The Muppet Show was a comic masterpiece, linking outrageously funny skits with appearances by some great entertainers, many of whom were finding trouble getting work at the time. Dark Crystal was a stunningly intricate puppet masterpiece that still looks impressive today. Jim Henson was the creative genius behind both of those productions, but for my money his greatest achievement was Fraggle Rock. This TV show that started airing in 1983 on HBO in the US isn't a children's show, it is a show aimed at all age groups. A simple show on the surface, the more you examine it, the more you realize that it was actually very carefully thought out. Funny, charming and occasionally touching, Fraggle Rock is a wonderful example of how to craft a TV show. This fine show has now been released in DVD, with the first volume containing the three first episodes in chronological order.

Fraggle Rock takes place in, well, Fraggle Rock. It's called that, as they explain in the introductory episode, because it is a rock, and Fraggles live there. As the story opens, Matt, a Fraggle who likes to explore, has just about finished his life long exploration of the tunnels that fill the rock. He's a little disappointed that his adventures are about to come to an end when he makes an amazing discovery. One short tunnel leads out into a room. A room that a human, Doc, and his dog Sproket use as a workshop. This, Matt quickly surmises, is outer space, the final frontier! He runs back to pack his things and tells his nephew Gobo about his next journey. Taking Gobo up to the tunnel that leads to outer space, he makes the young Fraggle promise to go into that first room every couple of days and retrieve messages that he'll send back, telling of his discoveries in space. Gobo promises, though he's scared of the dog, and Uncle Traveling Matt takes off.

Along with Gobo, the unofficial leader of a small group of Fraggle friends, there is Red, an athletic young girl who is full of energy and often acts before she thinks, and Wembley, who can't make up his mind about anything. Boober is the constant worry wart, and the only Fraggle who isn't constantly happy, and Mokey is the artistic one. Together this group of friends get into and out of trouble, and explore the fascinating world of Fraggle Rock.

The show is very funny, with a lot of humorous jokes, some aimed at children, others for the adults in the advance, flying by quickly. The stories are interesting too, but the thing that really sets this show apart from a lot of its contemporaries is the incredibly detailed setting of the story. As the series progresses viewers discover more about the way Fraggle Rock functions. There is an explanation of where the Fraggles get their food and water, and they examine the symbiotic relationship between the Fraggles and the other denizens of the Rock. Most notably the Doozers, those small construction workers who build large complex structures, called Doozer constructions, and the Gorgs, huge hairy bipeds that live in a garden right outside of the Rock.

In addition to the hilarious stories and intricate background, the show is also very technically sophisticated. The puppetry is excellent, as all of Henson's productions are, but they manage to deal with a wide range of sizes for the creatures too. The Gorgs are people in suits, over six feet tall, the Fraggles are only about a foot high, and the Doozers are even smaller, only a couple of inches in height. The trick that Henson's group manages to pull off is merging the different scales together seamlessly. They do a wonderful job of this, and it really helps the show.

While I enjoyed this disc, I hope that the publishers release entire season sets. (They have indicated that they plan to, but a release date has yet to be set.)

This DVD presents the first three episodes of Fraggle Rock in order. Unfortunately they have removed the opening and ending credits that should appear between episodes. (The opening is present on the first show, as are the closing credits on the last one. The others have been edited out.) I can't believe they did that. At this stage of the game you'd think that the studios would know what people want when they are watching TV on DVD. The vast majority of TV shows released on DVD included the credits and no one has complained, why remove them now? The only thing I can surmise is that they used the old masters that were created for the VHS releases many years ago. These also were presented three episodes per tape with most of the credits missing.

Audio:

The stereo English soundtrack is acceptable, and sounds very good for a 20 year old TV show. The sound isn't incredibly dynamic but that's to be expected. There is a very slight hum in the background that is only noticeable in the (rare) quiet parts, and then only if the volume is fairly high. I would expect that most casual viewers wouldn't notice it. Other than that, the audio sounds fine. There are not subtitles.

Video:

The full frame video is a generally quite good, though not reference standard. The image is a little soft, and the colors, while not looking faded, aren't as bright and vivid as they should be. The detail is fairly good but not outstanding. It still looks good for a 20 year old show though.

Extras:

There are some nice extras included on this disc. The most exciting one is Fraggle Songs: A Musical History of Fraggle Rock. This nearly hour long featurette is a look at some of the musical numbers that have appeared on the show over the years. Traveling Matt introduces the songs. This show was originally released on video tape in the UK, and includes the British opening of the show, which was a treat to see.

There is also an episode of the Fraggle Rock cartoon, The Great Fraggle Freeze. While this wasn't nearly as enjoyable as the original show, it was a nice bonus.

The final extra is a five minute short staring Pingu. This European-looking stop action animated show is okay, and mainly included to advertise the series that is being released on DVD.

Final Thoughts:

I really like Fraggle Rock. The show isn't aimed solely at kids, any more than the classic Looney Toons cartoons were. Funny and exciting, this is a show the whole family can enjoy. I only wish that they had included the opening and closing credits to all of the shows. Even with this defect, the disc gets a high Recommendation.