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| The Jim Henson Company (Disney+), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
Few would have a bad word to say about The Muppet Show, a comedy-variety series that brought the stars of the day to the stage and made stars out of the felt creations that stood alongside them. But after the series signed off in 1981, successfully bringing the Muppets back to the small screen became an unprecedented struggle. First came The Jim Henson Hour, a 1989 NBC effort that was pulled after a handful of episodes. Then came Muppets Tonight, a hip ABC reimagining that lasted just two short seasons in the late '90s, the second of which was tossed on the Disney Channel. The franchise returned to ABC in 2015 with The Muppets, a mockumentary sitcom that started strong but lost viewers rapidly. Soon after, Kermit and the gang entered the streaming age, leading to the emergence of Muppets Now and The Muppets Mayhem on Disney Plus, but neither lasted more than a season. And now comes The Muppet Show...again, a return to the format that captivated viewers in the first place. As a whole, this half-hour showcase is well aware of what made the original series a pop-culture staple, and it sticks to the basics in an endearing way.
The Muppets have long been governed by the principle of "affectionate anarchy", a phrase often used by legendary puppeteer and film director Frank Oz. Finding the proper balance between the heart-warming and the heart-pounding is key to the development of a solid production. That balance is generally respected during this half-hour. Anarchy is on display throughout as Crazy Harry threatens to ruin Sabrina Carpenter's performance of "Manchild", and resident janitor Beauregard causes trouble during Rizzo's rendition of The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights". But then affection shines through when Kermit allows as many Muppets as possible to have a moment in the spotlight, leading to a grand performance of Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now". This serves as a tremendous ending to an episode rife with backstage drama over who gets to perform for the first show back, an apt storyline given the circumstances.
The special also excels by introducing new elements. One area where this is evident is with the expansion of the audience's role. Outside of Statler and Waldorf's quips from the balcony, the spectators in the original Muppet Show rarely had a prominent function. Here, they get a chance to interact with the stage show in front of them, with guest star Maya Rudolph and the relatively obscure Beautiful Day Monster emerging as a unique comedic duo from the crowd. Rudolph's brush with death, as a result of a Muppet Labs skit gone wrong, is an entertaining bit that occurs only because new avenues have been opened up.
The return of The Muppet Show will not delight all. Many iconic recurring sketches are absent, and viewers may have trouble adjusting to Kermit the Frog's new voice. But when a franchise has provided so many different movies, shows, and specials over the years, there is no possible way to cater to everyone. One Muppet enthusiast is not going to want the same final product as another, and it is a difficult task to match the magic of the puppeteers who are no longer with us. And yet, the cast and crew still come close to replicating the charm of The Muppet Show. Even the little things, like Gonzo losing control of his skates or Zoot finding one of Beaker's eyeballs in his saxophone, reveal that the writers understand how to form sight gags true to the spirit of the source material. And while this special provides longtime fans with a trip down memory lane, it also gives newcomers a sample of the infectious joy that these characters have supplied for so long. That is about all one could ask of a Muppet production in 2026.
Grade: A-
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