Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 2, 2018

“[Fraggle Rock was] one of the happiest shows I have ever been a part of,” Jim Henson says of the quasi-classic puppeteering show that aired on HBO for five seasons, debuting on January 10, 1983 and closing on March 30, 1987. The show delighted many children, this reviewer included, with its cute characters, happy songs, regular adventures, and some oddities, too, all par for the course for a Henson creation. Made with good old-fashioned elbow grease puppetry skills and some mechanical and electrical support as required, Fraggle Rock became a fully realized world that in many was served as a mirror for the real world in which it aired, even if it looked, sounded, or felt nothing like it. It’s Henson magic at its best and, like most everything else he's touched, it withstands the test of time. Yet it was still a pleasant surprise when it was announced for Blu-ray, back in July of 2018, not so much because the show isn’t worthy of a new release but because it wasn’t shot at a resolution that the format could really do much with. Nevertheless, even if the show can only really take advantage of some of the more peripheral benefits the Blu-ray format can provide, it’s a joy to have it readily available for a new generation of young viewers to experience for the first time, and certainly for five seasons worth of nostalgia for Gen Xers, too.

"...worries for another day!"

The magical, mysterious, and unknown world of Fraggle Rock exists very close to this world, so close, in fact, a dog can practically wiggle its way inside of it. Beyond a small, dark hole in an unassuming workshop where Doc (Gerard Parkes) and his trusty canine companion Sprocket tinker with various inventions and look forward to daily postal deliveries lies a sprawling world of wonder inhabited by three very unique sets of creatures: the (generally) happy and spirited and musically inclined Fraggles, the diminutive construction-obsessed Doozers, and the larger-than-life Gorgs. All of their lives revolve around radishes. The Gorgs -- (Pa Gorg, performed by Gord Robertson and voiced by Jerry Nelson), Ma Gorg (performed by Trish Leeper and voiced by Myra Fried and later Cheryl Wagner), and their goofy offspring Junior (performed by Rob Mills and later Frank Meschkuleit and voiced by Richard Hunt) -- live above-ground and, when not fretting about the kingdom they rule, grow radishes. And both the Fraggles and Doozers love radishes. The Doozers grind them up and use them in creating building materials. The Fraggles -- including Gobo (performed by Jerry Nelson), Mokey (performed by Kathryn Mullen), Red (performed by Karen Prell Wembley), Wembley (performed by Steve Whitmire), and Boober (performed by Dave Goelz) -- love to eat radishes, which means they love to eat the Doozers' constructs. But the Doozers don't mind. They live to work. The Fraggles, however, do not. They enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of a thirty-minute work week, and the adventurous Gobo particularly enjoys sneaking into Doc's workshop to retrieve postcards his uncle, Matt (performed by Dave Goelz), mails to him, postcards Doc nonchalantly plops in a trashcan near the hole to Fraggle Rock.

Much of the show’s charm stems from the tactile, tangible, real-life materials that physically define the characters and the worlds in which they exist. While there was some blue/green screen trickery in play, the show was made by hand and brought to life by hand, and that human touch is perhaps its greatest asset, particularly as the show, in its own way, reflects the human world by way of its gentle thematic currents. Though the show championed concepts such as friendship, understanding, and the interconnectivity between peoples and the processes of their lives, it also reflected the realities of humanity. Characters had their flaws, their fears, their strengths, their weaknesses. And they had each other. They also had endless humor, huge hearts, good cheer, and plenty of music to define the best of times, and the not-so-best of times. Henson created something special with Fraggle Rock, a show that reflected humanity and was made all the better thanks to the human beings who, beyond even the precisely performed puppetry and mechanical marvels that made the world work, imbued it with something more special than any other component: soul.

This set also includes the short-lived Fraggle Rock animated series, which can be found as a "special feature" on disc nine.

Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

With Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series, Sony has brought a show shot natively on standard definition video to the high definition Blu-ray format and the studio has largely left it alone, retaining its original 1.33:1 broadcast aspect ratio (fitting the shape of televisions from the time in which it was aired) rather than the reformatted 1.78:1 ratio that aired on HBO in more recent reruns. That results in vertical "black bars" on either side of modern HD displays. The native video quality is obviously not up to modern standards, but this is a textbook case of "it is what it is." The episodes have been upscaled to 1080i and do benefit from a healthy bitrate. Detailing is fine given the show's inherent constraints. Obviously viewers will not see the character puppets or the Fraggle Rock environments with the sort of tangible, intimate clarity that would undoubtedly be visible with a show shot on film or high definition video rather than standard definition video, or that can be seen in other Henson productions on Blu-ray or UHD, such as the unbelievably gorgeous 4K presentation of The Dark Crystal. Nevertheless, the image holds firm on Blu-ray and even on large screens, much larger today than most anyone would have watched the show on back in the 80s, the essential location and character textures are fine, whether shadowy, earthy walls inside Fraggle Rock; the dusty woods in Doc's workshop; or Sprocket's scruffy, raggedy coat. Most important, basic clarity and stability are the building blocks, neither of which falter on Blu-ray.

Colors are lacking too within the greater context of even basic natively high definition content, but again Sony has done well in bringing the show to the format with capable, well defined shades across various Fraggle body and hair colors, as well as Doozer greens and yellows, while handling the more earthy interiors and backgrounds in Fraggle Rock, Doc's place, and where the Gorgs live well enough. Essential purples, reds, yellows, and other Fraggle colors are suitably distinct and vibrant as possible. Some of the darker, more shadowy areas of the Fraggle Rock caves deliver good, healthy, dense black levels, again relative to what the source has to offer.

The animated series, which can be found under the "Special Features" tab on disc nine, is presented at a resolution of 480i and at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The image is serviceable, though jagged edges are not uncommon and the image is littered with spots and speckling. Essential clarity and color are fine given the standard definition constraints. Much like the live action show, the presentation is not good looking within the context of the average HD Blu-ray presentation, but within the given parameters it looks just fine.

Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack which, like the video, is more representative of the original presentation and not a reimagined or reengineered presentation meant to open the track for the sake of opening it while not really adding anything to it. Essential clarity is fine, whether considering the diversity of voices or the core musical presentation over the opening title theme song or in-episode score. Neither music nor effects really stretch the stage to its limits, favoring a more centrist feel, which at least benefits dialogue, which is imaged naturally to the middle and with good definition to the various voices. Core sound effects are a little crude but are conveyed effectively in each episode.

The theme music has been reworked a little for the animated show, with a slightly different pitch to it, but the sound quality is about the same in terms of spacing. Clarity is a little fuller and more robust on the live-action show. Lyrics, and dialogue, image well enough to the center. Music doesn't stretch the stage to its fullest, as with the live action show. Again, basic sound effects are presented with enough clarity to get by.

Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series ships in a large DigiBook package, made of sturdy and glossy material on which, and throughout, are gorgeous full-color character illustrations, photos, notes, concepts, sketches, scripts, trivia, character bios, and so much more. The package is a good little primer to the nearly overwhelming amount of supplemental content that one can literally spend more than a day sifting through. Most extras are nearly as heavy on clips from the show as they are interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, so they might be considered a little bloated, at times, but this collection of vintage extras is hard to beat in terms of content and variety. Each episode is available with an option to view with karaoke-style lyrics appearing on the screen, and to shake things up, viewers can, from the "play all" menu option, choose to "shuffle" songs, essentially allow the disc to act as a jukebox and play a random tune with on-screen lyrics. The set also ships with two physical goodies: A shaped Traveling Matt cut-out that encourages owners to snap pictures with it all over the world, and a small color booklet with episode listings and summaries. No DVD or digital copies are included.

Disc Two:

• Down at Fraggle Rock: Behind the Scenes (480i, 1.78:1, 48:26): In this vintage, enjoyably in-depth, and straightforward supplement, Jim Henson recaps the show's plot, characters, and settings. The supplement continues to explore the core character traits, the talented voice actors and puppeteers who bring the Fraggle characters to life, Composer Philip Balsam and Lyricist Dennis Lee's musical contributions, the technology that brings the Doozers and Gorgs to life (the latter requiring a person in the suit and a puppeteer operating the mouth and voicing the character remotely), international dubs and changes to the Doc character in other countries, Trailing Matt's explorations around the globe, character design and construction, various tricks of the trade, and writing and themes.

Disc Three:

• Marooned (480i, 1.78:1, 5:18): A discussion of one of the show's best episodes in which Boober and Red find themselves trapped after a cave-in.
• Music (480i, 1.78:1, 11:46): A fascinating discussion of the Fraggles' musical nature, finding the show's musical voice, Philip Balsam and Dennis Lee's works, unique songs in each episode and how they were integral to plot lines, and Musical Director Don Gillis' contributions.
• Jim (480i, 1.78:1, 8:19): An insightful discussion centered on Jim Henson's approach to his work: appreciating every contributor to the show, approach to "criticism," his trust in his team, and not being on-set at all times.
• HBO Archival Promos (480i, 1.78:1, 1:35): Vintage previews for a trio of episodes.

Disc Five:

• Season 2 Overview (480i, 1.78:1, 13:49): A discussion of the show's "evolution" from season one: the cast and crew were improving their craft. There's also a discussion of themes, favorite episodes, and more.
• Docs and Sprockets (480i, 1.78:1, 10:26): As was briefly explored in the Down at Fraggle Rock: Behind the Scenes supplement from disc two, this piece expands on the different Docs and Sprockets seen in different markets around the world.
• Travelling Matt (480i, 1.78:1, 9:03): An insightful discussion centered on the show's world traveller, including shooting in various places around the world, honing the character's personality and evolving from the original concept that would center on his uncanny ability to misinterpret the human world and gradual transition into a "clumsy" character, and the challenges of writing the character into each episode.
• 20 Travelling Matt Segments (480i, 1.78:1, 18:21): Choice moments featuring the character at his silliest, misinterpreting best.

Disc Six:

• Special Tribute to Jerry Juhl (480i, 35:43): A lengthy piece focusing on Head Writer Jerry Juhl: his approach to the show, life philosophies and how they become integrated into the show, how various individuals knew and interacted with him, his congeniality, work with other writers and shaping their skills, and the life celebration following his death in 2005.
• Season 2 Credits (480i, 1.78:1, 1:07): Show credits set to Fraggle Rock's familiar theme music.

Disc Seven:

• Season 3 Overview (480i, 1.78:1, 31:05): A transition to more "experimental" stories, the writers' increasing understanding of the world and characters, storytelling flexibility, individual stories and themes, and various approaches to new ideas for shows, such as a mystery episode in "Red-Handed and the Invisible Thief," the season's premiere episode.
• Scared Silly: Art Imitating Life (480i, 1.78:1, 9:47): A fun discussion between Voice Actors Steve Whitmire, Dave Goelz, and Karen Prell about some of the hijinks that played out on the set.
• Production Design Featurette (480i, 1.78:1, 12:35): A fascinating look at some of the early design and story concepts and continues to explore the process of bringing the finalized world to life, including the modularity and flexibility of the set pieces.
• Doozer Design (480i, 1.78:1, 11:41): A fun glimpse into crafting the film's tiniest and greenest construction-focused characters. It also explores the process of bringing them to life on the screen, Cotterpin's unique personality amongst her kind, incorporating the characters into the show in various ways, ensuring that they add to the storyline, and more.

Disc Eight:

• Interviews with Michael Frith, Kathy Mullen & Gerry Parkes (480i, 1.78:1): Frith served as the show's Co-Creator and Conceptual Designer (amongst other tasks over the years under Henson). Mullen voiced several characters in the show, notably Mokey and Cotterpin (and voiced Kira in The Dark Crystal). Parkes played the primary live-action character, Doc. The trio offer an interesting diversity of perspectives on the show, from both sides of the camera. The interviews are available collectively (31:46) or individually with runtimes of 13:51, 11:43, and 6:11, respectively.
• Electro-Mechanical Puppetry (480i, 1.78:1, 13:19): A fascinating look at the groundbreaking, cutting-edge electrical work that played a large part in making the show work.
• How the Trash Heap Came to Be (480i, 1.78:1, 4:39): A quick look at early concepts for the show's strangest creature, Marjory, with Michael Firth.
• Gorg Design (480i, 1.78:1, 11:53): Coverage of how the three character costumes were designed, including analysis of how they are performed from the inside, physically, mechanically, and electronically alike.
• HBO Promos (480i, 1.78:1): Included are The Terrible Tunnel (0:32), The Challenge (0:31), Capture the Moon (0:36), The Minstrels (0:36), Traveling Matt's Coming Attractions (2:44), and Doc & Sprocket Sweepstakes (2:00).

Disc Nine: Includes special features for the animated series.

• Behind-the-Scenes Featurette (480i, 1.78:1, 8:01): A look back at the "experimental" live action production and a discussion of the freedoms that stemmed from the animation process. The piece further looks at the animated show's success and its staying power.
• Character Galleries (1080p): A collection of 13 images that can be manually advanced or played automatically in a slideshow.
• Opening Scene Storyboards (1080p): A collection of 21 black-and-white hand-drawn storyboards.

Disc Ten:

• Final Season Overview (480i, 1.78:1, 26:53): The writers discuss their push for "finality" in the series, Henson's reluctance to go in that direction, and ultimate agreement. The piece continues to explore various season components, including endings for the Gorgs, select episode deconstruction, and more.
• Designing the Puppets: An Interview with the Puppet Makers (480i, 1.78:1, 5:58): A too-short piece that explores some of the design characteristics of favorite characters, particularly Wembley.
• You Cannot Leave the Magic: Excerpts from the Last Day of Shooting (480i, 1.78:1, 6:17): A video montage of the final day on set.
• Dance Your Cares Away: The Evolution of the Theme Song (480i, 1.78:1, 10:45): As the title suggests, this piece explores how the song came to be with, perhaps most interestingly, video clips featuring alternate versions.
• Let the Music Play: An Interview with Phil Balsam and Dennis Lee (480i, 1.78:1, 14:57): A discussion focused on the show's music with the pair of prolific songwriters, who participate separately.

Disc Eleven:

• The Inner Gorg: An Interview with the Performers Inside the Costumes (480i, 1.78:1, 23:16): Gore Robertson (Pa), Trish Leeper (Ma), and Rob Mills (Junior) share detailed insights into life and work under the bulky, technologically advanced suits.
• Celebrating Fraggle Rock: Excerpts from the Wrap Party (480i, 1.78:1, 15:25): Enjoy piecemeal access to the get-together celebrating the end of the memorable run, including a few words from Jim Henson himself. From May 17, 1986.
• Directing the Fraggles: An Interview with Eric Till and George Bloomfield (480i, 1.78:1, 5:43): Though they were not the only directors on the series, their names appear frequently on the credits. They briefly recount arcing themes, the way the Puppets could convey precise emotion, and more.
• Final Season Credits (480i, 1.78:1, 0:41): Show credits set to Fraggle Rock's familiar theme music.
• From the Archives: Additional Interviews (480i, 1.78:1): Key members of the Fraggle Rock family speak with some of the key characters from the show. Included are Dennis Lee with Mokey (1:08), Jerry Juhl with Gobo (2:06), Jocelyn Stevenson with Red and Mokey (2:50), Fan Fazakas with Cotterpin Doozer (2:35), and A Minute with Traveling Matt (1:00), which features Matt briefly recounting his travels to an unidentified interviewer.

Disc Twelve:

• Life on the Set: Moments with Jim Henson (1080i upscaled, 4x3, 1:56): Outtakes featuring Henson working on some of the previous supplements from throughout this set.
• Archival The Today Show Segment Featuring Uncle Traveling Matt (480i, 1.78:1, 4:48): Katherine Couric (better know today as "Katie") interviews Traveling Matt and Cotterpin.
• Fraggle Songs (480i, 1.78:1, 51:37): A massive collection of songs from the show, presented in rapid-fire succession.
• Doozer Music (480i, 1.78:1, 16:20): Several songs with, or about, the Doozers.

Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series is a gem of a Blu-ray release from Sony. As majestic as Pa Gorg, as fun and carefree as a Fraggle, as precise and workmanlike as a Doozer, the set embodies the show's spirit across all 12 discs, in each episode, and through every supplement. Whether for fans hungry to relieve their childhoods or those looking to introduce their own children to Jim Henson's magical world just beyond that hole in the wall, the set comes very highly recommended.