Apple is bringing back “Fraggle Rock.”
Variety has learned that the tech giant’s streaming service has ordered a new iteration of the classic Jim Henson series titled “Fraggle Rock: Rock On!” Each episode will be three to five minutes long, with the first episode of the series available today for free on Apple TV Plus. New episodes will premiere for free globally every Tuesday.
The show will bring back classic characters like Gobo, Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley, and Uncle Traveling Matt. While the Fraggles might be in different parts of the Fraggle Rock caves, they can still find ways to have fun together, with music, silliness, special guests, and of course the help of devices created by the industrious Doozers called the Doozertubes. In the first episode entitled “Shine On,” new Doozertubes are delivered to the Fraggles’ caves, allowing them to come together for a favorite song “Shine On, Shine On Me.”
The all-new short form episodes are produced by The Jim Henson Company, and executive produced by Halle Stanford and John Tartaglia. In accordance with the current social distancing guidelines, “Fraggle Rock: Rock On!” is all shot on iPhone 11s from the homes of the production team and individual artists from all over the U.S.
The original “Fraggle Rock” ran for nearly 100 episodes between 1983 and 1987, airing on HBO in the U.S. The series inspired an animated series that ran for one season on NBC. Tthere has also been talk of a feature film adaptation for years now, though it has yet to be produced.
Apple TV Plus launched back in November, anchored by premium content such as “The Morning Show,” “Dickinson,” “See,” and “Servant.” The streamer’s current children’s programming includes shows like “Helpsters” from the Sesame Workshop as well as “Ghostwriter” and “Snoopy in Space.”