Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock

So great to get back down to Fraggle Rock and my kids absolutely adore it like I did with the original. Music is fun and catchy, the sets are colourful and expanded and the majority of updates are good.

My only gripe with this new & updated version, what the heck did they do to Mokey???

They totally updated her look and then even her personality, which they made her an almost Phoebe Buffay (Friends) rip-off. But why? Mokey was already perfect as she was. Not sure why they had to change anything about the 5 core Fraggles, if it ain't broke....

I love the original 'Fraggle Rock', despite not growing up with it, I discovered it not too long ago, and fell in love with it, it managed to not only be a great kids' show, but also just a great show in general, filled with great messages and colourful characters for children and thoughtful humour and well developed characters for older viewers: it truly could please everyone, in a way that only Jim Henson's other puppets, 'The Muppets' and 'Sesame Street' could, although since its ending in the late '80s, 'Fraggle Rock' never got revived, in any format like 'The Muppets' or 'Sesame Street'. However, in 2020, Apple revived the Fraggles for a series of short episodes, which proved successful enough to warrant a full-on revival commissioned by Apple.

Premiering in 2022, 'Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock' had me both excited and worried, could this reboot capture the humour and spark of the original? Or would end up feeling a bit off like many recent 'Muppets' projects, and, after watching the first season in its entirety I can say the former is true, and it does something I could never expect: improve upon the original.

'Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock' takes the same premise as the original, of taking a society built upon four main societies, the 'Silly Creatures' (human beings}, the Doozers, the Fraggles and the Gorgs, the Doozers, Fraggles all live with each other, albeit fractured, and are aware of each other's existence, unlike the Silly Creatures, who don't know of the Fraggles, Doozers and Gorgs, the human world remains unexplored by humankind, until Gobo's uncle Travelling Matt, decides to leave the rock when a hole to 'outer space' opens up, when a woman named Doc and her dog Sprocket move in.

Across its first season, 'Back to the Rock' manages to expand and recapture the fantastical setting of the original, while creating a fun serialized story that flows along side the entire series with out intruding on each episode's individual story. I have already mentioned that the reboot does everything as well as the original, especially the messages, which are very important for children (and adults too), which are always sweet and never corny, but it also does a few things better: for one, the new Doc is much better than the original in my opinion, Lilli Cooper is great in her role, Mokey and Gobo, two of the least interesting Fraggles are developed much more, the jokes are faster and more frequent, but not in an obnoxious, also, the Doozers are given more screen time, which is great. The new performers are phenomenal, as are the set designers, creating a truly gorgeous world for these characters to inhabit. At the end of the day, my only real complaint was that the Gorgs could have been given slightly more attention, but everything else is so amazing, that it already even matters, and with so much else going on more of the Gorgs could have felt tacked on.

Overall, everyone should watch 'Back to the Rock', especially if you like the original, or if you like 'The Muppets' but thought 'Fraggle Rock' was 'just for kids', 'Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock' is a warm and funny show that anyone of any age should watch. Why not dance your cares away down in Fraggle Rock?

Grew up watching the originals and rewatched them before watching the new one. I was expecting a continuation rather than a reboot. Things are definitely different. It's definitely brighter and the use of lighting is interesting. Dozers definitely be living futuristic in this now. Kinda reminds me when cotter-pin wanted to change construction episode in the originals. Mokey seems to be extra metaphysical and wenbley is extra indecisive with way more anxiety than original. Not sure why they chose to enhance those traits. Definitely hits on topics this generation has been talking about. There's some improvements I like and some I don't. Originals will always hold a special place. I like it but definitely has some ok? Moments.

Those complaining about it being on apple and having multiple streaming services obviously forgot how expensive cable was. You had base cable and then subscribed to individual services like HBO, Disney, Showtime, Cinemax etc. Bill could get horrendous! And to put out another reminder, Fraggle Rock was originally on HBO, a subscription was needed to watch it even then.

After so many failed reboots, remakes and re-imaginations of numerous programs in the past few years, I was so very skeptical about the new Fraggles, but there was no need. They are absolutely fabulous! The new Doc was wonderfully picked, the topics are hopeful and the music is catchy. The only thing I didn't like was the venture into real life rock music, which (to my ears) didn't quite fit. But that's one moment out of 12 or so episodes. The rest really enchanted me the way the original show did when I was a kid.

This new, updated series is a love letter to the original. The return of Karen Prell and Dave Goelz (understandably in voice alone) feels like home and the new cast breathes new, yet familiar, life into the characters. Some characters had some design changes (the Doozers, mainly Wrench and Cotterpin, are now technologically advanced; Junior has a new, more expressive, face mechanism), while Mokey has been updated from more of a hippy-spiritual Fraggle to more of a new-age-spiritual and younger Fraggle (which makes more sense). Old supporting characters make appearances, including Merples, Large Marvin, and The World's Oldest Fraggle. Also saw the puppets for Begooney and an Ink Spot. Doc is now a Marine Biology student and she has the same sweet, curious, welcoming demeanor as the late Gerry Parkes's Doc (and is still at odds with Shimmelfinney, now a off-screen vocal Mrs. Shimmelfinney).

Overall, a faithful continuation of the series and teaches the same messages as the original, just made for a modern audience. My daughter has seen all of the original and the Rock On series, and she loves this, too. And I love watching with her.