There are some telly memories that evoke a warm glow in the heart of most people of a certain age. We can certainly remember time spent watching Fraggle Rock and wondering what those Doozer buildings really tasted like (whatever it was, it was clearly good stuff as the Fraggles downed it like addicts).
But we’re sure that it’s not just nostalgic value alone that is driving the Henson Company to turn one of their biggest successes into a movie. With five seasons under its belt in the ‘80s and the healthy sales of the DVDs, the Muppet team have obviously realised that another of their properties has a shot at film franchise stardom.
You’ll remember the plot: Gobo, Wembley, Mokey, Goober and Red are the fun-lovin’ creatures who like to dance their cares away and speculate about what it would be like to explore “outer space” – the world above their subterranean home that they regularly hear about from Gobo’s Uncle Matt. The brave Fraggle sent postcards of his adventures, which Gobo had to retrieve from the lighthouse kitchen situated directly above their home.
The film, however, will see them realise their dream: yes, the Fraggles are heading into the world, with Ahmet Zappa (yes, one of Frank’s kids) writing the script and providing music for the mini-beasts adventures.
"'Fraggle Rock' has remained a favourite project at our Company and has certainly continued to be loved by its many devoted fans, so we are thrilled to begin work on this project,” blabbed Lisa Henson in a press release. “With its message of celebrating diversity and its ambitious goal of promoting world peace, now is the perfect time to embark on a new Fraggle adventure."
Expect the Fraggles to emerge from their trailers for shooting sometime next year.
