To add to the international appeal of Fraggle Rock, the creators of the program included an explorer character that would leave the world of the Fraggles and go into “outer space” (our world), sending back his confused impressions of what he saw via postcard. This was Gobo’s uncle, Traveling Matt, performed with great amusement by Dave Goelz. Beyond the regular scripts, independent segments featuring Matt were taped on location around the globe. Children watching the program might imagine him arriving in their country, completely misinterpreting their customs and activities.
While the regular storylines were taped in the Toronto studio over a period of months, the Traveling Matt segments were scheduled separately, starting in locations around Toronto but eventually occurring in such far flung places as Australia and Germany. During the initial shooting season, a group of Traveling Matt inserts were taped in California specifically for the American HBO broadcasts (thus making it more culturally relevant for the local audience). The production team included Dave Goelz, producers Martin Baker and Ritamarie Peruggi, puppet builder Rollie Krewson who also performed Matt’s right hand, and Jim as director. They shot two days in the San Francisco area and two in Los Angeles. By all account, including Jim’s, it was an enjoyable four days.
Jim and Dave Goelz with Traveling Matt, 1982.
Jim and Dave Goelz with Traveling Matt, 1982.
Jim and Dave Goelz with Traveling Matt, 1982.
