By Matt Fleming. A recent ABC pitch meeting saw executives perusing a list of popular, Disney-owned properties when an eureka moment occurred.
They finally realized that Disney is sitting on a product that is guaranteed to light up ratings from the coveted “34-years-old-and-painfully-nostalgic” demographic, and thus we have this fall’s hottest property, The Muppets.
The show marks a return to primetime for fuzzy players such as ringleader Kermit, jokester/bear Fozzie, and the “world’s piggest diva,” Miss Piggy. Jim Henson’s lovable cast of wacky anthropomorphic animals and whatsits last appeared on TV in the short-lived Muppets Tonight, which was a throwback to the classic variety-style Muppet Show. The new series (whose trailer just arrived today) attempts a format that audiences haven’t already discarded, the single-cam mockumentary. Finally, a look into the personal life of Gonzo the Great!
Kermit’s crew has been staging a comeback ever since 2011’s theatrical hit, The Muppets, which was followed by the modest sequel Muppets Most Wanted. The new ABC series features some jarring new voice talent, which may lead older viewers to the assumption that Muppets aren’t actually real, which is a bold lie. I just watched Kermit sitting in a car! And Fozzie has a human girlfriend!
The Muppets, which will likely last one lonely season, premieres Tuesdays this Fall on Disney’s ABC Network.
