Jamie Lee
I have a history with the Muppets. I’ve written about the Muppets. Multiple times. I’ve met talented folks who work with them (Shout out to Stephanie D’Abruzzo, Craig Shemin, and Kirk Thatcher!). I…uh…did this. (And I’m only stopping there because of the rule of three!) Every time The Muppets Studio makes a new Muppet project and the inevitable person who thinks only in small boxes asks, “Who is this for?”…. The answer is me. The Muppet Show (2026), just like the Muppets, has a mix of everything, leaves you wanting more… and shows they definitely have that “more” waiting in the wings just offstage.
So it’s really too bad the Muppets’ latest project is technically a pilot for a TV show and not a movie…
I’ll review this both as its own entity and as a pilot. I also won’t be comparing it to other Muppet projects, regardless of era. For reasons I’ll get into later, I’ve found there’s often not much point in comparing different Muppet projects.
Various ads, the special itself, and various other sources all report that Disney and ABC are watching The Muppet Show’s numbers on streaming and its February 4th airing on ABC (which I absolutely watched, for the record) to determine whether to greenlight a series.
First off, fun fact: the second pilot for the original Muppet Show was called The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence. Depending on your most recent experiences with the Muppets, this may be relevant information to keep in mind.
This is your official warning that it’s your last chance to watch The Muppet Show (2026), because my review’s coming…
Written by Albertina Rizzo (who’s written for, among other credits, several late night and variety-esque shows and is no relation to Rizzo the Rat), Gabe Liedman (who’s written for several comedy series), Nedaa Sweiss (who’s written for, among other credits, several late night and variety-esque shows), Kelly Younger (who’s written for the Muppets multiple times), and Andrew Williams (who’s written for the Muppets multiple times) and directed by Alex Timbers (who’s definitely familiar with working with…let’s say “non-human characters”), I’m explicitly writing every one of your names because you all did a phenomenal job.
Getting Muppets on camera is not as easy as it looks, and not just because of the height differences between different Muppets (Can you imagine Robin and Thog in the same scene?) or between Muppets and their guest stars (though Sabrina Carpenter does amusingly remark that she and Kermit are the same height). They are actually there with their co-stars and it needs to look that way. When it’s done well, you often don’t even realize what it means to see Kermit standing in a full-body shot onstage in a spotlight in the moment. Or what it takes to have a mix of Muppets and non-Muppets sitting side-by-side in a packed audience.
According to reports, The Muppet Show (2026) featured over 180 Muppets. If you think 180 people would be complicated to choreograph in dance numbers, sketches, running around backstage, and just sitting and watching while looking alive (plus or minus a possible Maya Rudolph… we’ll get to that later), then just think about what that would take for 180 Muppets.
The music choices in this special (music by Bill Sherman and Zach Marsh) are also great for both how they serve the special on their own and how they’ll connect with existing Muppet fans. We begin with a slow piano rendition of “Rainbow Connection” (from The Muppet Movie (1979)) during what seems to be a “sentimental montage.” If you know the song, it’s beautiful. If you don’t know the song, it’s a sweet, thoughtful-sounding song as Kermit the Frog reminisces.
Then, the camera pans to include Rowlf…who’s been playing the song on the piano. Kermit and Rowlf having a scene together right at the top feels like a self-referential nod to how Kermit the Frog and Rowlf were Muppet originator Jim Henson’s main characters and often reported as being very personal characters (with Rowlf reportedly being the closest to Henson’s personality). Meta references and humor have been encoded in the Muppets’ DNA since their very beginning. The opening lines get right into that humor, with Rowlf setting the record (musical pun intended) straight…that was not a “sentimental montage.”
Rowlf then launches into playing “Movin’ Right Along,” also from The Muppet Movie. This is another case of the song choice being doubly fitting. If you know the song, it gets you in the right mindset of rolling at a quick pace. If you don’t know the song, the tune still has a feeling of momentum to it to roll you into that mindset right alongside the ones who do know it.
Now that the nods to their first film, which premiered during the run of the original Muppet Show, have had their moment to shine, and the pictures of special guest stars from the original Muppet Show have had their moment in the spotlight, we jump straight into putting on the show for this episode.
It’s a great touch that besides the “very special guest star,” other non-Muppets are also featured with their own storylines: Seth Rogen and Maya Rudolph. This new addition opens the door for more people to show up and have fun Muppet moments. Poor Seth Rogen got cut and had to go sit in the audience…even though he points out that he’s the executive producer (which is true). Rudolph, already in the audience, has a storyline that gets increasingly strange and hilarious and even eventually ties in to what’s going on onstage and had me choking with laughter. (No, Fozzie did not write that line for me, why do you ask?)
What makes a guest star or costar work when put alongside the Muppets is that they treat the Muppets as peers and fellow actors. The approach to this depends on the material you’re doing with them. In The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), this came in the form of Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge taking the role very seriously and playing it as genuinely as he would if he weren’t threatening to fire a frog. In settings like The Muppet Show, it often takes the form of being willing to have fun, be silly, and match the chaotic energy. Tim Curry’s appropriately wacky and animated in Muppet Treasure Island (1996). Going back to the original Muppet Show, guests as varied as Vincent Price, Alice Cooper, and Julie Andrews match the energy and fit right in. (Julie Andrews later worked with the Jim Henson Company for Netflix’s Julie’s Greenroom.)
So when you get your shot to work with the Muppets, look at the material you’ll all be doing together, and ask yourself the immortal question…
In this new special, Carpenter, Rogen, and Rudolph all do exactly this in their respective stories and, therefore, blend seamlessly with the Muppets. It’s very clear that they’re having fun, just like the Muppets are, and they dive into the absurdity and wackiness around them. They match the mayhem and chaotic energy the Muppets are giving off. In fact, that’s a maxim to remember for any performance: don’t be condescending toward or “too cool” for the material or your costars. Remember: it’s the Muppets’ show (It’s in the title.), and they have way more experience than you do.
…And way more attorneys.
I love this new way of including more characters by having audience members involved. It not only expands the possible characters involved, but the storylines that can be included and how they can all interact and cross over. I hope this continues.
One thing that was a great surprise to me was that the Muppets’ unique style of heart made it into the special. With only a half-hour and being a comedy variety show, I was expecting a ton of laughs, but obviously, not every episode of the original Muppet Show had tearjerking, heartstring-yanking moments. This special’s emotional through line also melded with the Muppet’s meta sense of humor and storytelling. Every Muppet is so excited for The Muppet Show’s comeback that they have too many acts to fit into the show. Kermit laments to Scooter that he tried to tell so many acts, “No,” by politely saying, “That sounds fun!”
The time for the finale comes, and so many Muppets are still waiting backstage, ready to go on…and looking to Kermit to announce who made the cut.
Many leaders, at this point, would just pick an act they actually wanted in the show and tell the others that there was a huge misunderstanding. Kermit shows his leadership style by putting himself on the line by going onstage solo, admitting that things are going awry, starting a song himself…and then inviting everyone to join in.
Gonzo prides himself on being a weirdo. Honestly, all the Muppets are weirdos: just in different ways. (And yet, Gonzo still stands out. A shining “weirdo amongst weirdos.”) In this show’s finale, Kermit embraces his mistake and embraces all the acts…and all the Muppets. Whether onstage or backstage, the Muppets embrace each other and embrace each of their unique weirdness. Because of this spirit, Kermit’s “mistake” ends up being a pivotal moment in the special.
The song choice for this finale is clearly intentional. The sheer number of Muppets in the song makes the message even clearer: the Muppets have more to give. No one could fit all their Muppetness into one half-hour special in a way that lets each of them shine. The only way to get everything we love to see from the Muppets, not to mention things we never knew we wanted to see until they happen and surprises along the way…
…is simply…don’t stop them.
This flows right into how I’m viewing this as a pilot. So many people love the Muppets, but the show’s only so long. The crew had to pick and choose which performers and which Muppets got to perform. We got new sketches like “Pigs in Wigs” and fun new musical numbers of both modern and retro songs, and we got traditions like backstage shenanigans, the Great Gonzo’s stunt, Muppet Labs, a heavy Muppet Newsflash, and an Electric Mayhem number…and even that last one was shared with many other Muppets. Fozzie Bear was there, but didn’t do his stand-up act or directly interact with Statler and Waldorf. Swedish Chef was there, but didn’t do a cooking segment. Captain Link Hogthrob and Dr. Julius Strangepork were there, but pigs were in wigs, not in space. Not to mention too many other Muppets to list…although Muppet seamstress Hilda spoke for the first time since season one of the original Muppet Show (shout out again to Stephanie D’Abruzzo)!
Honestly, my very few nitpicks about what was or wasn’t included (Mainly…we miss you, Walter!) or what might need time to solidify are solved by seeing this as a pilot. A pilot doesn’t have to show everything or be self-contained. It should leave you wanting more. This one certainly does. The fact that my only nitpick that sprung to mind is wanting more demonstrates just how much I enjoy this special and how well it does its job as a pilot.
Showing all these characters and more and giving some of them lines shows that they’re all, quite literally, waiting in the wings, ready to come out and do their thing, so long as no one stops them.
The ABC airing of The Muppet Show topped the ratings for the time slot. It’s consistently trending on Disney+, with other Muppet projects hot on its heels, showing that people who watched this special also want more and went on to watch other Muppet media. It seems audiences have decided: we love The Muppet Show, and we want more. So now that the audience has decided…who decides if we get more?
You know what they say. It’s not easy being green…lit.
The Muppets are a mix of everything. They’re wholesome. They’re not that innocent. They’re optimistic. They’re sarcastic. They’re corny. They’re clever. They’re sentimental. They’re cutting. They do straightforward sketches, songs, and acting. They have no fourth wall. They’re brilliant artists. They’re brilliant disasters.
Because of this, Muppet fans are a mix of everything. Also because of this, every fan has their own vision of what a “perfect” Muppet project is. The beauty of an ongoing series, whether film, TV, otherwise, or even multimedia, is that you can bounce around. Shift the spotlight. Sprinkle some ingredients this time…only to make them the main course next time. (I asked Swedish Chef if he agrees with my cooking metaphor, but I don’t know how to type his response.)
Whether you watched the original Muppet Show live as it aired, are just hearing about the Muppets for the first time (Hello and welcome!), or are somewhere in between, this latest version of The Muppet Show is a great introduction to the characters. If you have any interest in the Muppets at all, give it a watch. It’s a very fitting introduction to the Muppets. If you’re an existing Muppet fan and your dream is to get more Muppet media made, then you’ll also sleep easier knowing your viewership may have helped bring you that dream…
Every view matters. Everyone watching matters. (No, I didn’t use that specific phrasing just so I could share one of my absolute favorite Muppet songs with more people, why do you ask?)
This is also why I don’t see the point in comparing certain Muppet projects to each other. Different characters in different settings mean different outcomes, and when things are that different…how can you compare them? I find different things to enjoy in Muppet media depending on what each piece of media is aiming for.
A variety show format like this is a great way to bridge the retro and the new, because it’s just that: a variety. Special guest stars, sketches, songs, and backstage mayhem that change every episode means we can rotate the “tried and true” and the “try it: it’s new.”
Of course, people who’ve seen this special have already started formulating their list of “very special guest stars” they’d love to see. The original Muppet Show featured very famous names of the time from film, TV, theater, music, and more (many of whom are still active as of this writing)…and also some lesser-known names. Personally, I’d love to see that tradition continue. I’m sure the biggest names of today will be lining up to be the Muppets’ “very special guest star.” With this new avenue to include more characters, it opens up the show even more to this possibility. The Ed Sullivan Show, which had an impressive run from 1948 to 1971, had well-known names and also catapulted others into the spotlight. (And I’m sure between Gonzo and Muppet Labs, there’s a catapult somewhere in the Muppet Theater.)
Time will tell what the future holds for the Muppets and their eponymous show. Given critical and audience reception, the cold, hard numbers of the ratings and trending, and the continued conversation, maybe, just maybe, Kermit’s closing could be prophetic.
