Fraggle Rock: Puppets vs Animation

[GelflingWaldo]

When Fraggle Rock created the cartoon version of Fraggle Rock there were mixed reactions on if the show could work as animation, without the puppets. I was wondering what others thought on the subject.

Do you think the animated version of Fraggle Rock worked? Did it stay true to the concept of Fraggle Rock? Does Fraggle Rock work with out the puppets? Would Fraggle Rock work in other mediums (CGI, Claymation, People in Suits)? What makes Fraggle Rock magical, is it the look, the stories, the characters, the special effects?

Was it just an easy way to milk the franchise and make money, or was it a sincere attempt to keep the Fraggle magic alive?

Did the animated Fraggle Rock work? or did it go against Fraggle Rock?

What are your opinions on the two series?

 

[Frogster]

From what I've seen, the Fraggle Rock cartoon was okay, but it lacked two things that the original creators brought to the show...the people behind the original voices and the magic inside the show. Jerry, Kathryn, Steve, Dave, Karen, and Richard are the ones who truly brought the magic to the show, along with Jim Henson, Jerry Juhl, and many other contributors. I don't think they were trying to ride on the popularity and continue to make money; Jim never worked like that. I think this was a serious attempt to really keep Fraggle Rock alive, and that they thought it would work the way Muppet Babies did. And even though it didn't really work out, I don't think that it goes against the original. But nothing beats the puppet version of Fraggle Rock. The show that we know of that started in 1983 is something that cannot be topped. It was wonderful in so many ways.
Over the past two months, I've been able to see so many episodes of the original show that I hadn't seen before. Like Wembley's Wonderful Whoopie Water, Sprocket's Big Adventure, The Treasure of Fraggle Rock, Mirror Mirror, Boober Gorg, The Terrible Tunnel, Manny's Land of Carpets, Sidebottom Blues, A Brush With Jealousy, Home Is Where The Trash Is, The Garden Plot, River of Life, Bored Stiff, A Cave of One's Own, Boober and the Glob, and especially Change of Address. And with each one, I think to myself, Boy, I wish I had TNT or HBO when I was little! There's something about that show that just bursts with every kind of good feeling and emotion, and it always makes me happy to turn on my TV and watch the Fraggle Five, along with Cantus, Skinfred, Wrench, the Trash Heap, Wander McMooch, the Inkspots, Large Marvin, Cotterpin, Mudwell, the Merggles, Feeny, Junior Gorg, the Architect, Convincing John, and all the others. If I could say that the cartoon version lacked anything, it was reinvention. It's so simple to watch Gobo get a postcard from Uncle Matt while dodging Sprocket in the cartoon version. Jim Henson made it unique in the fact that he used puppets. It's also much harder to do a show like this with puppets than cartoons anyway. But Jim went and did it. He was always striving to do something better with a show, and this truly shows in Fraggle Rock.

 

[Boober_Gorg]

Here's what I think.

 

[baby sinclair]

sadly hardly any thing can beat an original.As for fraggle rock it should be a sin for anyone to remake fraggle rock now a days. That would totally ruin the feeling of the show.The reason why the show is so special is because they were puppets who seemed so real.They were'nt like cartoons or cgi you could actually touch and feel the warmth put into their character.Although i'm a cartoonist i really see the sweat and dedication put into puppetry.

 

[McFraggle]

I never really got into the animated version of the Fraggles. It just didn't have that special "magic" that the puppet version had. I've always thought the live-action had a more mystical, other-worldly feeling to it. The problem with the cartoon was that it seemed they were just trying to keep "FR" alive but they were also trying to ride the success of "Muppet Babies." "MB" worked because it was something completely different and original than "TMS" or the movies. Think about it like this, if "Looney Tunes" had puppet version of Bugs and Daffy and they did the same exact thing they did in the cartoons would it work. Probably not.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

I reiterate

Fraggle Rocks! (whether live action or cartoon!)

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Fraggle Rock (the live action show) started in 1983 and ended in 1987 and the Fraggle Rock cartoon ran from 1987-1988. I grew up watching both and I would have never guessed there were different people to do voices for the live action and the cartoon versions. They sounded the same to me. Both of the series were quite good. Since the live action one ended, the cartoon was a way of prolifrigating the show for a bit longer.

How is there no mystery and magic in the cartoon version? I'm sorry but the argument about cartoon vs. puppets just doesn't hold up for me. Some people say the same thing about Muppet Babies, but I loved Muppet Babies. I still enjoy watching the live action and cartoon versions of Fraggle Rock, The Muppet Show, Muppet Babies, The Jim Henson Hour, Muppets Tonight, and Sesame Street and all of the movies and specials. Basically, I love all of the Muppet projects. After watching 96 episodes of Fraggle Rock (live action), I think it's cool to have 13 episodes of Fraggle Rock cartoon to prolong the magic. I'd rather have more adventures with the Fraggles than less.

Anyway, get the special edition Fraggle Rock DVD coming out this fall. Not only do you get the 1st. 3 episodes of the live action show, you get an episode of the cartoon and you can compare for yourself. It's worth it to have both. Trust me, it's all good.

 

[Frogster]

Think about it like this, if "Looney Tunes" had puppet version of Bugs and Daffy and they did the same exact thing they did in the cartoons would it work. Probably not.

Yeah, you're right. Some things work with what you're doing, and some don't. Case in point, Fraggle Rock and Looney Tunes. I enjoy both, but a puppet version of them wouldn't be the same. I'm all for the original.

 

[Xela]

Yeah, the original in anything is always best, and this is true for Fraggle Rock. I thought the cartoon was okay, but it could never bring the same magic as the original.

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

Big fan of the Puppets only seen a few animation Fraggle Rock didn't really care for it

 

[frogfandavid]

Puppets all the way , i didn't care for the animation version.....