Return to Fraggle Rock

Watch out, Muppets–it’s not always all about you. 

Feeling a bit nostalgic for the happy carefree days of your youth? If you’re of the right age range, that youth might have included time in front of your TV watching Fraggle Rock, the post-Muppet Jim Henson show that ran on HBO in the mid-1980s.

And if you fall into that category, you’re in luck–Variety is reporting that The Weinstein Company is putting together a live action musical big screen version of the show. The Jim Henson Company is producing and TWC is distributing. Cory Edwards, director of Hoodwinked, another TWC production, will write and direct (with, one would expect, heavy input from the Hensons).

Fraggles are smallish creatures that look like the more human-type Muppets. They live, well, on Fraggle Rock, where they play, meet other creatures, learn many important lessons about getting along, and sing. The movie will take them off the rock where they will interact with humans (and undoubtedly learn lessons and sing).

DVD sales of the shows have been quite good, and there have also been CD sets of music from the episodes. The producers are undoubtedly counting not only on former viewers own nostalgia but for those with kids to bring them to the movie so they’ll become hooked (and want the DVDs and games and other associated merchandise).

So…voice talent–will they try to bring back some of the original voice actors? Jim Henson did the voices for a number of characters, so of course unfortunately he’ll have to be replaced. Or will they make this an annoying all star production, where lots of actors who aren’t really used to doing voice work jump in and lamely fumble their way through? Usually you’d think the latter, but since these characters demand specific types of voices, one would hope that they would go with the pros.

You know, when you think of all the people who have had an impact on the entertainment industry and on people’s lives over, say, the last fifty years, it’s hard to overstate the importance of Jim Henson. Think of how many kids watched his shows and how many of his characters have become part of pop culture. It’s pretty amazing.