Posted in: Movies, TV | Tagged: fraggle rock, HRL, tv

SCOOP: 8 Missing Episodes of Fraggle Rock UK Discovered – Watch Footage from The Trial of Cotterpin Doozer and Manny's Land of Carpets

Jim Henson's TV series Fraggle Rock was remarkable in that it created international co-productions localised to different territories — which means that different countries got different versions of "outer space", the world above Fraggle Rock.

So while Americans got 96 episodes knowing that Fraggle Rock joined onto a small hole in the wall of the workshop of an eccentric inventor named Doc and his dog Sprocket, in the British version the hole leads into the living quarters of a lighthouse on the edge of an outcrop where the keeper The Captain, played by Fulton MacKay, lives with his dog — also called Sprocket. Due to MacKay's death in 1987, the Captain was replaced in the fourth UK season by a younger character known as P.K. (Principal Keeper, the Captain's nephew), played by John Gordon Sinclair and then in the sixth UK season by another character, B.J. (the Captain's son), played by Simon O'Brien.

Different countries had their own versions, but the British version was the only one to go for the full 96 episodes with the American version. However, after the show finished, inconceivably, the British versions of the episodes seem to have been junked. The production company, TVS, went through many owners who seem to have been less than careful with the archives. Of the 96 episodes, only 12 master copies had been saved. HIT Entertainment, in extensive enquiries with The Jim Henson Company in both the UK and the US failed to find them. And it was up to a Fraggle Rock fan Alex Taylor that further copies were found. 29 episodes exist in broadcast quality, with 87 episodes existing in some form and nine episodes remain unaccounted for in any format.

Until today.

Because we received the following note from a Geoff and Helen Warner. They tell us,

We were friends of Victor Pemberton for many years until he died in August this year.  Victor produced the 4^th Series of Fraggle Rock and we have many master VHS of various episodes taken at the time of recording the show.  Many of the titles are not thought to exist anymore.

Those who are interested in learning more and making offers can contact the pair below. It's not just Fraggle Rock — they have many other of Victor's work, including his own production company program on Benny Hill. But I think it's the Fraggle Rock that will get the most attention.

But what about the proof that the VHS tapes exist? Well, we have the opening scenes of two episodes previously thought missing? The UK editions of The Trial Of Cotterpin Doozer and Manny's Land Of Carpets. And followed by details of the scripts and notes that the Warners will be making available to interested parties. Those interested can contact warnerinspain@gmail.com.

The other previously thought missing episodes now recovered are all from the 4th recording block, the sixth aired series, The River of Life, Ring Around the Rock, Mirror, Mirror, Wembley's Flight, A Tune for Two, The Voice Inside. It also includes other episodes that exist as off-air recordings in private hands.

This would leave only Gobo's School For Explorers from a previous series still missing.

And here are the videos and documents they have.

FRAGGLE ROCK EPISODES ON VHS TAPES

• *The voice inside
• *A tune for two
• *Wembleys flight
• *Wonder mountain
• *Mirror mirror
• *Boober gorg
• *Sprockets big adventure
• *Uncle Matts discovery
• *Reds blue dragon
• *Space frog follies
• *Inspector red
• *Ring around the rock
• *The perfect blue rollie
• *The Riddle of rhyming rock
• *The gorg who would be King
• *The river of life
• *The honk of honks
• *Change of address
• *The trial of cotterpin doozer
• *Gone but not forgotten
• *Mokey then and now
• *Junior faces the music
• *Beyond the pond
• *Mannys land of carpets

One VHS tape with 6 undubbed titles:

• Gone but not forgotten
• Mokey then and now
• Junior faces the music
• Beyond the pond
• Mannys land of carpets
• The trial of Cotterpin doozer

Three VHS tapes with episodes

• 49-56 dated 10.7.87
• 57-64 dated 11.7.87
• 65-72 dated 12.7.87

Two VHS tapes of:

• Behind the scenes
• Fraggle inserts
• One VHS of Fraggle rock series three promo
• EFL Japanese promo dated 7.2.89
• Victors own VHS tape of Fraggle rock on location at St. Maws

And then there are the scripts…

FRAGGLE ROCK SCRIPTS – BLACK LEVER ARCH FILE

• Wembleys egg
• Boober rock
• The trash doesn´t live here anymore
• Sea monster
• Uncle matt comes home
• Boobers Dream
• Mokey and the minstrells
• All work and all play
• Sir Hubris and the gorgs
• The wizard of fraggle rock
• The doozer contest
• Reds club
• The secret of convincing john
• The bells of fraggle rock x 2
• Junior sells the farm
• Fraggle wars
• The day the music died
• The doomsday soup
• A cave of ones own
• Wembley and the great race
• A doozer is as doozer does
• Boobers quiet day
• Invasion of the toe ticklers
• Christmas show

FRAGGLE ROCK – SCRIPTS – Many items with hand written notes

Rehearsal scripts for:

• The Riddle of rhyming rock – 10 pages x 3
• The trial of cotterpin doozer – 9 pages
• The river of life – 24 pages
• Mokey then and now – 14 pages
• The voice inside – 9 pages
• Mannys land of carpets – 16 pages
• Ring around the rock – 12 pages
• Inspector red – 15 pages
• Reds blue dragon – 16 pages
• Gone but not forgotten – 17 pages
• Space frog follies – 16 pages x 2
• Uncle matts Discovery – 21 pages
• The honk of honks – amended 19 pages
• The perfect blue rollie – 11 pages
• A tune for two – 14 pages
• Wembleys flight – 11 pages
• Wonder mountain – 13 pages
• Mirror mirror – 10 pages
• Boober gorg – 13 pages
• The honk of honks – 25 pages
• Change of address – 46 pages

Recording scripts for:

• Born to wander – 19 pages
• A tune for two – 8 pages
• Wembleys flight – 10 pages
• Wonder mountain -. 10 pages
• Mannys land of carpets – 13 pages
• Junior faces the music – 5 pages
• Beyond the pond – 7 pages
• Mokey then and now – 6 pages
• Movement order sheets – 10 pages
• Cost report
• Studio contact list
• Recording order
• Cast and puppeteers address list
• Various letters to Victor from Brian Trueman regarding several episodes
• Connections sheets – various episodes – 35 pages
• Uncle matts Discovery – re-write – 16 pages
• Opening and end credits

Various TVS memoradums for:

• January recordings 1989
• Script adjustments
• New time slots.
• Night scenes camera script for – the thirty minute work week – 3 pages
• Junior faces the music – running order – 5 pages

FRAGGLE ROCK – SCRIPTS

• EFP script – 60 pages
• Camera script for 16 – 20th January 1989 – 96 pages
• Camera script for 23 – 27th January 1989 – 61 pages

FRAGGLE ROCK SCRIPTS ETC. Some with hand written amendments

• Victors EPF script 7.10.88 87 pages

Final amended copies of:

• You can´t do that without a hat – 14 pages
• The preachification of convincing John – 9 pages
• Don´t cry over spilt milk – 31 pages
• I want to be you – 14 pages
• Wembley and the gorgs – 15 pages
• New trash heap in town – 8 pages x 2
• The garden plot – 14 pages
• Gobos Discovery – 11 pages
• The beast of blue rock – 10 pages
• Mokeys funeral – 8 pages
• The challenge – 14 pages
• The lost treasure of the Fraggles – 15 pages
• Beginnings – 25 pages
• We love you wembley – 12 pages

Scripts for:

• Catch the tiger by the tail – 21 pages
• Let the water run – 15 pages
• The 30 minute work week – 11 pages
• The terrible tunnel – 17 pages
• The finger of light – 15 pages

Camera scripts for:

• 7th – 16th October 1987 – 61 pages
• 30 minute work week – 19 pages
• Shooting Schedule – 54 pages x 2

Rehearsal scripts for:

• The honk of honks – 25 pages
• The gorg who would be King – 8 pages
• Sprockets big adventure – 12 pages

Amended scripts for:

• I don´t care – 15 page
• Marooned – 13 pages
• Capture the moon – 8 pages
• The raddish famine – 10 pages
• The minstrells – 11 pages

• Various TVS memoradums x 3
• Transmission order – 3 pages
• Production Schedule – 6 pages
• Schedule for EFP shoot – 18 pages
• Various photocopies of promo reports etc.
• Shooting script for: the trial of Cotterpin Doozer
• Various typed and handwritten letters between production staff

If you interested in learning more, get in touch at the address above.

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