By Cadence Powers
On Wednesday, February 4th, Disney launched a special of the comedy series, “The Muppet Show.” The show starred the iconic Muppets cast (including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and Gonzo, to name a few) as well as guest stars Sabrina Carpenter, Maya Rudoph and Seth Rogen.
The show alternates between short sketches, members of the crowd and the “backstage” where the Muppets interact with one another and their guest stars. These cuts give the audience both the impression of watching an actual live show (despite the show’s studio recording), in addition to the sketches which occur throughout the episode.
The sketches included two performances from guest star Sabrina Carpenter, performing her song ‘Manchild’ with the chickens and ‘Islands in the Stream’ originally sung as a duet with Kermit but upstaged by a jealous Miss Piggy. Other sketches included performances by Gonzo, Miss Piggy and Rizzo the Rat, who performed skits in a typical Muppet fashion.
Behind the scenes the primary plot of the episode begins. The show has been overbooked, and the Muppets try to get a place within the time slot. Each of the Muppets, from Scooter trying to keep order, to Fozzie “letting go” executive producer Seth Rogen, the backstage plot brackets both the sketches and the side plots of the episode.
Throughout the sketches, audience interaction and behind the stage content, the actors and characters blend the humor and ridiculousness of the show, allowing for a very enjoyable watching experience. The show keeps a similar tone across all of its different parts, allowing them to work well together.
However, the show’s pacing was a bit off. It almost felt too fast, as though jumping from skit, to backstage, to the audience, the way I have come to expect from short-form content. Part of this was the time allotted to the episode, which was only 33 minutes compared to the 45 minute episodes of the past. As such, the writers tried to meet the expectations of “The Muppet Show” within a limited time frame.
For the time allotted, the show covered a wide variety of character interactions and plot. Additionally, the skit nature of the show excuses the quick pace of the plot without taking away from the enjoyability or humor of the show. The show was able to maintain a similar tone to the original show, even with a slightly underdeveloped plot.
The acting and characters also made up for anything that the plot may have lacked. Compared to the original show, the characters stayed relatively true to themselves—something which often becomes neglected in reboots. Being the acting through the puppeteers and voice actors, the show felt true to the original characterization of The Muppets. The guest stars also added to this tone, as they were seamlessly incorporated into the show.
While I have a few minor complaints, I enjoyed the show and hope that there is potential for more episodes in the future. In the opening monologue, Kermit hints that Disney may be open to revitalizing the series in the future, if this episode indicates that people are interested in watching the show again.
While it is unsurprising that Disney is willing to continue revisiting beloved media and characters, “The Muppet Show” is one that was very entertaining to watch. The humor of the show, as well as the content, allows a fun experience for viewers. I, for one, hope that “The Muppet Show” is back and here to stay.
‘The Muppet Show’ is currently available to stream on Disney Plus.
Cadence Powers is a Professional Writing and Information Design Major. She is fond of any form of book, movie or music, and when not working she can best be found reading or writing.
Images Courtesy of Disney Television Studios
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