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Fraggle Rock is Coming to Apple TV+ After Apple Purchases Streaming Rights for Old Episodes and Orders Reboot

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Apple has acquired exclusive streaming rights to all 96 episodes of "Fraggle Rock," and has ordered a reboot of the series, reports Vulture.


Apple in April unveiled "Fraggle Rock: Rock On," a shortform show from the Jim Henson Company that featured characters from the "Fraggle Rock" series. Apple has now inked a more extensive deal that will include a formal reboot of "Fraggle Rock" with full-length episodes.

The new series will feature original puppet stars like Gobo, Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley, and Uncle "Traveling" Matt, and it will be produced by the Jim Henson Company. Existing "Fraggle Rock" episodes, produced between 1983 and 1987, will be coming to Apple TV+ on Wednesday, May 27, and will mark the first time that Apple has offered older content on its platform.

A report from Bloomberg last week suggested that Apple is planning to purchase older movies and shows for the Apple TV+ streaming service in an attempt to build a back catalog of content that will allow it to better compete with Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+.

Vulture claims that an Apple TV+ source said the company "remains uninterested" in using Apple TV+ as a repository for old shows and movies from other suppliers, but it made sense to offer older "Fraggle Rock" episodes alongside new content rather than having original episodes available from another platform and the new episodes on Apple TV+.

Apple TV+ provides original movies and TV shows for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, plus there's a free year of service for those who have recently purchased an Apple device. For those who don't qualify for the free year, Apple offers a one-week free trial. Check out our step-by-step instructions for getting up and running from various devices.

Update: All original Fraggle Rock TV shows are available to stream on Apple TV+.

Article Link: Fraggle Rock is Coming to Apple TV+ After Apple Purchases Streaming Rights for Old Episodes and Orders Reboot
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/05/26/apple-tv-plus-fraggle-rock-reboot/
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MacRumors said:
Vulture claims that an Apple TV+ source said the company "remains uninterested" in using Apple TV+ as a repository for old shows and movies from other suppliers
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This is kind of a bummer. Not that I haven't been enjoying their content, but it's also been free. Maybe it could be worth it down the line as their original backlog grows...?
 
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SDJim said:
This is kind of a bummer. Not that I haven't been enjoying their content, but it's also been free. Maybe it could be worth it down the line as their original backlog grows...?
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My guess is that Apple's interest in older shows is very much dependent on the going rate of the content. Back when Netflix started out, streaming rights were comparatively cheap. Now, with so many competing services, they're probably so expensive that producing and permanently owning original content might make more economic sense than paying for temporary licenses for existing shows.

Should that market situation ever change, I'm pretty sure that Apple's stance would change, as well. (Or maybe they're already in the process of buying up shows for a back catalogue for the service and are just keeping up their poker face until the official announcement.)
 
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I was just wondering the same thing. Will they have all the various localizations or just the US version?
 
I think Steve saw this coming 20 years ago.

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OH MY. THIS IS AMAZING.

- This is probably what those rumors of Apple buying old content were about - old content which complements their current shows like Fraggle Rock Rock On. I hope they buy the classic Ghostwriter from PBS too and redigitize it to 4K. Amazing Stories original series too?

EXCITING NEWS!
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Apple also bought up the rights to Long Way Down, Long Way Around, and are rebooting the show with Ewan McGregor as Long Way Up.

Again, buying up older content which complements their reboot plans. Brilliant, brilliant strategy. It's new, but also old. Backlog which makes sense!

Source: https://9to5mac.com/2020/05/26/apple-tv-plus-fraggle-rock/
 
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Man, so much disparity with the Jim Henson content these days. Muppets goes to Disney, Sesame Street goes to Warner/HBO, and now Apple has some of their stuff. Kinda strange.
 
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sw1tcher said:
Reboots and pre/sequels.

Must be too hard to come up with original ideas.
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Really? Have you seen literally any of Apple's shows? People complained that Dickinson and See were TOO original and out of the box. For All Mankind is its own unique thing. Home Before Dark is a very unique spin on the whodunnit genre. Apple needs a LITTLE bit of the familiar, because audiences do need familiar IP to feel comfortable.
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aaronhead14 said:
Man, so much disparity with the Jim Henson content these days. Muppets goes to Disney, Sesame Street goes to Warner/HBO, and now Apple has some of their stuff. Kinda strange.
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I hope Apple buys up Dinosaur and the other non-Muppets/Sesame shows next.
 
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Baumi said:
My guess is that Apple's interest in older shows is very much dependent on the going rate of the content. Back when Netflix started out, streaming rights were comparatively cheap. Now, with so many competing services, they're probably so expensive that producing and permanently owning original content might make more economic sense than paying for temporary licenses for existing shows.

Should that market situation ever change, I'm pretty sure that Apple's stance would change, as well. (Or maybe they're already in the process of buying up shows for a back catalogue for the service and are just keeping up their poker face until the official announcement.)
Click to expand...

I think you may be right. Smart of them to buy the rights to a back catalog of shows or movies people love, create new content for that series, and be exclusive to their service. Nothing wrong with that. A lot of of us are 'Apple people', so I'm all for it. I've liked some of the stuff on ATV+. Some of it not so much, but that's with any of the streaming services out there. I'm excited for the future of Apple's streaming video service. I love new and exciting content to watch. To me, we are the winners. Couldn't imagine a streaming service trying to start out now and not fail. Apple's got the right approach to it, but it takes time and money, both of which they do have. I would say two years from now, Netflix will be in the ATV+ app, just like Amazon prime video is......The future is bright....
 
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