The spirit of Jim Henson is alive and well in AppleTV+’s “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock.” Beloved Fraggles, Doozers, Gorgs, and of course us silly creatures from Outer Space are back with gusto. Uncle Traveling Matt is also back exploring the ridiculous world in increasingly hilarious adventures.
Based on “Fraggle Rock,” which ran for five seasons starting in 1983, the new series keeps the values and joy of the original. “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” tackles incredibly complex issues with cleverness wrapped in entertainment. Themes range from environmental conservation, supporting your friends, to the perils of hero worship, and the dangers of … social media and echo chambers?! Yes at that last one, we had a Tim and Eric mind blown moment when we realized what the show was doing.
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For the uninitiated, Fraggles are cheerful semi-subterranean creatures. Fraggles love to play and sing. They live in coexistence with the Doozers who derive their purpose from… work? (To each their own we guess). Gorgs are the surface level foes Fraggles must reckon with on occasion. Also, there are these silly creatures from “Outer Space” who you might recognize as humans that the Fraggles sometimes encounter!
Everything in the new show is handled in a thoughtful and exuberant manner. It’s the sort of positivity that we need more of in this world right now. Children will be enthralled with the colorful Fraggles themselves. However it is adults who may be the ones with the most to take away from the series. We could all use a reminder to take a page from the book of the loving acceptance Fraggles embody.
At thirteen episodes all ranging under 30 minutes, “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” is a breezy and beautiful series. Advancements in technology have made it so the Fraggles can participate in even zanier adventures. The puppeteers bring heart and soul to the performances. New musical numbers (and of course that classic open) bring a variety of clever styles into the show. However the writing is really what takes the show from just another nostalgia cash grab to mandatory viewing. We think Jim would be proud.
Check out our interview WITH ACTUAL FRAGGLES Wembly and Mokey here.
“Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” is streaming now on Apple TV+.
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