The Muppet Show Reboot: Special Teaser Hints at Series Success
In the current IP-dominated era, so replete with all manner of legacy sequels and reboots, a teaser for a “Muppet Show” reboot is a real blast from the past. It’s true that the titular cast of iconic puppets belongs to a media franchise that has hardly lain dormant in recent decades, what with two feature-length films in the 2010s and a mockumentary-esque sitcom in 2015 (among other media). However, the television series known as “The Muppet Show” aired in 1976 and concluded its run in 1981, 23 years before Disney bought the property from the company of its late creator, Jim Henson. Nearly half a century later, this specific show is slated for a reboot.
All the Muppets Are Back
The “Muppet Show” reboot’s teaser, which dropped on YouTube on January 2, does a visually excellent job of advertising this comeback, which Kermit says will take place “on the very stage where it all started, and then ended, and is maybe starting again, depending on how tonight goes.” In other words, the reboot will be a single “Special Event,” set to premiere on February 4 for the 50th anniversary of “The Muppet Show”; however, if it turns out to be an especially smashing success, who knows what kind of continuation it’ll get?
It’s clear that this Disney+ reboot will spare as few classic characters as possible: one particularly spectacular wide shot showcases a total of 42 singing, swaying Muppets. The franchise has long been known for its large ensemble cast and for featuring plenty of Muppet extras during crowd scenes, so it’s good to know that there won’t be any skimping on this aspect.
And They Have Human Company
Very conspicuous among all these lively puppets are two human actors. The first is Sabrina Carpenter, who is as prolific in her discography (a total of seven albums, the most recent of which earned six Grammy nominations this past year) as her filmography (which includes “The Hate U Give,” the two “Tall Girl” films, and “Clouds”); this makes her a natural choice for a series as musical as “The Muppet Show.” Carpenter is seen in the teaser telling Miss Piggy: “You are an icon.” “You’re too sweet!” blushes the porcine diva, who is wearing a lovely white dress and adorned like a Greek monarch with gold jewelry, “Go on.”
The other recognizable human being in the teaser is Seth Rogen. Rogen has a prodigious filmography under his belt, including live-action roles in comedies such as “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (2005) and “Knocked Up” (2007) and dramas such as “Steve Jobs” (2015) and “The Fabelmans” (2022), as well as voice-acting in such animated films as “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (2023) and the “Kung Fu Panda” films. Nonetheless, his tone is humble as he explains: “It’s always been a dream of mine to be here.” “Ooh,” Fozzie Bear replies, “Got any other dreams?” (Carpenter and Rogen are both executive producers on the reboot of “The Muppet Show”).
Conclusion – “The Muppet Show” Should Return in Style
All in all, Disney+’s teaser for “The Muppet Show” appears to promise a well-made, extravagant, and spirited comeback for a variety puppet show that defined many a childhood in the late 1970s. The cast list is extensive, their antics are very boisterous and fun to behold (at one point, Carpenter exuberantly flings one small Muppet through a door), such central fan-favorite characters as Kermit and Miss Piggy are given dialogue that expertly and humorously showcases their principal character traits, and the Muppets interact with the new human cast members as gracefully as if they were human actors themselves.
If you’re a childhood fan of “The Muppet Show” and you’ve been yearning for something that will tap into your nostalgia in the best way possible, there’s ample reason to believe that this reboot special will give you that satisfaction. And, if enough like-minded viewers tune into Disney+ on February 4, you may get even more where that came from going forward.
