• [NEWS] 'Fraggle Rock' coming to Apple TV+

    From Your Name@21:1/5 to All on Wed May 27 13:24:01 2020
    XPost: alt.tv.muppets, rec.arts.tv

    From AppleInsider.com ...


    Apple orders 'Fraggle Rock' reboot for Apple TV+,
    buys streaming rights to back catalog
    -------------------------------------------------
    Classic children's television series "Fraggle Rock" has found
    a new home on Apple TV+, with the tech giant buying streaming
    rights to all classic episodes and ordering a reboot that
    will include full-length installments.

    Apple struck a deal with the Jim Henson Company to produce
    new episodes of the beloved kids' show that will air on
    Apple TV+, reports Vulture. Original puppet characters Gobo,
    Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley and Uncle Travelling Matt are set
    to star in the series.

    As part of the arrangement, Apple purchased exclusive
    streaming rights to 96 episodes of the original series that
    aired from 1983 to 1987. The company's thinking on the
    acquisition - its first for previously filmed and aired content
    - is that viewers will be able to watch all live-action
    "Fraggle" episodes in one place instead of going through
    previous owner HBO, according to people familiar with the
    matter.

    While not initially persuaded by a pitch from Henson executives
    to bundle old with new, Apple ultimately decided it made sense
    to consolidate the show's assets under one umbrella, sources
    said. The move makes Apple TV+ the de facto home of "Fraggle."

    Apple's "Fraggle" back catalog will be available for streaming
    on Apple TV+ in 100 countries on Wednesday, May 27.

    Vulture sources claim Apple is not eyeing a move into library
    curation, a strategy that Netflix and others leveraged to kick
    off the streaming revolution. Originals will continue to be the
    focus of Apple TV+, though the company is open to purchasing
    library titles if it plans to work on a new production related
    to existing property, the report said. A report last week
    claimed Apple is in talks with studios to fill out its
    Apple TV+ catalog with a library of older movies and series.

    News of the "Fraggle" purchase and series order arrives weeks
    after Apple debuted the shot on iPhone "Fraggle Rock: Rock On"
    special, a series of mini-episodes that deal in part with the
    ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The show's finale, which debuted
    on Tuesday, features notable special guests including Alanis
    Morissette, Common, Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris, Ziggy
    Marley and Jason Mraz.

    Update: Apple confirmed the new series in a tweet on Tuesday.
    <https://twitter.com/AppleTV/status/1265425461120622593?s=20>

    <https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/05/26/apple-orders-fraggle-rock-reboot-for-apple-tv-buys-streaming-rights-to-back-catalog>

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)