Review of Jim Henson`s Fraggle Rock: Let There Be Rock / Down At Fraggle Rock

Introduction

Even those children that grew up never having seen an episode of `Fraggle Rock` will surely have heard the cleverly adapted playground version of the theme tune. Don`t be coy, you MUST have some knowledge of the ``Down at Fraggle Rock, grab your Fraggle by its co…`` refrain.

Unfortunately, this has seemed to be the existing legacy of the program, its attributes since overshadowed by the big hitting `Sesame Street` and, of course, `The Muppet Show`.

At the time, it was an extremely successful Kids show, leading to around a hundred episodes being produced, and this double DVD should go some way to redressing the balance. Thanks to `Down at Fraggle Rock` / `Let there be Rock` (the title itself puts one in mind of an ACDC Best of and B-sides collection), no longer will we think of `Fraggle Rock` as a second place side-project by Jim Henson and company.

Included are seven episodes from the second season of the show, showing a great deal of the characters and devices which helped make it a hit more than twenty years ago.

Despite there being tonnes of the furry little blighters filling the screen, there were five main Fraggles in the `gang` that the series focused on. Gobo is the pink haired and proxy-leader of the Fraggles, with Red being his female counterpart. Wembley is the anxious member of the Fraggle clan (voice man Steve Whitmire being the post-Henson voice of Kermit T Frog), a dithering bundle of nerves, and the antithesis of the calm, spiritual and `far out` stylings of Mokey. Completing the Quintet is Boober, a pessimistic but likable fellow who has a hat permanently covering his eyes, and who is voiced by Dave Goelz, known for his more serious work as Gonzo the Great!

But wait … there`s more. Rather then rely exclusively on the cave world that the Fraggles inhabit, the overground environment of the Gorgs is also featured. A kind of giant troll like creature, the Gorg is the Fraggle`s worst enemy, mainly due to the former`s compulsion to capture the latter for kicks. In addition to the Gorgs and Doozers (the tiny green building creatures that share the caves with the fraggles), the cleverest weapon in the show`s arsenal were those parts which we recorded specially for the country of Broadcast.

Here in Blighty, we got the Captain accompanied by his ever faithful dog Sprocket, who lived in a lighthouse above Fraggle Rock, and whose residence Gobo occasionally entered to collect postcards from his Uncle Mat. This intrepid explorer`s messages to his nephew also differed depending on the location of screening, and one such adventure sees him visit Highbury as a spectator at an Arsenal match. Goal!

Video

I cannot find any fault with the look of the episodes contained on the DVDs - they are colourful, vibrant and beautifully sculpted pieces of TV history. The attention to detail also deserves a great amount of applause, with the Henson crew doing everything in their power to make this as enjoyable as possible. Ok, so this includes a great deal of `green screen` footage, back when it still looked dodgy, but you can forgive these minor glitches.

Unfortunately, if I were to get all technical on you, then I`d have to concede that the 4:3 picture quality isn`t great, in fact, it`s approaching terrible. The entire look is fuzzy and dated, which does a great disservice to the effort originally instilled in the creation of such a marvellous and impressive looking series. Region 1 already has season 1 of the show in its entirety, and it would be interesting to know if that has been `cleaned up` for release.

Audio

Again, the aural quality is disappointing, and the amount of background `hiss` that can be heard when it`s through proper audio equipment is unbearable. HOWEVER, that aside, the songs included are fantastic, and range from soul to country to blues to infinity … and beyond. There were over 100 original tunes composed for the show, and their existence will undeniably enhance the experience for children.

Features

Other than the obligatory chance for HIT Entertainment to parade their other releases before your eyes, the only real extra is the `Down at Fraggle Rock` documentary that lasts for 45 minutes and answers nearly all of the `How the hell did they do that?` questions that present themselves whilst watching the seven episodes.

Presented by the Muppet Master himself, Jim Henson, the feature gives a pretty in-depth look at the production of this astounding show. Its inclusion is not the icing on the top of the cake, but a brand new cake in itself. If I were to tell you too much about the documentary, then I would ruin the revelatory string to its bow, and so I`ll keep schtum. Suffice to say, it is the greatest featurette that I have ever had the pleasure of watching and, as Changing-Sofas star Linda Barker would say, `I like it - I think you will too`

Conclusion

It may owe a lot to my 1980s childhood, but I`m adamant that they `don`t make `em like this any more`. When kids shows of yesteryear get a DVD release, it is usually the case that, with a heavy heart, our now-adult selves have to admit that it`s not quite how they remember it. Said programme ordinarily fails to rekindle the flames that 5-year old `Johnny and Jacinta Everyman` once felt burn as their parents plonked them down in front of the goggle box. I`m glad to say that there`s no such disappointment here.

Quite simply, this is a great selection of episodes which manages to feature storylines focussing on each of the five main protagonists. The switch from (Mackay from `Porridge`) Fulton Mackay`s Lighthouse Keeper to Gorgs, to Fraggles and back, keeps the whole thing from going stale, and the country-specific segments are a stroke of genius.

Until we get a UK release of Season 1, this double DVD is the best thing that we can hope to get our grubby little mitts on. With over 3 hours of material, and an RRP of £9.99, it`s enough to make you `dance your cares away`.