pet beast that resembles a lion.
• 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 rabbit-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 Dragon (performed by Rob Mills) - 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 Gosley) - 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 Mullen) - 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 Fish -
• Flutebird (performed by Kathryn Mullen) - A bird with a flute-like beak.
• Flying Batworm (performed by Steve Whitmire) - 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 Spiders -
• 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 Mills and Gord Robertson) - The Inkspots are little creatures with bulging eyes who appear in the background of various episodes.
• The Invisible Garboil - A fearsome demon 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 Mills) - Lanford is Mokey's pet plant, 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 Stutt) - A purple sea monster. Red discovered it in the episode "Red's Sea Monster."
• The Magical Spider-Fly (performed by Richard Hunt) - A flying insect that can turn into an avuncular Fraggle-like being and grant wishes.
• Mama Tree Creature (performed by Kathryn Mullen) - The Mama Tree Creatureis a kind of Gorg bird.
• Mavis the Magic Mirror (performed by Sandra Shamas) - Mavis is a magical mirror which Red and Cotterpin encounter in "Mirror, Mirror."
• Mean Genie (performed by Richard Hunt) - 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 Merpeople.
  • Merboo Merggle (performed by Kathryn Mullen) - Merboo is a prophet.
  • Merkey Merggle (performed by Rob Mills) - Merkey is the prophet of the dark side.
  • Mermer Merggle (performed by Steve Whitmire) - Mermer is the leader of the Merggles.
  • Merple Merggle (performed by Nikki Tilroe) - Merple is always happy and also the prophet of the bright side.
  • Mervin Merggle (performed by Jerry Nelson) - Mervin sells hats.
• Mirkmonster (performed by Bob Stutt) - 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 Hunt) - 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 Lizard (performed by Rob Mills) with faint memories of its past life.
• Murray the Minstrel (performed by Steve Whitmire 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 Whitmire) - 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 pollen) 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 Gosley) - The Poison Cackler is a large, fearsome, scorpion-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 Mills) 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 Armstrong) — 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 Cacti (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 Goelz) — 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 caterpillar-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 jellyfish-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 Stutt) - Wander McMooch is a terrible warty toad-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.

[edit] Current location of Fraggle Rock puppets

As of 2009^[update], as part of the Jim Henson Foundation'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.^[8]

Home video[link]

Australia[link]

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[link]

The twelve UK episodes with extant master copies were released on VHS and DVD by Hit Entertainment in April 2004. TVS, the original broadcasters, has passed through several owners since 1992 and only these twelve episodes are known to have survived, out of the 96 that were made. 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 Boomerang in 2007.

In 2010, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK began releasing complete season box sets. These releases are the same as the American box sets, except they have no bonus features.

UK releases[link]

• Virgin Video (1984)
• Palace Video (1987–1988)
• Buena Vista Home Video (1993)
• Hit Entertainment (2004–2007)
• Lionsgate Home Entertainment (2010–present)

United States[link]

HBO video released a collection of single-episode VHS tapes during the 1980s.

In 1993, Jim Henson Video released five Fraggle Rock VHS tapes with two episodes each.

HIT Entertainment released a number of single-disc DVDs with three episodes each (two in the VHS counterparts) plus bonus episodes which could be unlocked by completing a trivia game before releasing 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^{[citation needed]}.

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.^[9] They also re-released The Complete series collection with new packaging (due to numerous complaints about the previous release) on the same day.^[10]

Syndication[link]

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 Channel 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.

Spin-offs[link]

Animated series[link]

An animated Fraggle Rock series aired for one season on NBC's Saturday morning lineup in 1987.^[11] The cartoon series introduced some Fraggles, Doozers, and other cave creatures that were exclusive to the series.

Feature film[link]

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.^[12]

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 would be distributing the Fraggle Rock movie. The film was written as a live-action musical by Cory Edwards, who would also direct. The film was to be produced by The Jim Henson Company; Ahmet Zappa was executive producing along with Brian Inerfeld. The film would involve all of the core characters from the series. The story would take the characters "outside of their home in Fraggle Rock, where they interact with humans, which they think are aliens."^[13] Karen Prell and Dave Goelz were slated to 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 puppets or CGI as well as a mix of live action. Once this has been decided they will look to a writer for the movie.^[14] According to Cory Edwards' blog, Gerry Parkes will not reprise his role as Doc, the American human character, for the movie.

Music[link]

Music played a central part in Fraggle Rock. Every episode featured two or three original songs co-written by Canadian poet Dennis Lee 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.^[15]

Album releases[link]

KOCH Records released Fraggle Rockin': A Collection, a three-disc box set of Fraggle Rock music, on October 30, 2007. The collection^{[citation needed]} 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."^[16] 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.

Song list[link]

Soundtrack musicians[link]

• Don Gillis — Musical Director
• Bernie LaBarge — Guitar
• Michael Francis — Guitar
• Bob McLaren — Drums
• Ray Parker — Keyboards
• Tom Szczesniak — Bass Guitar
• Dick Smith — Percussion

In other media[link]

Books[link]

Interactive books produced for Playskool's Talk 'n Play:

• Fraggle Rock: The Great Fraggle Travel Race