Apple TV+ recently revealed the trailer for the highly anticipated reboot of the classic “Fraggle Rock” series, “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock.” All 13 episodes of the new Apple Original series from The Jim Henson Company debuted on Friday, January 21, 2022 on Apple TV+, joining the celebrated collection of Apple Original shorts, “Fraggle Rock: Rock On!”
Jim Henson’s fun-loving and musical Fraggles — Gobo, Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley, Uncle Travelling Matt — alongside new Fraggles and Doozers voiced by special guest stars Patti LaBelle, Cynthia Erivo, Daveed Diggs, Ed Helms, Kenan Thompson, as well as an appearance by Foo Fighters — kick off the new year by embarking on epic, hilarious adventures about the magic that happens when we celebrate and care for our interconnected world.
Jim Henson created the original series “Fraggle Rock” with the ambitious goal of inspiring world peace. This wonderfully inventive program was designed to entertain while encouraging an understanding and embracing of diversity. Premiering in 1983, the series starred the Fraggles, a fun-loving group of furry subterranean cave dwellers, as well as the Doozers, their diminutive industrious neighbors, and the oafish Gorgs who grow the radishes they love. The original series produced four seasons, 96 total episodes, dozens of accolades and awards, and 100 original songs that feature a unique and memorable mix of music genres, from folk, blues, and gospel to country and rock.
Tammy Reese Interviews Mokey & Wembley of Fraggle Rock: Back To The Rock
“Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” is executive produced by The Jim Henson Company’s Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford, and longtime Henson collaborator John Tartaglia. Matt Fusfeld and Alex Cuthbertson, who serve as showrunners, also executive produce, alongside New Regency’s Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer. Co-executive producers are Dave Goelz and Karen Prell, and executive music producer is Harvey Mason Jr. The series is produced by Ritamarie Peruggi.
Tammy Reese Interviews Fraggle Rock: Back To The Rock Showrunners & EPs: Matt Fusfeld & Alex Cuthbertson
Tammy Reese Interviews Fraggle Rock: Back To The Rock Executive Producer Halle Stanford
In addition to “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock,” Apple’s partnership with The Jim Henson Company includes “Harriet The Spy,” the first animated adaptation of the iconic children’s novel, and the popular “Fraggle Rock: Rock On!” shorts. Apple TV+ is also the streaming destination for the original “Fraggle Rock” series, as well as recently added bonus specials, “Down at Fraggle Rock,” “Doozer Music” and “Fraggle Songs,” all of which are now streaming.
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock Episode 1: Pilot Description
To prove he’s brave enough to accompany Uncle Matt to Outer Space, Gobo leads the gang on a daring adventure to the Crevice of Solitude. An unexpected discovery brings new life to all Fraggles, Doozers, Gorgs, and even a Silly Creature named Doc and her dog, Sprocket.
About The Creative Team
MATT FUSFELD AND ALEX CUTHERBERTSON
Executive Producers, Writers, Showrunners
Matt Fusfeld and Alex Cuthbertson have been friends and collaborators since the halcyon days of the early 2000s when they met as students at Boston University and started writing embarrassingly bad sketch comedy together. Luckily this was pre-social media and all of their performances are melting into oblivion on a VHS tape in an attic somewhere. For the past fifteen years they have been working TV writing partners, getting their start on “American Dad” before moving on to “Community,” “Ben & Kate,” “New Girl,” “The Mayor” and “Single Parents.” They developed and produced pilots on overall deals before teaming up with The Jim Henson Company and AppleTV+ to develop, write, show-run and executive produce the new series “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock.”
Fusfeld hails from Woodstock, New York, and Cuthbertson was raised in Berkeley, California.
Fusfeld is married to his college sweetheart, the costume designer Jessica Replansky, and Cuthbertson is married to their former boss, writer, and “New Girl” creator Elizabeth Meriwether. They both have two young kids and Cuthbertson has one of the dumbest dogs around. Both live and raise their families in Los Angeles where they like to drink coffee and walk around.
Fusfeld and Cuthbertson have always been drawn to writing for characters who enjoy each other, and love to find comedy within the sweetness of friendship dynamics. “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” offered an amazing opportunity to take well-defined characters who all love each other and infuse that world with a new pace and focus on organic, comedic storytelling while preserving the soul, essence and sincerity of the original series. They felt lucky to collaborate with all of the endlessly talented puppeteers, artisans, creative execs and musical geniuses who brought this series to life, and they can’t wait for a new generation to fall in love with the infectious magic of “Fraggle Rock.”
HALLE STANFORD
Executive Producer
An Emmy-winning and ten-time Emmy-nominated television producer, Halle Stanford serves as President of Television at The Jim Henson Company, leading the development and production of all television, home entertainment, and digital media in animated and live-action formats establishing the Company’s creative culture across all territories.
Stanford most recently executive produced “Duff’s Happy Fun Bake Time,” the short-form series “Fraggle Rock: Rock On!” for AppleTV+, and the critically acclaimed Emmy-winning series “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.” She is currently executive producing the series “Harriet the Spy” and “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock,” both for AppleTV+. Other recent award-winning children’s programming credits include the Emmy-nominated “Dinosaur Train,” “Splash and Bubbles,” and “Sid the Science Kid,” “Word Party” and “Julie’s Greenroom,” starring Julie Andrews; the animated series “Dot,” based on Randi Zuckerberg’s popular book; and the preschool show “Doozers,” inspired by the wildly popular characters from the classic series “Fraggle Rock.” Other credits include the live-action puppet series “Me and My Monsters,” the live-action holiday special “Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow,” and the Emmy-nominated preschool series “Pajanimals.”
Stanford is in development on a new slate of television projects including “The Kissing Hand,” based on the internationally renowned picture book; “Slumberkins,” based on the popular book and plush toy line; “Lena!” based on Karen Katz’s books, author Rebecca Green’s “How to Make Friends with a Ghost,” and “The Witchlands,” based on the popular New York Times best-selling book series by Susan Dennard.
Stanford co-authored a book series, “Jim Henson’s Enchanted Sisters,” a collection of fantastical comedy-adventure stories for girls published by Bloomsbury and currently in development as a series.
In addition to her Emmy nominations, Stanford received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program (“The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance”) and is a recipient of the Cynopsis Top Women in Media award as well as the Cynopsis Kids !magination Award in Content Leadership. Over the last sixteen years, she has also garnered over 100 honors around the globe for the Company’s programming, including Emmy Awards, Parent’s Choice Awards, Rockie Award, Cynopsis Kids !magination Awards, NAPPA Honors Award, Kidscreen Awards, Prix Jeunesse, and National Parents Publications Awards.
Stanford joined The Jim Henson Company in 1993 and worked on beloved Muppet projects like “Muppet Treasure Island,” “Muppets Tonight,” and “Bear in the Big Blue House,” as well as the sci-fi cult classic “Farscape.” She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and Theater from Wesleyan University, is a Cub Scout Leader, a proud mom to two sons (ages 9 and 22!), and is on an endless quest to enrich the lives of children around the globe.
About Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries, and series have been honored with 183 wins and 702 awards nominations.
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.*
For more information, visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Apple
Get featured! - Heart Of Hollywood Magazine
Become a Heart of Hollywood Motion Pictures Member
Subscribe to our magazine
Contact us
Comentários