It’s been a foul decade for the Muppets, and a particularly brutal 12 months. MuppetVision 3-D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios closed, they usually have been evicted via Monsters. The Jim Henson Studios Lot in actual Hollywood closed, they usually have been evicted via John Mayer. Their Broadway display closed after like every week, they usually’re being evicted via Cats. (Air quotes round a few of these “evictions” since John Mayer is the nice man in that tale, and the actual factor that evicted them on Broadway was once gradual gross sales.)
During the last decade-plus, the Muppets have won no scarcity of failed revival efforts from Disney. The latest of those was once The Muppets Mayhem, which was once cancelled after one season. Ahead of that was once Muppets Haunted Mansion in 2021, a short-lived sequence in 2020 referred to as Muppets Now, and an ABC sequence in 2015-2016 that was once additionally cancelled after a unmarried season. We lately discovered that plans for Muppets Large Thunder Mountain have been (reasonably fittingly) deserted.
The ultimate Muppet characteristic movies have been Muppets Maximum Sought after in 2014, which was once a sequel to The Muppets from 2011. The Jason Segel car was once the nearest factor the Muppets have observed to good fortune, a minimum of within the mainstream, within the 2000s. None of those have been dangerous. Even the much-maligned ABC sequence was once watchable via the tip of its run. They simply didn’t moderately seize the lightning-in-a-bottle of the Muppets, or the essence of the unique The Muppet Display. Till now.
The Muppet Display is the most efficient factor Disney has performed with the Muppets in many years. It’s higher than the Segel movie, any of the presentations or shorts. For those who haven’t observed it, prevent studying now and pass watch. (However come again, in fact, since we have now the vital subject of Figment’s long term to take on!)
Essentially the most outstanding factor concerning the 2026 revival of The Muppet Display is that it might simply as simply be an episode from 1976 via 1981, all over the unique sequence’ run. Save for the songs and celebrities, there aren’t any identifiers within the display that it’s a circa 2026 manufacturing.
No makes an attempt at relevance or trendiness. No cringey “how do you do, fellow children?” moments. No tortured references to TikTok, Fb, YouFace or WUPHF.com. Even Sabrina Wood worker seems like a throwback to Madonna; Seth Rogen is the brand new head of Continental Studios, which is quintessential outdated Hollywood.
Staring at The Muppet Display in 2026 seems like assembly up with a adolescence good friend you haven’t observed in years, and straight away selecting up the dialog the place it left off with out lacking a beat. It’s a walk down reminiscence lane, however on the similar time, it additionally does no longer really feel like bare fan carrier or slew of realizing nods to the unique manufacturing, leaving little room for rookies.
The Muppet Display is a nostalgia shuttle in its purest type, which is to mention that someone will have to have the ability to clock its timelessness. That familiarity is an unequivocal asset, however the display isn’t depending on being a love letter to the Muppets made via lovers for lovers. It’s approachable to all.
The nostalgia is a huge a part of why all of it works so smartly. The Muppet Display comes at a time when the young and old alike are craving for more practical occasions, romanticizing and reminiscing of when the economic system was once more potent, political tensions have been decrease, and cultural temper was once lighter.
The Muppets include a hotter, blameless and purer time. The tactile high quality of the manufacturing harkens again prior to the slopification of the whole lot, and upward thrust of rubbish “family-friendly” programming like Cocomelon.
As at all times, the Muppets’ vaudevillian method works via layering all-ages slapstick comedy with an grownup showbiz sensibility with wry humor and center. That is visual in self-referential nods to the Muppets’ comeback, behind the scenes glimpses of the motion, or even Gonzo’s large stunt involving him reciting of Oscar winners (for causes unknown). There’s multitudes to the Muppets.
Along with Gonzo’s stunt, the Muppet Labs comic strip was once likewise a vintage one from the outdated display. And satirically sufficient, it’s about expanding consideration spans; the easiest antidote to fashionable programming.
Even sketches that didn’t revive ordinary ones from the 1976 display felt like religious successors. Particularly, the “Pigs in Wigs” ballroom comic strip that includes Omit Piggy juggling romantic suitors seemed and felt like one thing of every other generation, and the operating gags all the way through the display are quintessential Muppets.
Of the Muppets, Omit Piggy is the nature who actually shines within the particular. Piggy performs the best counterpart to Wood worker, who delivers a super efficiency as host (no marvel to us SNL audience).
Wood worker brings fashionable starpower, which can for sure draw in more youthful audiences; she additionally delivers the correct amount of camp and noteworthy musical numbers. Most significantly, she humanizes the Muppets in the best way she performs reverse them; one of the vital easiest to do it since Michael Caine.
In addition to all of this labored, it was once the change-of-pace musical quantity carried out via Rizzo the Rat and his rodent homies that had me giggling toughest. (Complete disclosure: Rizzo is my favourite Muppet.)
Why was once there an all-rat rendition of The Weeknd’s hit track “Blinding Gentle” in a gloomy alleyway? No person is aware of. Don’t ask too many questions. But it surely was once a weirdly superb encapsulation of what makes the Muppets one thing particular.
Now not the entire jokes land, however that’s not anything new for the Muppets and it’s the character of the beast with a display like this. Via and massive, the sketches are excellent to nice, Wood worker is easiest as host, the opposite famous person cameos paintings, and there’s sufficient payoff that you just’re grinning ear to ear via the emotional finish.
That lasting influence is what issues, and why The Muppets Display, as a car, “works” higher than all different contemporary ill-fated makes an attempt to revitalize the Muppets. This revival particular will have to be greater than enough to turn out an target market exists for the Muppets to level every other fantastic comeback after a coarse couple of many years.
You understand who has had an similarly tough couple of many years? Figment.
I’m cognizant of the truth that The Muppet Display revival featured 0 references to Figment, which some may argue was once its greatest fault. And that I sound just like the native information seeking to pressure relevance the place it does no longer exist. (Rising up, the scoop steadily did the “Kalamazoo Connection” tales regardless of there being no discernible one.)
I’m going to drag from that playbook right here. Partly as a result of I’m coming to this evaluation a number of days after The Muppet Display debuted (and with 98% critics and target market ratings, it most likely doesn’t want the DTB endorsement to be triumphant). But in addition partially as a result of there in truth is a Figment connection!
The Muppet Display revival was once evolved via Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg of Level Gray Photos. Disney has been making an attempt to paintings with Level Gray on a large number of tasks, with Rogen’s and Goldberg’s manufacturing corporate having been prior to now connected to a Figment characteristic movie.
That was once introduced again in 2022, however it kind of feels to caught in construction purgatory. Extra lately, Disney CEO Bob Iger promising a chain or short-form movies that includes Figment all over the ultimate annual shareholder assembly. Some say he’s leaving proper prior to the 2026 assembly so he doesn’t have to reply to to indignant Figment enthusiasts.
Our hope is and has been that Rogen’s ongoing courting with Disney leads to the Figment characteristic movie getting greenlit and transferring ahead. We’ve been cautiously constructive about his involvement in each the Figment and Muppets tasks from the start, and the sensible fact is that (identical to the Muppets), Figment wishes one thing large to show the nature into a significant emblem or franchise for Disney.
On every occasion Seth Rogen comes up as being connected to a Disney mission, lovers inevitably draw back in horror. “I’d quite this no longer be performed in any respect than have him connected” was once roughly the consensus in keeping with the Figment characteristic movie information. It was once a identical tale with the Muppets.
That is comprehensible. Seth Rogen has a sticky popularity as a lazy stoner who makes juvenile humor. This symbol made sense a decade in the past when he was once generating surprise price movies and crude humor. However as we’ve been pronouncing, that popularity hasn’t matched fact in over a decade. The Studio, which was once probably the most awarded display of the newest Emmy Awards, is the most recent instance of this. It’s no longer the one one.
The output of Rogen and Level Gray in the previous few years has grown greatly and expanded in vary. Rogen is likely one of the toughest running other people in Hollywood, able to making high quality presentations for a variety of audiences. He’s very similar to Adam Sandler, who in a similar way vacillates from one excessive to every other, making each the worst paycheck films you’ve ever observed to award winners.
With that mentioned, I may just perceive the preliminary worry over Rogen’s involvement. Fanatics sought after this to be the Muppets’ distinct emblem of humor, no longer the Muppets appearing as, ahem, puppets for Rogen’s comedic sensibilities.
There’s additionally the truth that Disney has overlooked the mark in taking pictures that positive je ne sais quoi that makes up the Muppets magic. Their “voice” has been off, and I don’t simply imply Kermit. One of the most contemporary presentations have had flashes of this, however they haven’t moderately caught the touchdown; the tone and total persona by no means matched the Henson heyday.
We have been cautiously constructive about Rogen’s involvement from the start. He had labored with the Muppets prior to now on a few smaller tasks and appears to be a real fan. The Muppet Display revival struck me as a zeal mission for him, simply because the 2011 film was once for Jason Segel.
Rogen wrote as a lot on Instagram: “I’ve been running the easier a part of the decade to check out to deliver my favourite display again…and it seems like I’m getting shut.” (Right here’s hoping his favourite old skool EPCOT Middle enchantment was once Adventure into Creativeness.)
I think vindicated in that standpoint after gazing The Muppet Display. Rogen threaded the needle of crafting the easiest love letter to the unique sequence, rediscovering the Muppets’ voice as an alternative of projecting his personal, and the usage of the particular as a stealth pilot for launching one thing contemporary.
The object is, the previous couple of paragraphs may just simply as simply practice to Figment. He too has been mishandled via Disney. Figment’s figurative voice is off within the present incarnation of Adventure into Creativeness. He additionally has a fervent fanbase this is skeptical of variations turning Figment right into a ‘taste of the month’ versus restoring his undying, every age attraction.
If there have been any doubts about Seth Rogen’s involvement with the Figment characteristic movie, in truth gazing The Muppet Display revival particular will have to quiet the grievance. If Rogen may just do for Figment what he did for the Muppets, new CEO Josh D’Amaro would haven’t any selection however to greenlight a $1 billion new Adventure into Creativeness enchantment. Perhaps even a wholly redone pavilion that includes Figment!
In the long run, I simply sought after to take a little time to circle again to the entire Figment characteristic movie, because it’s as soon as once more value spotlighting following Rogen’s loving dealing with of the Muppets and good fortune of this particular.
I’ve taken a sacred oath to recommend for Adventure into Creativeness 4.0 every time the chance items itself as a result of, selfishly, I need to enjoy the enchantment and Figment together with his true “voice” all over our daughter’s early life. Possibly this put up will likely be that one little spark of inspiration that any person wishes to invite a query on the upcoming shareholder assembly.
The extra logical and evident conclusion to attract from the ingenious and business good fortune of The Muppet Display revival particular is that the longer term might be brilliant for the Muppets. In the end, The Muppets Display averaged 3.07M audience on ABC, was once the largest display of the evening on community TV within the coveted 18-49 demo, and hit #1 on Disney+ in 59 international locations. It continues to be observed whether or not that’s excellent sufficient for a chain order, however it’s for sure enough for us to peer extra Muppets.
From a Walt Disney International fan standpoint, we’re hoping this helps to keep the door open for Muppets Courtyard 2.0 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Later this summer time, the reimagined Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring the Muppets will debut at DHS, because the Muppets flip the tables and evict Aerosmith. The good fortune of that trip and The Muppet Display revival particular building up the possibility of Muppets Courtyard (revival) that includes a MuppetVision 3-D (revival) as soon as Villains Unfairly Ever After ends.
Right here’s hoping that we’re status at the precipice of a bona fide Muppet-aissance, and we glance again at this particular many years from now when the Muppets are once more dominating popular culture as the instant when Muppets’ fortunes modified. Thank you, Seth Rogen. Now run it again once more with Figment.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What did you recall to mind The Muppet Display revival particular? Happy with the process performed via Seth Rogen and Sabrina Wood worker & co? Do you currently accept as true with Rogen and his staff to show round Figment’s fortunes? Do you compromise or disagree with our checks? Any questions we will can help you resolution? Listening to your comments–even whilst you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please percentage your ideas beneath within the feedback!
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