Fraggle Rock: Complete First Season

Fraggle Rock has been one of my favorite shows since I first saw it on the Disney Channel back in the 1980s. I have seen most of the shows over the years and have watched them numerous times on video tape. I am thrilled that the first season is finally scheduled to come out on DVD. I have enjoyed the DVD releases of the Fraggles, but I prefer to have season collections. Hopefully this first season will sell well enough for all 5 seasons and 96 episodes to be released, as well as the various Fraggle Rock specials - such as Down At Fraggle Rock.

I love the fact that the stories are entertaining, but also have a good moral to each story. With the different worlds shown with different creatures, there's a world and creature for everyone - whatever their tastes. Since each episode usually contained at least 3 storylines about the different creatures, I'll concentrate on the Fraggles in my below description of the shows.

The first 3 shows have appeared on DVD under the title "Where It All Began" and show #11 (Catch The Tail By The Tiger) on the DVD "Live By The Rule Of The Rock", but the other 20 shows of the first year have not appeared on DVD as far as I know.

The 24 shows of season 1 are as follows:

1. Beginnings (or "The Beginning") - the different creatures of the show are introduced, beginning with the human inventor Doc and his dog Sprocket (a Muppet-type dog) discovering a large hole in the wall of an old room Doc is converting into a workshop. Gobo (one of the main Fraggles) has the scary task of entering the workshop in order to retrieve the postcards his Uncle Matt sends as Matt explores "Outer Space" (the human world).

2. Wembley and the Gorgs - Wembley causes trouble for himself when he agrees with everyone - especially the giant Gorgs, who decide to make Wembley their own personal loyal subject.

3. Let The Water Run - The Fraggles try to get the water running again when the pool goes dry due to Doc turning off the water while he's doing repairs.

4. You Can't Do That Without A Hat - Boober loses his lucky hat and loses his courage along with his hat.

5. The Thirty-Minute Work Week - Wembley has trouble making up his mind what job he wants to do.

6. The Preachification Of Convincing John - Mokey gets Convincing John to help her convince the other Fraggles that eating the Doozer constructions is wrong.

7. I Want To Be You - Because Mokey is so popular, Red decides to be just like Mokey.

8. The Terrible Tunnel - The Terrible Tunnel is just a legend ... until Wembley accidentally finds it.

9. Treasure Of The Fraggles - Red and Gobo find a map to the Treasure of the Fraggles.

10. Don't Cry Over Spilt Milk - Doc boards up the hole in the wall, trapping Gobo inside the workshop.

11. Catch The Tail By The Tiger - Gobo, although scared to death by the idea, decides to leave Fraggle Rock to look for his Uncle Matt when Gobo hasn't received a postcard for weeks.

12. The Finger Of Light - Mokey has lots of trouble being in charge when she is made Ruler of the Rock.

13. We Love You, Wembley - Everywhere Wembley turns, someone wants him to do something for them - except Lou, who likes Wembley without wanting something from him.

14. The Challenge - Red is tired of Gobo being the leader and challenges his leadership.

15. I Don't Care - No one respects Boober's feelings and he is sick of it.

16. Capture The Moon - During the Festival of the Moon, Gobo is the Moon Greeter, but Junior Gorg steals the moon!

17. Marooned - No surprise to Boober ... his birthday is interrupted by a disaster!

18. The Minstrels - Cantus and his wandering minstrels tells the Fraggles that everyone must find their own song, but Red is having a diffucult time finding her song.

19. The Great Radish Famine - The Trash Heap makes all the radishes disappear to teach everyone a lesson.

20. The Garden Plot - Fraggle Rock is being attacked from two sides - by Sprocket trying to smash his way in with a mallet and Junior Gorg trying to pulverize it from his side.

21. Gobo's Discovery - Gobo loses faith in himself and decides not to be an explorer anymore.

22. Mokey's Funeral - Mokey tries to deal with the Gorgs' trap by herself because everyone thinks she's no good at doing practical things.

23. The Beast Of Bluerock - Wembley is afraid to go with Gobo to Bluerock.

24. New Trash Heap In Town - Although the message is to think for yourselves, Mokey becomes the new Trash Heap due to a misunderstanding of the message.

Rejoice, you children of the eighties, your day is here at last! Fraggle Rock, Season One, is finally out on DVD. After years of buying stray episodes on VHS for outrageous prices, we can all sit back and enjoy what was arguably the greatest children's show of all time.

In the long history of children's programming, there have been shows that taught language skills, shows that taught math, geography, history, whatever, but "Fraggle Rock" was unique in that it focused specifically on morality. The tiny Fraggles (knee-high to a human) were mirrors of ourselves. This season addresses such issues as the real meaning of slavery ("Wembley and the Gorgs"), personal identity ("The Minstrels"), the value of natural resources ("Let the Water Run"), what makes something truly priceless ("The Treasure of the Fraggles") and, in one of my all-time favorites, the balance of ecosystems and the dangers of persuasion ("The Preachification of Convincing John").

Sound like heady stuff for kids? It was actually hilarious, sweet, and totally unforgettable. When Jim Henson died he left a void that no one has filled, a world where laughter was based not on ridicule but on goofy bizarreness, where friends were loyal and enemies usually just misunderstood, and where joy was always tinged with a touch of melancholy. "Fraggle Rock" (along with the little-seen "Storyteller") was one his most brilliant creations.

Great songs, magical sets, many of the most legendary Muppet performers, and important things to say. What more do you want? You know you belong to the song...

GRADE: A+

(For a complete list of the episodes on this 4 disc set see reviewer Jerry Edwards' review below, and give the dude his kudos for all that typing!)

From the wonderful world of puppet pioneer Jim Henson, creator of the "Muppets" comes his most successful TV work of the 1980s "Fraggle Rock". This fantasy series that had huge mass appeal across cultural groups, started with a simple premise, a workshop where inventor named Doc spends his days coming up with new ideas and his Dog, Sprocket, as curious as his master, peering into a large hole in the baseboard - there is something that lives behind the wall I tell you! Sure enough there exists a beautiful land bound together by Magic called Fraggle Rock. Through the hole and down the tunnel are the brightly lit caves filled with wonderful creatures, far removed from the world as we know it, were reality ends & fantasy begins. Front and center are the Fraggles, furry, fun loving, brightly colored creatures spending their days having a whale of a time singing, playing games, telling jokes in their simple care-free existence where the entertainment never stops!

More than 20 years after the series first aired on HBO, the word on the street is that all 5 seasons are planned for release, starting with Season 1 - All 24 episodes is set to hit the shelves with this 5disc set loaded with extras (as announced & possibly more might be added)

Fragglefantastic extras!

- Replica of Jim Henson's "Fraggle Rock" notepad
- Behind the scenes documentary narrated by Jim Henson
- New interviews with "Fraggle Rock" cast and creators
- Deluxe embossed collector's box
- CD-ROM with fun Fraggle things, like including wallpaper, games, and more

Complete Episode list: Season 1
1. Beginnings
2. Wembley and the Gorgs
3. Let the Water Run
4. You Can't Do That Without a Hat
5. The 30 Minute Work Week
6. The Preachification of Convincing John
7. I Want To Be You
8. The Terrible Tunnel
9. The Lost Treasure of the Fraggles
10. Don't Cry Over Spilt Milk
11. Catch the Tail by the Tiger
12. The Finger of Light
13. We Love You Wembley
14. The Challenge
15. I Don't Care
16. Capture the Moon
17. Marooned
18. The Minstrels
19. The Great Radish Famine
20. The Garden Plot
21. New Trash Heap in Town
22. Gobo's Discovery
23. Mokey's Funeral
24. The Beast of Bluerock

This fall... something furry comes this way!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 103 reviews  4.8 out of 5 stars