"Wembley's Egg Surprise" on DVD February 9

[Beauregard]

It's not just about eggs, though. Like I mentioned, the Mudwell ep might work for the Easter theme as it deals with death and resurrection. I realize that's a bit deep for "a kid's show", but as that ep about the radio was a metaphor for religion, I think FR can handle something deeper than an egg hunt. I mean, Halloween is supposed to be more than a free candy binge, you know.

What about the ToeTicklers episode, too. That one has a death/life theme...

I agree with others though...Fraggles and Easter don't really mesh well. Fraggle Rock is about all to all, Easter is about Specific Meaning to Specific People.

 

[RedPiggy]

That said, it seems there should be room to talk about Jesus as well as Krishna as well as Buddha as well as Mohammed as well as Confucious as well as no deity in particular.

It would work best, though, for Doc's part in the show, like how they did the Christmas ep. It's kind of like preaching to your dog ... you could, but why would the dog even care? Religions are by humans, for humans, and (mostly) about humans and their relationship to the universe. It'd be REALLY stretching it to have Fraggles, who supposedly never even saw Outer Space until Uncle Matt discovered it in his older years, would know or care anything about any of our sacred and holy people. They've been off in their own little world (so to speak). I mean, I truly get what you're saying, really I do. This isn't a criticism ... more like an observation. In a certain sense, you already do get stuff from the religions you mentioned ... but, in Fraggle Rock, it's only the Jungian concepts behind them, not the details of the doctrines themselves. In other words, you have sharing and gift-giving and life out of death and tradition and magic and etc, etc.

I don't know that Fraggle Rock would necessarily get that specific in addressing any particular religion- but I just feel that if a particular Christian holiday is going to be represented, at least some aspect of Christianity should be represented in order to fully acknowledge it.

That's just it, though ... aside from it being marketed TO HUMANS as an Easter DVD, the fact is, FR wouldn't really HAVE Easter ... just their own spin on some of the celebrated concepts.

Some people want to see religions recognized and mentioned and some want no mention whatsoever. Some are okay with something somewhere in between. That's the whole point of Fraggle Rock- we can be different and think differently and that's okay because we're all still friends.

I don't really have much of an opinion on it, only that any portrayal should take into account the fact that Fraggles only recently (as far as they are aware) started interacting with humans at all. I'm not against bringing up religions, but it should be done in the Outer Space segments, not Fraggle Rock, unless it can be plausibly explained how they even got introduced to it.

What about the ToeTicklers episode, too. That one has a death/life theme...

Possibly, though, technically, no one really died in that one. It was just insect metamorphosis. Mudwell actually died.

 

[bazooka_beak]

It's not just about eggs, though. Like I mentioned, the Mudwell ep might work for the Easter theme as it deals with death and resurrection. I realize that's a bit deep for "a kid's show", but as that ep about the radio was a metaphor for religion, I think FR can handle something deeper than an egg hunt. I mean, Halloween is supposed to be more than a free candy binge, you know.

The Mudwell episode did cross my mind, but that and the Wembley episode isn't enough to fill a DVD, I guess. I don't know.

 

[Drtooth]

I'm guessing there's some sort of Spring theme in there. I can't think of any spring like episodes... and the only obvious seasonal one I can think of is "Blanket of Snow" which is a very winter episode. I just think they're going with a "holiday" themed release because it just makes financial sense to slap a holiday on the title of a DVD and just have it released for a couple months. People will ALWAYS buy a holiday themed DVD, no matter what's on it. it's the magic of a commercialized holiday.

 

[dwmckim]

Talk all you want about "commercialized holidays" but with an Easter Fraggle Rock DVD, it's essentially commercializing/selling out the Fraggles to push product.

I'm glad Lionsgate is getting Fraggle DVDs out - i will forever be grateful to them for cleaning up HIT's mess by getting the fourth season its own box set and i can totally see the need to get other dvds out there to keep the brand name out in public as we wait for the movie (even if all the episodes have now been released). But by putting out a dvd with Easter in the title when there's never been any kind of Easter-based episode in the series is just really using Easter as a very thin excuse to put out a dvd. It might actually make parents mad because some may pick it up for that purpose and basically find they've been subject to false advertising. Likewise kids may enjoy the dvds put end up very confused as why Easter never really came up.

Now they could get away with this for Christmas because "The Bells of Fraggle Rock" was essentially a "Christmas episode" even though the concept of Christmas was foreign to Fraggle Rock itself. It contained the framing sequences with Doc and Sprocket talking about the similarities between Christmas and other Winter Solstace timed holidays around the world - while in the world of the Fraggles, they were celebrating a festival which had its own similarities and in a very deep way explored religious issues in a symbolic manner - Gobo experiences a crisis of faith and starts to question his the religious doctrine he's been told all his life and decides to search for physical evidence behind the stories to make them more meaningful. This was really a masterful way of symbolizing more adult concepts of questioning which religion may be right for you (even if it may not be the one you were raised in) and making conscious efforts of what you personally believe in once you reach the age of higher reasoning skills while at the same time also dealing with simpler (but still very deep) issues kids go through - reaching that age where they start to realize that the whole concept of Santa Claus was just a feel-good story and basically a game and not real. That's a very sad moment for kids when they essentially realize they've been lied to (and part of that lie has been for purposes of bribery - you have to behave or you'll be put on the naughty list and not get presents) but at the same time once they reach the age where they can understand that, then they're also old enough to realize the other things the holiday season is about - religious and spirtitual (goodwill/peace/sharing).

But as mentioned, Fraggle Rock had no similar episode that could really be called an "Easter" episode. So unless it was a new production (which we all know it won't be - just a way to market a dvd of a few already released existing episodes), they really have to stretch to find episodes that have something...ANYTHING in common with Easter. Thematically Gone But Not Forgotten is the strongest choice but its a very deep "downer" episode and since these are being marketed to children, a lot of people - kids and parents - may be surprised that what they though may be a more light-hearted or fun dvd would be so deep and depressing (not that it can't be done though - it's best to sandwich it in the middle of two lighter episodes). Otherwise you just have to stretch and find episodes that deal with very superficial (but recongnizable) elements like eggs. So i think they'll be Wembley's Egg and possibly (and maybe a little more than ironically!) Preachification of Convincing John since the Doc/Sprocket framing story concerned Doc trying to figure out how to sew a button on a fried egg. (Correct me if i'm wrong but i don't off the top of my head remember any episodes where either Doc/Sprocket were celebrating Easter or Matt's postcards mentioned it)

So that takes care of the meat and potatoes of the main attraction. Then that leaves the question of the appetizers/dessert of the bonus features - and here is where the dvd can salvidge itself as being an "Easter dvd" since the episodes themselves are doomed to fail. I think the best way to do this that will make the kids and their parents happy - and make the larger fans ecstatic (or at least give them a reason to buy this when they already have the box sets) would be to include a number of really awesome bonus features that are on the disc in the form of Easter Eggs. And this would actually be easy to do as there's still quite a few Fraggley goodness things they could put in there that weren't included in the box sets - more global Postcard segments - Doc/Sprocket scenes from the international co-productions, original promos/commercials, "Fraggles Look For Jobs", episodes of Animated Fraggle Rock and who knows what other stuff might be lieing around the vaults. That would really be the only way the disc would really redeem itself for taking advantage of an Easter marketing approach...and sadly i'm predicting that it will be a huge disappointment in that area.

And as alluded to above, there ARE ways for Lionsgate to still release Fraggle based dvds even after all the episodes have come out on boxsets - they can give all the animated episodes their own release (that way we can have the live action Matt parts included) - Doozer Music still could use a dvd release (probably as a bonus feature since it was pretty short even for its own VHS). They could release discs that have international versions of the show on them - heck at least get out mini-compilations that include the "Terrible Tunnel" and "Finger of Light" episodes with thier original opening themes with the alternate "Down at Fraggle Rock" closes. You can be so much more successful getting this stuff out that fans would want instead of going down the line of more "It's Labor Day, Charlie Br...uh I Mean Gobo!" releases.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

I don't really have much of an opinion on it, only that any portrayal should take into account the fact that Fraggles only recently (as far as they are aware) started interacting with humans at all. I'm not against bringing up religions, but it should be done in the Outer Space segments, not Fraggle Rock, unless it can be plausibly explained how they even got introduced to it.

Actually, it would definitely work best in the Outer Space postcard segments- as well as scenes with Doc and Sprocket- and that's pretty much how the Christmas episode was done, if I'm not mistaken. No reason they couldn't have done an Easter episode the same way.

 

[Drtooth]

Talk all you want about "commercialized holidays" but with an Easter Fraggle Rock DVD, it's essentially commercializing/selling out the Fraggles to push product.

Not in so many words, but I did kinda say that. These are generic "Holiday" DVDs that you buy for kids to shut them up for an hour or so. Plus the general DVD buying public are more likely to buy holiday DVDs than regular ones anyway. i can see why they're working that. What really nugged me is when this new company promised to give us Fat Albert DVD's, and just gave us the same Holiday specials that were already released with one or 2 bonus episodes (had I known, I woulda waited)... but that's all we got. No season sets, no best ofs... Even Warner Bros is getting in on the "skap a holiday on a DVD for a 3 month release" bit... example

I just wonder why they skipped over a more logical Valentines special with "Wembly Wembly no. 9" as it's figurehead episode.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Hey- just so you know, you may be interested to learn that Warner Bros. is at least including some shorts as bonuses on this DVD that have never been released before.
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Bugs-Bunny-Looney-Tunes-Comedy-Hour-Bugs-Bunnys-Cupid-Capers/12793

So at least that's something. But yeah- I totally get what you're saying with marketing any holiday out there to sell more stuff. (And it's easier to get the general public to buy something marketed as a holiday special of some sort because it's ready-made gift for said occasion.)

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Okay, so here's a look at the cover art and the actual official title for this release-
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Fraggle-Rock-Wembleys-Egg-Surprise/12980

It's actually titled using the name of the main episode that was pretty much a no-brainer to put on here- "Fraggle Rock: Wembley's Egg Surprise".
However, that said- there is still much more of a spring theme really than much of an Easter connection. (However, I say that mainly because I primarily equate Easter with the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the salvation He offers to all through that. But I've come to accept that pretty much no mainstream TV series will very often, if ever, acknowledge that aspect outside of specific Christian productions.)
So I wasn't really expecting much on that front from this release. But I know many other people focus on the rebirth in spring from the death of winter and the Easter bunny and so forth and this DVD seems to be more a celebration of that. (well, not so much on the Easter bunny either really- mainly just spring and the newness of everything at that time of year.)
So anyway, the episodes are as follows: "Wembley's Egg", "The Great Radish Famine" and "The Finger of Light". Sounds like a pretty cool line-up. And there are a few bonus features- an episode of the Fraggle Rock animated series- "The Great Radish Round-up" and a Sing-Along and "A Look at Jim Henson's Animal Show with Stinky & Jake".
I'm not sure how long that last featurette will run, though I'm thinking on this kind of release it's probably a 10 to 15 minute thing at most. Still, that's pretty neat I guess.
It's definitely a nice little Fraggle Rock birthday gift or an Easter basket stuffer (and in recent years I've been kinda surprised just how popular giving Easter baskets with candy and toys and such and other gifts at Easter has become.) But for those who do, this would be a great option for introducing someone to Fraggle Rock. Let the Fraggles play!

 

[Zack the Dog]

hmmm...it sounds like the Animal Show maybe coming to dvd? that makes me happy!