The creative force of Jim Henson spanned several decades before his untimely death in 1990, yet his dedicated colleagues (and their most memorable characters) have carried on the Henson legacy. Countless adults from America and abroad can undoubtedly admit to Henson's creations and characters being a large part of their formative years. From long-running productions like The Muppet Show and Sesame Street to one-off holiday specials like Emmett Otter's Jug-Band Christmas and The Christmas Toy, as well as full-length films like The Dark Crystal, Henson's Muppets were a perfect vehicle for his particular brand of character-driven humor. While the colorful characters managed to attract younger audiences, these creations could be watched guilt-free by the older crowd as well; after all, they were created, operated and voiced by adults, and viewers could always expect a careful balance of humor, fantasy and music. In some cases, his characters even taught us a thing or two while we were laughing.

Sesame Street may offer the best pure example of accessible, educational children's programming, but shows like Henson's Fraggle Rock (1983-87) weren't far behind. Originally airing on HBO---which kept it out of the homes of many young viewers, myself included---this colorful, collaborative creation managed to squeeze in lessons about friendship, acceptance and love while showing kids a great time. Though I did manage to catch Fraggle Rock occasionally at a friend's house (and during syndication, of course), it's unfortunate that I couldn't tune in regularly. That's all changed now that the series has been released on DVD, both as separate volumes and a massive boxed set---and even through adult eyes, it's easy to see that the adventures of Wembley, Red, Gobo, Mokey, Boober and company were something truly special. To date, all four seasons (or five, if we're getting technical) have been released on DVD, in both individual Season sets and a massive Complete Series collection.

Unfortunately, most studios continue to flood the market with one-disc releases like Fraggle Rock: Scared Silly, which are aimed at folks who don't want to bother with complete season (or series) collections. When they're released before the larger volumes, they seem like a cheap cash grab...but when they're released after, they seem like an even bigger waste of money. Let's be honest, would you rather pay (A) $15 for three episodes, or (B) $25 for twenty-four? If you answered "A", I'd also like to interest you in a crisp new $5 bill for only $10 plus shipping.

These three episodes include "Scared Silly" (Boober and Wembley play scary pranks on one another, from Season 3), "The Terrible Tunnel" (Wembley seemingly finds the frightful landmark of the same name, from Season 1) and "The Dark and Stormy Night" (Gobo ventures to the Gorgs' castle while they're away, from Season 3). Storywise, they're not technically related to one another, aside from the vague theme of "fear"...but not "Halloween", mind you. That's no surprise, of course: these weren't intended to be Halloween episodes and didn't originally air anytime close to October. So taken as a group of three like-minded Fraggle Rock episodes, Scared Silly is redundant but watchable. As a bonafide Halloween collection, it's not your best bet. As with all previous Fraggle releases, Scared Silly arrives on DVD courtesy of Lionsgate. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Presented in their original 1.33:1 format, it's no surprise that these episodes looks a little worn around the edges. Since they were originally shot on video, fans can expect a mild step up from original broadcast quality...and that's about as much as we can hope for. Mild amounts of interlacing can also be spotted from start to finish, especially since there's an awful lot of fast movement during many sequences. As such, the visual rating may look a little low on paper---but if you saw and enjoyed Fraggle Rock growing up (or own any of the other collections), I doubt you'll be disappointed.

The audio presentation is slightly more satisfying, as these episodes are presented in their original Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mixes. Dialogue and musical numbers come through clean and clear, largely free of hiss, distortion and other such problems. Though no optional subtitles have been offered during the episodes, Closed Captions are supported; if nothing else, they may help fans decipher some of the more obscure character names and song lyrics.

All bonus features are presented in 1.33:1 and, unfortunately, do not include optional Closed Captions or subtitles.

Lionsgate has been hit-or-miss with their release strategy for Fraggle Rock: the Season sets (and the Complete Series collection) are fine options for any Fraggle fan, but these themed releases are basically a waste of money. $15 for three episodes may have worked in the VHS days, but most savvy consumers demand much more for their DVD dollar...and as much as I like Fraggle Rock, Scared Silly isn't worth the price of admission. Even the most casual fans should Skip It and save up for a season instead.