By Chand Bellur
April 23, 2020 at 4:23 p.m. PT
- The novel coronavirus pandemic has shuttered TV and movie production around the world.
- Apple TV+, a newly-launched video streaming service, needs to produce fresh, new content.
- Producers of Apple’s Fraggle Rock: Rock On series produce episodes from home, using the iPhone 11 camera.
Fraggle Rock: Rock On Producers Work From Home Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Although the world seemingly changed overnight, life goes on, albeit with many adaptations. Most of us walk into nearly-empty supermarkets, often with face masks, wondering when life will get back to normal. Until there’s a therapy for the disease, our reality will be one of opening up society only to shut it back down again.
Given the harsh reality, less essential activities, such as TV and movie production, have mostly ceased. Some late-night talk shows have taken to at-home video production; however, most of the entertainment industry is in hiatus. The producers of Apple’s new series, Fraggle Rock: Rock On, use Apple technology to produce the show remotely, with a team scattered throughout the nation.
According to Apple, the new show’s production follows stay-at-home guidelines:
“In accordance with the COVID-19 “Safer at Home” guidelines, “Fraggle Rock: Rock On!” is all shot on iPhone 11 phones from the homes of the production team and individual artists from all over the US”
Fraggle Rock: Rock On Reboots the Original Series
For those unfamiliar with Fraggle Rock, the show, created by Jim Henson, was similar to The Muppet Show and Sesame Street. A joint venture between British, American, and Canadian producers, the show was only available on HBO in the U.S. during the height of its popularity. International viewers could watch the show without subscribing to a premium television channel.
Fraggle Rock dazzled audiences of all ages, because the show catered to virtually everyone. One of the writers was an avant-garde poet. Intentionally developed for international audiences, Fraggle Rock is inherently different from Sesame Street. Although both shows feature Muppets as main characters, they’re distinct in many ways.
The reboot, Fraggle Rock: Rock On, takes off where the show ended. It features all of the same, beloved characters with new stories. Given that the original show has become a cult classic, the reboot should prove successful.
The show is already available for streaming, with the first episode debuting this past Tuesday. New mini-episodes will air every Tuesday. Even those who dislike “children’s” shows, may marvel at the fact that the show uses the iPhone 11 for production. In a way, the program is an effective advertisement for the power of Apple products.