Jim Henson and His Muppets Arrive at Fraggle Rock

The spurning by the American television industry (except for in the children’s milieu) of Jim Henson’s attempt to create a show using his Muppets that would appeal to mature as well as children’s audiences was a blessing to the international community. We can’t say, with any amount of real certainty, whether or not his beloved characters would have achieved the mega-popularity that they eventually did gain; but we do know that when he struck the deal with Britain’s Lew Grade it opened the international door and the rest is a global phenomenon.

The Muppets as we know them came about during an era of sociological and ecological enlightenment; and many of his shows’ themes reflect this, especially the Fraggle Rock series which ran for ninety-six episodes, from 1983 through 1987. In this series, Henson attempts to tackle difficult and intricate social issues, such as the environment, racial prejudice, spirituality, and personal awareness. And it didn’t take long for Fraggle Rock to become just as popular as its cousins Sesame Street and The Muppet Show.

We see the global awareness in how Fraggle Rock attempts to depict its sense of world, or its wraparound in ways that would make it identifiable to people in the region watching it. It made every effort to use scenery and characterizations that its viewing audience would recognize and understand; thus giving them a sense of ownership, making it their show.

In this way, by showing that there are many issues that transcend social, economic, and racial boundaries, Jim Henson tried to bring the world together. He did it through the exploits of little, demur, fun-loving creatures known as Fraggles. They--and of course the rest of the Muppets--were his goodwill ambassadors to the world. These carefree creatures lived in a series of caves in a place known as Fraggle Rock.

They spent their time doing much of nothing but have fun and search for new discoveries. However, these unusual creatures share an attribute that many humans may find frightening. They can share each other’s dreams when they sleep if they lay down with their heads touching. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I want to know what someone else is dreaming of. And the show has the added appeal of being musical; which, with the rhythm and repetition of the songs, goes back to the core, back to the beginning of man’s attempt to communicate with each other.