Fraggle Rock to return to HBO, remastered in HD on December 14, 2016

[Detritusarisen]

Found this article today: http://deadline.com/2016/10/jim-henson-fraggle-rock-returns-hbo-hd-1201833937/

I'm so excited, I might have to get HBO!
I wonder how it will look though, A show of this age, shot in 4:3, remastered to 1080p and 16:9

 

[MikaelaMuppet]

Wicked exciting!

 

[MuppetSpot]

First Sesame now Fraggles are on HBO again. What's next a new Muppet series on HBO?

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

This sounds exciting, i'm happy to see the Fraggles back at their original network. But, how do you convert a thirty-four year old show into HD?

 

[Oscarfan]

This sounds exciting, i'm happy to see the Fraggles back at their original network. But, how do you convert a thirty-four year old show into HD?

Depends on what it was shot on. Films are especially easy to bring to HD because they have no set resolution like 1080p (this article can explain it better).

FR was shot on videotape, as far as I know, which doesn't necessarily clean up as well when upgraded to HD.

Someone at the JHC said this about the restorations:

“In remastering the series, illuminate has created a contemporary look for the series with meticulous attention paid to every detail–sharpening the images, cleaning up the contrast, increasing the vibrancy of the colors and re-formatting for wide-screen–all under the careful supervision of Brian Henson.”

The same company doing it also restored the Pee-Wee's Playhouse episodes for a recent release (video), but those seem to be shot on film and I doubt FR will look anywhere as good.

 

[superboober]

Good to have it back home. Now the question is, will they also bring back the HBO in Space Family Showcase variant intro to run before it? After all, since next year's the network's 45th anniversary anyway, now may be the time to start bringing back the past to prepare for the 50th.

 

[MUPPETFAN1976]

I am so excited about this! I have seasons 1, 2, and 4 on DVD for sure. I've had those for many years, but they have many scratches on them. So i'm really happy that!
Unfortunately, I don't have HBO.
However, it's good for Fraggle Rock to come home to HBO.

 

[D'Snowth]

Someone at the JHC said this about the restorations:

Oh, big shock, it's going to be cropped into widescreen. Totally didn't see that coming.

 

[Drtooth]

I've been saying this since Sesame Street got HBO's money. HBO doesn't really have a wealth of kid's programming, and blah blah blah streaming and being on a premium channel and all, I could see them reacquiring rights to an older show and remastering it, rather than spending the money and time to create a show completely new. I mean, we still don't know what the supposed Sesame Street spinoff program is. Besides SW's library (which doesn't venture further than the 00's Electric Company and Pinky Dinky Doo), they have those old 90's Family Fairy Tale things and Crashbox, which I still have no idea what its supposed to be. And a couple things other than that. I can see why they'd bring back FR. Maybe because it fits with Sesame Street too.

Oh, big shock, it's going to be cropped into widescreen. Totally didn't see that coming.

I've watched something on The Splat that added frames to either side to not have to crop and stretch the footage. It still was "HD" and widescreen, but they preserved the aspect ratio, covering the sides with various Nicktoons characters. A little busy, perhaps, but nothing as lame as the "HD" Simpsons reruns on FXX.

 

[Detritusarisen]

The same company doing it also restored the Pee-Wee's Playhouse episodes for a recent release (video), but those seem to be shot on film and I doubt FR will look anywhere as good.

I don't know if this is the same release but the DVDs for PeeWees Playhouse look crystal clear, Really astounding quality (Better than a lot of shows/movies DVD releases from film, cough cough, The Matrix )