Dance your cares away! The Jim Henson Company has begun its reboot of ‘Fraggle Rock’ on Canadian soil.

The company was scheduled to begin production on Monday in Calgary to reboot the classic 1980s series and reunite the whole gang - Gobo, Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley, and Uncle Travelling Matt – for new episodes “in the spirit of the classic” show.
 

The Henson Company’s chief operating officer said Calgary was chosen both for tax reasons and for the strength of its facilities.

"In summer of 2020, with the COVID pandemic in full swing, the pressure was on for us to find a home where we could produce our green-lit series Fraggle Rock,” Henson Company COO Chris Lytton said in a release. “We were delighted to discover the Calgary Film Centre, a first-class facility that could accommodate our timing. And when we learned of Alberta's fantastic rebate structure, Calgary became the obvious choice.”

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi was geeked to be part of the reboot.

“How exciting that Jim Henson's vision is being continued right here,” he said in a release. “I can't wait to see the further adventures of the Fraggles and the Doozers, with a Calgary touch!"   

The Fraggles have longstanding ties to Canada, as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was one of the international co-producers of the original program, which aired from 1983 to 1987. Filming of the original series also partially took place at the CBC’s Toronto soundstage. 

The show will be broadcast on Apple TV+, building on an existing relationship from the 2020 short-format series “Fraggle Rock: Rock On.” This partnership contrasts with Henson’s ties to the Walt Disney Company, which owns the rights to the majority of the series and films featuring Jim Henson’s Muppets. Disney announced just last week that all five seasons of The Muppet Show will be available on the streaming platform as of Feb. 19.