TV Times Christmas Review of Fraggle Rock in Text Format
Dec 22 - 29, 1984
The Fraggles Celebrate The Holiday
David Wesley
Yes, Gobo there really is a Great Bell.
Christians enjoy Christmas and Jews celebrate Hanukkah, but take time Sunday evening at 7 to
observe how our friendly Fraggles keep the season on CBC.
This is a week when children will be home and while the Christmas specials come thick and fast,
it'll be hard to find a more charming event for the whole family than The Bells of Fraggle Rock.
According to Fraggle Lore, there is a Great Bell at the heart of the Rock, now covered with layers
of stone. And each year at this time, the Fraggles perform the Dance of Weebabeeste in honor of
Weeba, who guarded the Rock when it was small.
As part of the celebration, the Fraggles ring their bells together to wake the Great Bell, which
will keep the Rock moving for another year.
Fraggles believe if they don't ring their bells, the Rock would slow down and and stop and
eventually freeze.
This year, however, Gobo Fraggle is refusing to take part in the festivities unless it can be
proven that the Great Bell exists.
He unearths an ancient map in a file titled "Very Old Stuff", and enlists the help
of a respected elder, Cantus (played by Jim Henson himself) in his quest for the bell.
Though the other Fraggles are skeptical, they agree to wait for word from Gobo before they start
ringing their bells.
Discoveries of other kinds are being made as well. Doc is telling Sprocket about the meaning of
the Winter Solstice and how Christmas is celebrated around the world, and Travelling Matt is
observing how humans behave this time of year.
He's hiding in a home where the humans are hanging their stockings by the chimney with care, and
makes the following report back to Gobo: "The silly creatures appeared, left milk and
cookies to cook by the fire, then hung their clothes in the living room. Where are the bells?
Where's the Weebabeeste? Is this any way to run a holiday?"
For many human children this Christmas, their stockings are likely to contain actual Fraggle
items.
It's the first Christmas that a full range of Fraggle-related merchandise has been available,
and while the stuffed figures of Gobo, Matt, and the rest are a bit steep at upwards of $20,
charming little wind-up Doozers are on the market for a more reasonable $4.95.
And the CBC has also got into the action.
The network's CBC Enterprises has published no fewer than 20 little Fraggles books by various
authors, dealing with everything from stories about individual Doozers to favorites such as
Gobo. And then there's a special Christmas tale involving Sprocket also on the market.
The Fraggles continues to be a ratings plus for the CBC and their popularity on American
pay-TV has sky-rocketed over the past year. So hold on, no doubt next Christmas we'll get yet
another barrage of Fraggle goodies on the store shelves.
