Pre-Order Fraggle Season 4 DVD Boxset

[Phillip Chapman]

What a week for DVD announcements... :excited:

Three exciting Fraggle Rock releases are coming Tuesday November 3. Here are the details on the long-overdue Fraggle Rock Season 4 DVD Boxset.

Pre-Order Fraggle Rock Season 4 Boxset – Save 30% (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002LYD2LM/muppetcentral/)
Available on its own for the first time, this 5-DVD set includes all 24 episodes from the last season of the program, including the series finale. Video is full screen, audio is English 2.0, and it is closed captioned for the hearing impaired. That gets you 596 minutes of featured episodes, plus almost two hours worth of the following bonus material:

The Inner Gorg - An Interview with the Performers inside the Costumes
Designing the Puppets - An Interview with the Puppet Makers
Directing the Fraggles - An Interview with Eric Till and George Bloomfield
Let the Music Play - An Interview with Phil Balsam and Dennis Lee
Dance Your Cares Away - The Evolution of the Theme Song
You Cannot Leave the Magic - Excerpts from the Last Day of Shooting
Celebrating Fraggle Rock - Excerpts from the Wrap PartySince most of us will be getting these long-awaited Fraggle release, we'd like to mention that if you order any of these DVD’s from the above links (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002LYD2LM/muppetcentral/) that a small portion of your order will go to Muppet Central to help keep the site, forum and radio running smoothly. It's a great way to help MC and get a great price on these DVDs with a low-price guarantee. Meaning, you can pre-order now and save 30% off the regular price (and if Amazon lowers the price even more you're guaranteed the lowest price by pre-ordering). We appreciate each person that helps support MC by placing orders through the site.

[ploobis]

I am really excited about this release! :smirk: :excited: :coy:

I have been waiting for a stand alone release of Season 4 on DVD! Makes me happy that I didn't buy the Complete Series set.

I guess it's true what they say, Good things come to those who wait.

[vaati64]

I think I'm just gonna sell my complete series set and rebuy the complete series. Or I'll buy season four by itself. I haven't decided yet.

[GoblinBabe]

Yes! Now I don't have to give my individual series away and buy the complete set. I can just buy the Forth Season! Yay! Although I might later on and share the Fraggles with my little niece. :) I'm so Excited!

[Monster]

I won't be negative about this- I am in the business and I understand the need to do certain things to keep products afloat. I have purchased the individuals and felt a little bad that they stopped at season 3 of the boxed sets. I am just TOO much of a Fraggle Rock fan to have trusted that HIT Entertainment would invest in the balance of the Fraggle individual box sets after releasing the full series. I am excited about having the extras that come with the individuals that aren't part of the full set- like the Jim Henson notebook in season one. As I said I am in the business and have so many perks that I dare not complain about spending a little more on the worthy Fraggle products. So I will be buying season 4 along with you all.

I really love Muppet Central and hope to be helpful if I can be to any of you- as I have been in the past. I design all the new DVD covers and direct all the still photography photo shoots of the Sesame Street Muppets- so if you have seen any DVDs from Sesame Street- from "Elmo's World: What Makes You Happy" on you have seen my work- I do lots of other things but in this case I just wanted to point out that I do work for the Home Video department at Sesame Workshop and understand the dilemma of keeping product moving before lack of sales becomes the reason to kill a product line. Putting out the full boxed set of the entire series may have helped season 4 come out.

Enjoy!

[cuckyjo]

Im so excited that they have season four coming to dvd I used to watch the fraggles as a kid and missed them when they went off the air! What Im wondering is if they are going to be putting them back on the air for the younger generation to watch? thats what it sounded like in their news but I didnt know for sure :excited:

[petrieboy]

I am confused. Is HIT owned by, or do they work with, LIONSGATE? Or has JHC left HIT behind?

I am confused because if Lionsgate has nothing to do with HIT, it's so strange that they skipped the first 3 seasons and only released the 4th season, and that the 4th season has the exact same design as HIT's series. And then, on top of that, re-released the complete box set.

Or maybe it's not so strange. Lionsgate is an intelligent company that has released many artistic and interesting films over the years. It's funny, because I have often recommended the film "All the Little Animals" to Jim Henson fans, and that film was released by Lionsgate. But mainly it wouldn't be so strange, because Lionsgate would have researched the best way to make money off the product. They would have understood that many people were just holding out for a 4th season and would jump on a 4th. They would also have understood that the complete series released by HIT was severely criticized for its packaging style, which caused scratching and falling out of dvds. They would have figured that giving a tighter package and a lower retail price would draw in repeat buyers and new buyers.

Well, it worked. I sold my individual dvd sets last year, but held off on buying the complete series. I will be one of the buyers of the complete Lionsgate series.

My final question: What is the difference in special features from the previous complete series and the new complete series... and does the new one contain the "new" Red short?

[petrieboy]

I was interested in the Fraggle Rock Holiday dvd at first glance. I thought maybe it was something new. You can get Bells of Fraggle Rock within the series. The Fraggle cartoon bonuses are bugging me. I wish they'd either give all 13 as a complete series bonus or provide them all in one release. The sing-along will most likely be included when they release Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas.

And guys, now is the time to plead with Lionsgate for an unedited Emmet Otter. The company has money. They are not Warner Bros, but they are not some fledgling company by any means. A petition really might work with them.

[The Count]

Answering a few questions here...

1 The Fraggle Holiday release, noone nows what that contains just yet.
2 Yes, JHC left HIT behind, their contract expired earlier this year.
3 JHC inked a new contract with Lionsgate, giving them access to releasing their library of past productions.
4 Lionsgate was aware of, and most probably received letters about the buying community wanting both the stand-alone Season 4 set and better packaging for the complete series. I thank them for this, as I can go get the Season 3 and 4 sets now to add to Seasons 1 and 2.
5 No, Red's short won't be included as it wasn't ready for inclusion in the Season 4 bonus material when it was released as part of the complete series last year.

Hope this helps.

[petrieboy]

Thank you.

But the Red short film was included in the previous complete series set?

The Fraggle holiday dvd content is listed in the announcements section.

[The Count]

Meh. As I recall, the Red's short wasn't in the complete series released last year.

[dwmckim]

Adding some stuff not mentioned -

"Red short" - this was originally mentioned in the original announcements for the first complete series release. However this was changed between the original announcement and final release. They didn't have enough time to follow through on it.

Before the HIT contract expired, Henson had also begun a working relationship with Lionsgate - not only did LG co-distribute the original complete series boxset with HIT but LG also distributed the Farscape: PK Wars DVD.

[Traveling Matt]

I hope Henson and Lionsgate can issue both box sets with some sort of replica material, keeping them in line with the other releases.

With so much work already done, including new package designs, there might still be time to cook something up before November 3rd.

[frogboy4]

I wish the Henson Company would find a way to do what other companies have done and release CD singles of difficult to market material on demand via website. I think Warner Brothers has done this with its classic movies. You know, plain cover, no DVD silkscreen or big remastering effort - just a transfer from the master tapes on file. I mean, it's better than the material not seeing the light of day because a larger effort would be costly and have demanding rights-holders asking for large cuts.

[JJandJanice]

And guys, now is the time to plead with Lionsgate for an unedited Emmet Otter. The company has money. They are not Warner Bros, but they are not some fledgling company by any means. A petition really might work with them.I honestly don't think it matters how much money Lionsgate has to be honest. Since Disney now owns Muppets, Kermit is an official Disney character. Disney has a rule about not leading or renting out their characters for any reason especially to competition. They let footage of Kermit still be released with Sesame Street DVDs, cause Sesame Street is a non-profit group, Lionsgate isn't. They are competition to Disney with their releases of TMNT, X-Men, Speed Racer and now Fraggles. Disney will not let Lionsgate relase a Emmet Otter or Christmas Toy DVD with Kermit, no matter how much money they throw Disney's way, not that Disney needs the money. It's just now going to happen, Hit has already tried, Disney won't change their mind on Kermit.

[bazooka_beak]

Yeah, they wouldn't let the Kermit footage be in the Christmas Toy release either, so I wouldn't bother getting any hopes up :/

[heralde]

If a separate season 4 DVD can be released, I'll believe anything is possible! Lol, maybe not soon, but eventually. ;)

[heralde]

Although I might later on and share the Fraggles with my little niece. :) I'm so Excited!

That's a really nice idea! I donated my season sets to my old Pre school a few months ago. The kids need to experience Fraggles! : D

[Kermieuk]

Hi All,

Just looking around the web at sites that sell this boxset in the UK. I usually use www.dvdconcept.com they have listed season 4 but as a USA release at £20.99 and also a Canadian Issue at £16.99?

Does anyone have any idea if these are different or the same, strange that the Canadian version is cheaper?

Also for anyone else in the UK http://www.playusa.com/DVD/Region_1/CART/4-/Search.html?searchtype=r1title&searchstring=fraggle&page=search&cur=513 has Season 4 at only £12.99 delivered and Fraggle Holiday at only £6.99 delivered, great prices.


Chris

[Redsonga]

*does a little fraggley victory dance*
I don't be pre-ordering, but I will be buying it :3!:excited:

[wembleyfraggle]

I just picked up Season 4 and the case is a let down! Its not textured like the others and its just a fat case in stead of the card board fold out! But it is only $30! :excited:

[chadergeist]

I got to say that the first three seasons are packaged in a big cardboard booklike case with inner plastic hubs with booklets and they issued the final one in a bare bones standard plastic case with a thin cardboard slipcover. What is up with that?

I feel cheated! It seemed that after all of our genuine complaints on the final season being released by itself and not part of a big set when they made that wrong move, that they are just trying to shut us up by giving up this sad packaging for the final season. Trying to cut corners or something? I was shocked when I took the dvd out of the bubbled envelope from DeepDiscount.

[DLGabriel]

I just picked up Season 4 and the case is a let down! Its not textured like the others and its just a fat case in stead of the card board fold out! But it is only $30! :excited:


Indeed, the packaging was a big let down for me as well. I'm kind of picky about things like that, so I'm looking into selling my individual sets and picking up the newly released four season box set.

Even an option to purchase a new case which matches the other's would have a welcome option for me. They did that with Season Six of The Simpsons. They unexpectedly switch the package design to a flimsly plastic head and when there was an uproar of backlash over it from people who had previous sets, they gave an option to buy a new box which more closely matched the previous design. Every subsequent box set of The Simpsons has had two differnt packaging options (traditional & character head).

I'm stoked for people who passed on the HIT box set and waited for the Final Season as an individual release, but it seems to me Lionsgate defintely should have went with the same packaging style as the others. At least with the initial batch. Afer all, it was only one box set. Maybe if they had a bunch of seasons left to release a packaging change would have made sense, but with only one?

*sigh* I guess nothing in life can be perfect.

[ploobis]

I picked up my copy at Best Buy the past Tuesday, I love it!

I love the Bonus Features!


I love the Excerpts of the shooting of the Final Episode and The Wrap Party!

Jim: "THIS IS CONVINCING JOHN!"

I also love the interview with Rollie Krewson talking about building Wembley. I would have never known there was a plastic ball in Wembley's nose!

:smirk: :coy: :excited:

[wembleyfraggle]

Yeah! If you look actually at Wembley's nose, its the exact size as his eyes! Larger than the other Fraggles! I would have bought the 4th even though I have the Full Series Collection... but the case is a turn off. I would have bought it just to complete the look of the set. But its not the same! So If I bought it it wouldn't go with the others anyway. So sadly, I will be passing on it. All because of a change in the case! :smirk:

[ploobis]

Yeah! If you look actually at Wembley's nose, its the exact size as his eyes! Larger than the other Fraggles! I would have bought the 4th even though I have the Full Series Collection... but the case is a turn off. I would have bought it just to complete the look of the set. But its not the same! So If I bought it it wouldn't go with the others anyway. So sadly, I will be passing on it. All because of a change in the case! :smirk:

I wasn't too upset about the new packaging because I knew I needed the Final Season anyway. I did not buy the Complete Series set. And hey, For those who already bought Seasons 1 through 3 years ago got the copies that included a bonus booklet! :excited:

[plucky]

Yay for having season 4 finally!
Boo for the change in packaging!
Boo for only having 20 episodes of Fraggles to look forward to (I watched the first 4 last night :) ).
Yay for dancing your cares away!

I dreamt all night of living in a complex modernized Fraggle cave, I know where I'll be living if I win the mega-millions!

[DLGabriel]

I dreamt all night of living in a complex modernized Fraggle cave, I know where I'll be living if I win the mega-millions!

Hey! Me too. See you there. :coy:

[Mikey Alexander]

I feel cheated! It seemed that after all of our genuine complaints on the final season being released by itself and not part of a big set when they made that wrong move, that they are just trying to shut us up by giving up this sad packaging for the final season. Trying to cut corners or something? I was shocked when I took the dvd out of the bubbled envelope from DeepDiscount.

It is really hard for me to even get the least bit upset about packaging. We have the entire Fraggle Rock run on DVD. Not long ago, Fraggle Rock was not available on DVD at all. We received Season 1 without any assurances there would ever be a Season 2. The big mistake that HIT made was announcing Season 4 and not delivering it.

Lionsgate came through, and delivered the final season set. Lionsgate is a completely different company from HIT, and the fact that the artwork matches is a plus. Even more so, the Seaon 4 DVD set has ALL of the extra content from the complete series. To me, it was all worth the wait and I feel anything but cheated! Lionsgate far exceeded my expectations with Season 4 and I'm happily watching Fraggle Rock again!