Oftentimes when you revisit shows from your youth as wizened, cynical adult, they simply dont come close to matching up to your memory of them, which can be a great disappointment. I was all ready for Fraggle Rock, which first hit TV screens in 1983, to strike me the same way, but thankfully its still a bit of a treat for children and adults alike.
In case you dont know, created by Jim Henson in true Muppety puppety fashion, Fraggle Rock is about a race of creatures that live in caves underneath an inventors workshop. Gobo, Boober, Red, Mokey and co. live lives of fun, playing and lots and lots of singing, which working only 30 minutes a week, and getting into all manner of adventures. Theres also the little Doozers, who constantly build structures the Fraggles eat (Fraggles also seem slightly obsessed with eating radishes), the Gorgs who love to catch Fraggles, as well as a talking trash heap.
Its all rather insane and does make you wonder what on Earth the creators were taking when they came up with it, but its a huge amount of fun, full of songs, optimism, nice simple morals, gentle humour and just a little bit of education (largely provided by Uncle Matt, whos left Fraggle World and is exploring Outer Space, aka our world).
While there have been a couple previous best of DVD releases, this is the first time a full series of Fraggle Rock has been released on DVD in the UK. Its been a long time coming, but its been worth the wait, as it really is a great show, which may look a little aged compared to modern kids series, but nevertheless retains a lot more heart and imagine than most. Although its a great nostalgia trip for those in their late 20 and early 30s, itll also be appreciated by todays youngsters, as well as parents looking for some safe entertainment for their kids.
Best of all is that just this single season of Fraggle Rock includes 24 episodes, amounting to nearly 600 minutes on Muppety madness, which should be enough to keep anyone happy until Season 2 arrives. The only thing the package lack is special features, as there arent any at all. While thats a shame, at least the show itself is still a lot of fun.
Overall Verdict: Its taken a long time to get to the UK, but Fraggle Rock is still a treat for all ages.
Special Features:
None
Reviewer: Tim Isaac