It’s hard to believe that Kermit and co have lacked a dedicated TV presence ever since the first and only series of The Muppets on ABC back in 2015. I loved the mockumentary series, but alas its never found a dedicated audience, skirting between kids and adult comedy in a slightly confused manner. But, thankfully the good folk at Disney + have finally given the Muppets a well-deserved online show. And I for one couldn’t be more delighted with my first look at Muppets Now. A show that is both mad, charming and full of delicious humour. The Muppets variety show lifted from the theatre and dropped into an online world of blogging. Creating a vast platform where each and every Muppet character has room to thrive.
Of course, our host with the most remains the undisputed king of the lily pad Kermit the Frog. His frustration at the utterly bonkers escapades of his felt friends oozing from every scene. From the Muppets daytime cookery show ‘Økėÿ Døkęÿ Køøkiñ’ to Miss Piggy’s self-centred ‘Lifesty’ blog. Meanwhile, Scooter keeps the show on the road as the geek wizard in charge of uploads. In fact, as I watched I couldn’t help but think how much better YouTube would be if the Muppets took complete control of the platform.
But enough of my hopes for a Muppet led world takeover. The question you are all asking is, does it work? And the answer is, of course, it does!. ‘Muppets Now‘ is classic Henson inspired mayhem placed into the modern world. Oozing the charm and wit of the Muppet Show, while ensuring its adult celebrity guests are mere window dressing for the real stars.
So settle back, light the lights and play the music as the Muppets stream their way back into your hearts. Jim Henson’s enduring and formidable gang of misfits once more shining on our televisual screens. Oh and don’t forget to keep a pen and paper at hand for recipe ideas from the Swedish Chef and beauty tips from Piggy, while watching game shows and interviews that really should form a part of prime time TV.
Stars: Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, Julianne Buescher
Check out Muppet Movies: The Essential Collection right here
