Changes: Sprocket

PERFORMER	Steve Whitmire
DEBUT	1983
DESIGN	Michael K. Frith designer
	Tim Miller builder

Revision as of 13:50, 4 July 2015

Sprocketgobo — Sprocket and Gobo Fraggle.

FR-105-TheThirty-MinuteWorkWeek-FirstSprocketDesign — Sprocket's initial design, as seen on the first episode produced.

Sprocket is an intelligent sheepdog owned by Doc on Fraggle Rock.

He spends much of his time in Doc's Workshop, where his bed and food dish are, observing Doc at work. As a result, he often catches Gobo in the act of retrieving a discarded postcard from Uncle Traveling Matt.

Sprocket proves the adage that dog is man's best friend. Though he is occasionally perplexed by his owner's eccentric behavior and odd inventions, the two are inseparable. Sprocket accompanied Doc when he rented Ma Bear's farmhouse in A Muppet Family Christmas.

Though generally unable to speak words, Sprocket communicates with his owner through a series of lively barks, facial expressions, and particularly pantomime, pointing to objects or using a form of charades (similar to the earlier Rufus from Hey Cinderella!). Doc often relies on Sprocket in performing household labor, including repairs on the water pipes.

Sprocket is initially less enamored of Doc's neighbor Ned Shimmelfinny, but gradually warms up to him. The same can't be said of his relationship with Ned's cat, Fluffinella. Though Sprocket teases Doc about Ms. Ardath, the dog himself, who always had a thing for airedales, is not immune to romance, once falling in love with Ms. Ardath's dog Marigold.

Like a typical dog, Sprocket is suspicious of Gobo, the strange creature who scampers in and out, barking fiercely at him. In other episodes, he attempts to board up or break into the hole in the wall. Sprocket frequently tries to make Doc aware of the Fraggles, but his efforts are generally for naught. As the series progresses, however, after receiving Gobo's aid in a tight spot, Sprocket befriends the Fraggles and redoubles his efforts to alert Doc to their presence. Sprocket ventures into Fraggle Rock himself in the episodes "Sprocket's Big Adventure" and "The Voice Inside."

Steve Whitmire, Sprocket's performer, was assisted by Karen Prell, who performed the dog's right hand and wagging tail. Sprocket's appearance changed slightly after the first episode filmed (not the first episode aired) -- he was given lighter, bushier eyebrows, a thicker, less scraggly "mustache," and his eyes' initially severe downward angle was adjusted.

Outside of Fraggle Rock, Sprocket was prominently featured in A Muppet Family Christmas and appeared as a member of the Organization of Muppet Dogs in episode 110 of The Jim Henson Hour. He was also part of the chorus of dogs singing "I'm Doggin' It" with Rowlf in The Muppets at Walt Disney World. Sprocket made a cameo appearance in the very beginning and the final crowd scenes of The Muppet Christmas Carol, dressed in a suit.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{character|image=FraggleRock-Sprocket.jpg|performer=[[Steve Whitmire]]|debut=1983|design=[[Michael K. Frith]]|designnote=designer|design2=[[Tim Miller]]|designnote2=builder}}
-{{performer|Steve Whitmire}}
-[[Image:FraggleRock-Sprocket.jpg|right|300px|thumb]]
-{{designer|[[Michael K. Frith]]|design|[[Tim Miller]]|builder}}
 [[Image:Sprocketgobo.jpeg|thumb|300px|Sprocket and Gobo Fraggle.]]
 [[Image:FR-105-TheThirty-MinuteWorkWeek-FirstSprocketDesign.jpg|thumb|300px|Sprocket's initial design, as seen on the first episode produced.]]
@@ Line 17: / Line 15: @@
 Like a typical dog, Sprocket is suspicious of Gobo, the strange creature who scampers in and out, barking fiercely at him. In other episodes, he attempts to board up or break into the hole in the wall. Sprocket frequently tries to make Doc aware of the [[Fraggles]], but his efforts are generally for naught. As the series progresses, however, after [[Episode 210: A Friend in Need|receiving Gobo's aid in a tight spot]], Sprocket befriends the [[Fraggles]] and redoubles his efforts to alert Doc to their presence. Sprocket ventures into [[Fraggle Rock (location)|Fraggle Rock]] himself in the episodes "[[Episode 401: Sprocket's Big Adventure|Sprocket's Big Adventure]]" and "[[Episode 503: The Voice Inside|The Voice Inside]]."
-[[Steve Whitmire]], Sprocket's performer, was assisted by [[Karen Prell]], who performed the dog's right hand and wagging tail. Sprocket's appearance changed slightly after [[Episode 105: The Thirty-Minute Work Week|the first episode filmed]] (''not'' the first episode aired) -- he was given lighter, bushier eyebrows, a thicker, less scraggly "mustache," and his eyes' initially severe downward angle was adjusted.                                                 [[File:Tumblr_mimxdnHngw1rlv2xno1_500.jpg|thumb|300px]]
+[[Steve Whitmire]], Sprocket's performer, was assisted by [[Karen Prell]], who performed the dog's right hand and wagging tail. Sprocket's appearance changed slightly after [[Episode 105: The Thirty-Minute Work Week|the first episode filmed]] (''not'' the first episode aired) -- he was given lighter, bushier eyebrows, a thicker, less scraggly "mustache," and his eyes' initially severe downward angle was adjusted.
 Outside of ''Fraggle Rock'', Sprocket was prominently featured in ''A Muppet Family Christmas'' and appeared as a member of the Organization of Muppet Dogs in [[Episode 110: Secrets of the Muppets|episode 110]] of ''[[The Jim Henson Hour]]''. He was also part of the chorus of dogs singing "[[I'm Doggin' It]]" with [[Rowlf the Dog|Rowlf]] in ''[[The Muppets at Walt Disney World]]''. Sprocket made a cameo appearance in the very beginning and the final crowd scenes of ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]'', dressed in a suit.
-<br clear=all/>
+<br clear=all>
 <gallery perrow=3 widths=200 spacing=small orientation=landscape hideaddbutton=true>
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 * ''[[The Muppets at Walt Disney World]]''
 * ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]''
+* ''[[Muppet Treasure Island]]''
 ==See Also==

Muppet Wiki

Changes: Sprocket

Revision as of 13:50, 4 July 2015

Filmography

See Also