Did anybody miss out because FR was on cable in the 80's?

[beaker]

Now I hope this post doesnt strike any sort of nerve...but if the message of FR was to reach out to people everywhere with its great messages, why has it to this day only been able to be seen on pay cable? This makes no sense. In third grade I carried a round a FR lunchbox biut had never really seen much of it due to being more than financially challenged in the 80's. A decade later through tape trades, Disney vhs, and TNT cable I was finally able to see the episodes. Oddly enough, when a lot of people trash on the 1988 fr animated cartoon, I loved it. It was on CBS saturday mornings and was the only FR I got to see. So, I'm just curious why FR has only been on cable all these years...seems like a contradiction of the message.

Think about it...just how many people would FR had reached if JHC had decided to put it on regualr tv or pbs instead of pay cable?

[WemblinKate]

You've got a strong point to that but they way I've always looked at it is, well what television company would air it on regular television. Yes, PBS would've probably been the only one, and I don't know why they didn't but I've always looked at FR as being a not so popular show. As most of my favorite shows it was under appreciated by the media. I thought that none of the television stations never really had a lot of faith in FR being a popular show, that's why the times were changed on Odyssey half way through the show. Of course I could be very wrong. It's just what I always looked at it from. I was young when it aired in the 80's so I guess I'm not the best to answer this question. I just thought I'd put my 2 cents in.

-Wemblin' Kate

[FellowWLover]

I, too, was Fraggle-less due to lack of HBO at my house. I did catch a few episodes while babysitting... loved it. (That HBO theme song was so exciting too.) It never did seem fair to me, but then again, the same could be said for Bear in the Big Blue House now. My daughter watches the tapes, but can't see the show on a regular basis, and therefore, never developed the fan loyalty that she has for shows on PBS, or even Blues Clues for that matter (pre-Joe of course).

[beaker]

>>>I, too, was Fraggle-less due to lack of HBO at my house. I did catch a few episodes while babysitting... loved it. (That HBO theme song was so exciting too.) <<<

ack you too got jipped out of fr in the 80's eh? yeah not only did one need to have cable, but on top of that hbo! sheesh


It never did seem fair to me, but then again, the same could be said for Bear in the Big Blue House now. My daughter watches the tapes, but can't see the show on a regular basis, and therefore, never develped the fan loyalty that she has for shows on PBS, or even Blues Clues for that matter (pre-Joe of course).<<<

Im glad youve been able to show her the home releases...I have a lot of em, and could really see so many kids who dont have cable loving this show. The bear gang...is just...just so darn likeable!

[Vendaface]

My hometown didn't even get cable until 1988. (!) Luckily, the local video store had laid in a small store of FR tapes. We must've rented Fraggle Songs thirty times. I didn't get to see the full series until it was on TNT, when I was in high school.

To this day, I have an audio tape of Fraggle Songs (gotta love home theater) in my car, and I listen to it whenever my husband isn't with me. *g*

[AnthonyF3]

I was probably too young to appreciate it anyway, having been born in 1984, but I never got to see FR as a lad either. It bugged me, too, because it was my friend Brice's favorite show, and he talked about it all the time (Even now he most definitely expresses a fondness for it). I never actually saw an episode until Odyssey picked it up, and it's since become quite possibly my favorite Henson production.

Crazy, Man

Zoot

Not very interesting, I understand, but at least it wasn't too long!

[Blind Pew]

I'm in agreement that the show - however billed to "change the world" with its positive messages, was only seen by a fraction of the population it was billed to be intended for. Its sad that more children didn't get to see it during the 80's.
I was one who had cable but not HBO in the early 80's. I was lucky enough to be able to go to the neighbor's house to watch it when I was a kid because they were fraggle addicts. (I really ought to thank them :)
BUT, We shouldn't knock cable too much. Who knows... maybe someday there will be a "Muppet Channel". Here's to dreaming :)

[Jeffrey Gray]

In America, it has always been on networks that weren't carried by everybody. HBO, then TNT (when it wasn't in as many systems as now, at least compared to how many systems TBS was in at the tape), then The Disney Channel (which was pay-cable on most systems; I got it for free), then Odyssey (shoved in at 6am Eastern, 3am Pacific, on a channel that my satellite provider happened to carry, but not many systems carry). However, in Canada, it aired on weekday mornings on Canada's biggest broadcast network, CBC. And it aired there up until last year!

[beaker]

>>>However, in Canada, it aired on weekday mornings on Canada's biggest broadcast network, CBC. And it aired there up until last year!<<<

wow, I guess the show with the message to change the world was only really effective in Canada. I do have some resentment at this not only being on cable, but on a pay cable channel in the 80's. And sadly, not once in America has this ever been on regular non cable tv. I would have though tPBS would have been a much better channel if in fact the intentionw as for everyone to see it. Oh well, least I got to see the fr cartoon in the 80's!

[Jeffrey Gray]

Actually, beaker...I was wrong. When it originally aired in Canada, CBC aired Fraggle Rock on Sunday nights. However, reruns most recently aired there on weekday mornings. Just a little correction.

[Dream_Preserver]

It was my ritual every Sunday night as a kid to watch Fraggle Rock at 7 and then (for any fellow Canadians) the Beachcombers at 7:30 on cbc ... it was kind of symbolic as an end of a weekend type thing ...

I cant believe that it was on a pay channel in other parts of the world when it first came out, thats terrible man ...

[Traveling Matt]

Originally posted by Beaker
wow, I guess the show with the message to change the world was only really effective in Canada.
It sure does seem that way (at least statistically). I think, however, that it still reached many kids that grew up in the 80's in the U.S. Many conversations in high school about shows we watched as kids would inevitably end up with Fraggle Rock being mentioned.

Either way, it was and still is one of the best shows ever created (in my opinion), no matter what country it aired in.

- Billy :cool:

[beaker]

>>>I cant believe that it was on a pay channel in other parts of the world when it first came out, thats terrible man ...<<<

Oh man, I still have resentments...in the mid to late 80's most of my fr fix was from the cartoon or those great books. I twasnt even until the late 90's with tape trades that I was able to see a lot of the episodes.


>>>Either way, it was and still is one of the best shows ever created (in my opinion), no matter what country it aired in<<<

true. its just one can imagine how many people it would have reached had it been on regular tv.

[frogboy4]

I was somewhat Fraggle-less too. I'd catch eps in hotel room televisions on vacations (my family took quite a few) and when I would visit my grandparents. I probably caught about 20 or so shows - not including the last one. :( It seems that I would see the same ones over again too. I carried my Fraggle lunchbox with pride and still display it on my shelf. I told Karen about my missing out on many of the shows for that very reason and it seems to be that way with many people. I also think Fraggle Rock was one of thos shows that inspired people to get cable! It has been said that the show could never be made these days because of cost (sets etc) - and HBO would want a huge cut. They actually owned re-run rights for a short window, but no ownwership of the actual show whatsoever. I never realized that. It would never happen these days. I hope we see the Fraggles again - there really is more to explore.

[Jackie]

I saw every single episode of Fraggle Rock as a kid, and I remember them all. That show stayed with me forever. I can't wait until one day the DVD's come out, or I at least get them all on video in their original HBO format!

[beaker]

>>>I saw every single episode of Fraggle Rock as a kid, and I remember them all. That show stayed with me forever. I can't wait until one day the DVD's come out, or I at least get them all on video in their original HBO format!<<<<

lucky! all i had was the fr cartoon. But hey, if you have a region free player ya can always import the upcoming french fr dvds!

[Jeffrey Gray]

Hey, Beaker, what episodes of Fraggle Rock do you have on tape?

[Jackie]

Originally posted by beaker
>>>I saw every single episode of Fraggle Rock as a kid, and I remember them all. That show stayed with me forever. I can't wait until one day the DVD's come out, or I at least get them all on video in their original HBO format!<<<<

lucky! all i had was the fr cartoon. But hey, if you have a region free player ya can always import the upcoming french fr dvds!

I want the English ones!

[beaker]

>>>Hey, Beaker, what episodes of Fraggle Rock do you have on tape?<<<

just the 1993 Disney releases and I think change of address and 30 minute work week from a trade. Im just waiting for the French FR dvds!

[Jackie]

I have a little over half of the episodes on tape. Some of them are edited though. I really need the DVD's and hope that one day they become a reality. Warrick's Petition is doing great! I hope it helps!

[beaker]

>>>I have a little over half of the episodes on tape. Some of them are edited though. I really need the DVD's and hope that one day they become a reality. Warrick's Petition is doing great! I hope it helps!<<<

Meanwhile, if ya can find a cheap offbrand dvd player, chances are it might be region free. Getting ahold of a region free dvd player like I did is the best thing, as ya can play bootleg/burned vcd-rs(cdrs) and european PAL dvds(that means ya can import FR from France and Storyteller)

[CaptCrouton]

I too was Fraggle Short-Changed as a kid. I cannot imagine my parents actually paying for TV when you could have it for free. Now ironically they have satellite and every channel except for PPV stuff. I can't imagine my parents paying for satellite and then actually paying to view something else on cable...

Here's my weird story. I thought that Fraggle Rock was some sort of Muppet MTV because that's all I understood Cable TV was, movies without commercials and MTV. See, with the word "Rock" in the title, I somehow associated that all the crass repulsive stuff of MTV was being done with my muppets and I thought it was completely evil. You know, psycho Michael Jackson grabbing himself. That sort of thing.

My friend Tony, who actually had HBO, told me I was an idiot when I told him why I didn't care to see Fraggle ROCK. Then I suddenly felt ripped off when I learned what Fraggle Rock really was.

All the Fraggles I really know is from the cartoon and perhaps one video that I saw along life's highway. *heavy sigh* I want the Fraggle DVDs too...

[beaker]

>>>My friend Tony, who actually had HBO, told me I was an idiot when I told him why I didn't care to see Fraggle ROCK. Then I suddenly felt ripped off when I learned what Fraggle Rock really was<<<

Thats understandable...to think it might have been called fraggle hill! hehe

All the Fraggles I really know is from the cartoon and perhaps one video that I saw along life's highway. *heavy sigh* I want the Fraggle DVDs too...<<<

same here man, same here! Oh and I had a fr lunchbox in 3rd grade, hehe

Well, at least now we can catch up with endless vhs trading and french dvd imports.

[CaptCrouton]

Yeah, I guess half the fun in collecting is the journey it takes to get the stuff.

[beaker]

>>>Yeah, I guess half the fun in collecting is the journey it takes to get the stuff<<<

Of course! Unlike Trek, Sopranos or even The Simpsons it takes some hardcore colelcting skills to even begin to see a good quarter of the FR episodes...especially if ya didnt have cable.

[MahnaMahna]

Originally posted by Jeffrey Gray
Actually, beaker...I was wrong. When it originally aired in Canada, CBC aired Fraggle Rock on Sunday nights. However, reruns most recently aired there on weekday mornings. Just a little correction.

To set the record straight (a month and a bit later!) Fraggle Rock most recently aired in Canada on CBC on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons. It also appeared on French CBC daily a number of years ago.

Mark

[Sir Didymus]

I have only seen 2 episodes of Fraggle Rock, and i would give anything to see more! :)

Didymus

[beaker]

>>>I have only seen 2 episodes of Fraggle Rock, and i would give anything to see more!<<<

Ack! This is truly a shame...I squarely blame it on the decision to have it on premium cable, and even in the 90's it was on cable(just not premium cable)

I would so hook you up, but I myself only have a few episodes(pilot, final, and the disney released) and I only have one vcr.
But there are a bunch of FR fanatics that I'm sure woul dhook ya up with what ya need!

[Drtooth]

Aye! I hate cable. The people are soooo greedy, and you have to watch commercials anyway, so what's the point?

I also had to live throught the FR cartoon, and I thought it was quite good. Unfortunatley, I can't compaire it to the actual puppet version, since I haven't seen a full episode!

[beaker]

*someone get this boy some choice FR episodes stat!*

[sherlockhemlock]

If anyone has or knows where to get the followinf 2 fraggle episodes on tape or cd or whatever. Please please please get in contact with me.

319-the cavern of lost dreams
406-tune for two

-Evan

[Boober_Gorg]

Like all the others who didn't get cable, I grew up on the HBO video releases. But since earlier this year I've wanted to see MORE! See the links in my signature. And dig my new avatar! Thanks, TidusEstar! You've hereby earned a place on my buddy list.

[TidusEstar]

You're welcome. I hope it's not to small. Anybody else want personal avatars? Just contact me.

[Fozzie Bear]

I saw many of the HBO shows, and have the 5 video tapes. I also have some on tape that I made from HBO.

Does that make me special now?

FOZ

[Boober_Gorg]

All I know is, you've also earned a place on my buddy list. :)

PS. Check your email. ;)

[Fozzie Bear]

Sorry,

I dunno where all my tapes are with FR on them, and they aren't in any order, so I would be unsure what to copy.

I don't remember titles at the start of the shows, either.

FOZ

[Allahandria]

Originally posted by Dream_Preserver
It was my ritual every Sunday night as a kid to watch Fraggle Rock at 7 and then (for any fellow Canadians) the Beachcombers at 7:30 on cbc ... it was kind of symbolic as an end of a weekend type thing ...

I cant believe that it was on a pay channel in other parts of the world when it first came out, thats terrible man ...

Yes! I lived near Detroit so a bunch of my old fraggle tapes have beachcombers commercials on them. *grin* We could pick up CBC on our antenna. (although, spoiled me, we had HBO too.... *sigh*)

I distinctly remember one of the beachcombers commercials had some guy in a captain's hat with this little rocking horse toy making it make weird noises like it was talking.....

~Jill