The Muppet Show has revamped its puppet extravaganza with a backdoor pilot to usher in a new era.
The new 30-minute special of Jim Henson’s brainchild, which is streaming on Disney Plus, has been designed to test whether this show can still do it for the screen-addled kids of today.
Proving the adaptability of a show with a 70-year history (which includes eight feature films and 13 television series), there’s even a sequence that makes a light jibe at the permanent attachment of Gen Alpha to their devices.
The old-school theatre show is brimming with backstage shenanigans and an impressive roster of cameos: Sabrina Carpenter, Seth Rogen (who also executive produced the special) and Maya Rudolph.
They’re joined by the old favourites Kermit the Frog and his an-again-off-again other half Miss Piggy, who has contacted her lawyers because Carpenter stole her look.
In this blend of the old and new, there are veteran performers in the mix, including Dave Goelz, the original actor who hand-puppeteered Gonzo and Dr Bunsen Honeydew.
The standalone episode has been met with near-universal acclaim, boasting a ‘Certified Fresh’ rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with similarly towering marks on the critic and audience front.
There, Jack H described the show as ‘incredibly nostalgic’, demanding Disney commission further episodes of the revival, while others enjoyed the self-aware warmth of the forever classic.
‘The cast of Muppets are hilariously themselves and everyone is playing their parts to perfection,’ wrote Camden on RT.
The response from critics has been just as warm, with The Times praising the ‘deft deployment of slightly risque jokes’,as well as a Bridgerton spoof starring Miss Piggy (who else?).
Are you excited about more Muppets?
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Definitely
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I think it's had its day
The Telegraph wrote that ‘the fidelity to the original is practically unheard of in the world of TV’ and said it was ‘joy and a fuzzy nostalgia’.
The Studio star Rogen spearheaded this revival of his childhood favourite, promptingpraise from the great Kermit himself.
‘He is such a giant in the comedy world, and he just happens to love the Muppets,’ Kermit told E! News. ‘He was willing to do whatever he could to help make this special. He was great.’
Miss Piggy wasn’t quite as full-throated, however, as she simply asked: ‘He was an executive producer?’
Diva!
The Muppet Show is available to stream on Disney Plus.
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