HBO's first original live-action children's series,
Fraggle Rock debuted January 10, 1983, under the watchful eye and nimble fingers of Muppetmeister
Jim Henson and his team of puppet manipulators. The action took place outside the home of an avuncular inventor named Doc. Unbeknownst to anyone but Doc's dog Sprocket, a tiny civilization lived beneath the huge rock outside Doc's house. This was Fraggle Rock, home of the fun-loving Fraggles, the hardworking Doozers and the dictatorial Gorgs. Eighteen inches tall and bearing furry tails, the colorful Fraggles wanted nothing more out of life than to eat radishes and enjoy themselves. The 6 inch tall Doozers were the "worker ants" of this community, constantly building towers. Ma, Pa and Junior Gorg were obese, overbearing monstrosities who ruled Fraggle Rock from their gloomy, Gothic castle. (Or at least thought they did!) Outside of Sprocket, who every so often accidentally tumbled into the tunnel that led to Fraggle Rock, the only liason between the Fraggles, Doozers, and Gorgs and the outside world -- or "Outer Space," as they called it -- was the resourceful Travelling Matt, leader of the Fraggles. Leaving his nephew Gobo in charge, Travelling Matt made several forays into the big world, sending back postcards describing the awesome wonders that he'd witnessed (commonplace to us, fascinating and overwhelming to him). A typical Muppetized blend of zany comedy and prosocial proselytizing, the 96-episode
Fraggle Rock was seen in first-run on HBO for five seasons. Beginning in 1986, the series was rebroadcast on the TBS cable superstation; and in 1987, an animated version of
Fraggle Rock premiered, also on HBO. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide