Recommendations of the Editorial team
Did Disney just now come up with the idea of restaging the “Muppet Show” with the original cast and in a completely identical setting as back then? It’s actually crazy how carelessly the Mickey Mouse company has treated the Jim Henson dolls since they, like all the Marvel and “Star Wars” heroes, were transferred to their own, somewhat brittle, portfolio. A few bright movies and well-intentioned but rather unfunny spin-offs were all that fell off.
But now it is “Muppet Show” back. Not quite for the 50th birthday and just for a one-off special. But anyone who sees this episode, full of fun and jokes, can have no doubt that it must continue. Kermit once again plays the overwhelmed production manager, Gonzo blows up, Professor Bunsenbrenner makes his assistant Beaker suffer and Waldorf and Statler gleefully trash what they are comfortably watching in the gallery (“My arm hurts.” “It certainly doesn’t come from applauding.”).
Sabrina Carpenter is a godsend as a guest star. Not only does it guarantee, with an obvious plot about the rivalry with diva Miss Piggy, that there is at least some story in this breathless number revue. She is also the ideal brand ambassador for the “Muppets,” which is aimed at every age group and yet is not above being offensive.
The “Muppet Show” holds up a mirror to Hollywood and Co
The jokes may be a bit stale – but they used to be. What counts is the message, the satirically rounded view of the madness of show business. Seth Rogen serves as a producer and is of course ridiculed on the show. Like a small child, he complains that his achievements are not appreciated. The heroes here are the puppets.
The whole ambience looks like a 1:1 copy of the original from the 70s, even the opening and closing credits have been brought back down to the last detail. A recollection of the past? Also, but not only. The concept is much more aligned with everything that once characterized the “Muppet Show”.
Anyone who has seen even one episode from the old days will recognize everything immediately. Even the ballroom dancing scenes with a bang effect, which were used noticeably frequently in the first episodes of the first season, are there again. This shows great love and reverence for the original.
The duet scene between Miss Piggy and Sabrina Carpenter, but also Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”, which was later intoned by all the Muppets for the Finale Furioso, are indicators of a cheerful timelessness that was always suspected behind the concept, but was only confirmed by the sarcastic “Muppets Tonight” in the 90s.
The “Muppet Show” must go on because nothing better could have happened in 2026, at least in the TV and streaming niche. I can only hope that the earlier seasons can also be seen on Disney+ soon (they are at least available on DVD), but the messy rights situation in Germany unfortunately speaks against it.
