The Bells of Fraggle Rock

It’s 1984, and it’s time to let the music play down in Fraggle Rock as we ring in Christmas in July on a quest to find the true meaning of the Festival of the Bells. On the way, we’ll visit Outer Space as Doc teaches Sprocket — and us — about the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia, and Christmas around the world.  

****  

🎙 Guests:  

Tom Coombs (The Pop Daddy, @thepopdaddy).  

Donnie Storms (Bronwen’s Ghost, @boxcar45).  

****  

💬 Topics & Tangents:  

1. A clip from the British airing of The Bells of Fraggle Rock, in which Doc is replaced by a lighthouse captain.  

2. Gerald Parkes (Doc) in An American Christmas Carol as the Ghost of Christmas Present.  

3. Doc’s tool-themed Christmas tree.  

4. Macy’s Christmas Light Show and Dickens Village in Philadelphia.  

5. The Weebabeast, in pictures.  

6. Gobo’s maze-like map to the Cave of the Great Bell.  

7. St. Nicholas Day.  

8. Mokey and the Festival of the Bells, a Christmas-themed Fraggle Rock storybook.  

****  

📼 Retro Commercial Break:  

Fraggle Rock Book Club, 1985.  

McDonald’s Fraggle Rock Happy Meal Toys, 1988.  

****  

🎤 And Now, These Messages:  

Hyrule Podcasters, an audio “Let’s Play” through The Legend of Zelda.  

****  

“The Bells of Fraggle Rock” © 1984 Jim Henson Productions.  

Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.  
Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.