The return of 'Fraggle Rock'
In a world where I keep telling my 3-year-old daughter, your shows are nothing like the ones I had growing up, we received the wonderful news last week that "Fraggle Rock" is heading back to HBO.
Dance your cares away, because the Fraggles, Doozers and Gorgs are primed to return to our television sets.
Sure, Sophia loves her Doc McStuffins, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and whatever Elena of Avalor is, but can they really hold a flame to Jim Henson's lovable crew?
Originally aired in 1983, Fraggle Rock nearly made it to the 100-episode mark and if anyone had actually read those Nielsen rating books I used to fill out, it probably would have lasted another few seasons.
One thing important to remember is, before the Carrie Bradshaws and Tony Sopranos of the world, it was HBO's first original series.
According to an article on the show's resurgence, the 96 episodes will be remastered and "the furry creatures would go on fun adventures and include a wide variety of music, all while embracing themes of friendship, diversity, tolerance and caring for the planet."
Shows were much simpler in Fraggle Rock's heyday.
There was one way into Fraggle Rock, a hole in the wall of Doc's invention workshop that plagued his dog Sprocket for years.
You had the Fraggles, a carefree bunch of fellows, and they lived alongside the Doozers, who just built random stuff all the time.
They lived in fear of the Gorgs, who had highly original names of Ma, Pa and Junior.
The basic plot line is, the Fraggles try to eat radishes out of the Gorgs' garden and the Gorgs try to catch the Fraggles.
Yet they all found a way to coexist and live peacefully with each other, lessons we could probably all use from time to time.
Jim Henson even joked that the show helped to end the Cold War. Ten months after it debuted in the Soviet Union, the Berlin Wall came down.
Marjory the Trash Heap was my favorite, however, as the trash heap who lived in the Gorgs' garden. She was a little scary at first, I'll admit, but she grows on you.
And the songs, you couldn't beat the songs.
Somewhere in my parents/ attic is the 24-track vinyl record that became one of the soundtracks of the first 10 years of my life.
I dare you to play the theme on YouTube and not be singing it for the remainder of the day and possibly week. It reached 33 on the British music charts.
There were plans to release a Fraggle Rock movie in 2009 and although it fizzled at that time, it's back on the table with Joseph Gordon-Levitt set to star in it.
I'll happily "leave my worries for another day" and settle for remastered versions of the original.
I'm glad I'll have the opportunity to introduce this show to my daughter.
