This amazing, lengthy review of the new Fraggle Rock DVDs does a great job of placing the series in its historical context (“The Monchichis had a show that year, and so did Rubik the Amazing Cube… and don’t forget the Mork and Mindy – Laverne and Shirley – Fonz Hour. Basically, 1983 was the year that all the TV producers in the world just said, screw it, we get rich no matter what we do, let’s turn any old thing into a cartoon and then pay some Koreans two bucks an hour to animate it.”) and picking out the elements of the show that made it so very good:
Gobo: First up to get the mail, now out to the Gorgs’ garden… It’s turning out to be a dangerous day.
Wembley: Yeah, but we love it, don’t we, Gobo?
Gobo: Well, to tell you the truth, Wembley, sometimes I get sick of it.
Wembley: Yeah, me too.
Gobo: … You sure do like to agree with a person.
Wembley: Oh, I gotta agree with that! Heh.And there you have it. That’s Wembley. In six lines, you get his whole character: his indecision, his affability, his attachment to Gobo, and his willingness to try anything. That’s economical writing. Plus, it’s funny, so it’s got that going for it too.
(via Waxy!)