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

[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!