Sabrina Carpenter and Miss Piggy reunite after meeting during Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet Tour”. Image courtesy of People.
SAMUEL DEMIS | STAFF REPORTER | sademis@butler.edu
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After 45 years since the season five finale, the sketch-comedy variety show,“The Muppet Show”, is back. This new take on Jim Henson’s puppetry project is less of a reboot or reimagining; the half-hour special feels more as if they never stopped making the show.
The show is identical in format to the original — musical performances and comedy routines are stitched together by scenes of Kermit the Frog backstage trying to keep everything running smoothly. Think “Saturday Night Live”, but with more felt.
Sophomore statistics major Tori Erhartic appreciated the special’s return-to-form.
“The great thing about ‘The Muppets’ is that they’ve done enough other projects that show they can work in other formats, with all of the movies, TV shows [and] other specials,” Erhartic said. “The fact that they finally decided to do a one-to-one continuation of that original show is great; it’s nice to have it back.”
A noticeable change from more recent Muppets projects is a complete air of confidence. Films like “The Muppets” (2011) and the mockumentary series, “The Muppets.” (2015), were more comeback stories about the characters attempting to reclaim their place as pop culture icons. Even “Muppets Most Wanted” had an underdog element, with the group trying to increase their popularity overseas. Here, however, they are no longer fighting for a chance to perform again — they are just doing it.
Sophomore theatre major Roman Mohr appreciated the departure from underdog stories.
“That sort of [plot] worked well for the 2011 movie … Because there was a period where [‘The Muppets’] went away,” Mohr said. “Now that there have been more movies and specials, it’s strange to keep that same theme going.”
Joining the usual cast of puppet performers is Grammy Award-winning vocalist Sabrina Carpenter, whose comedy-infused performing style and experience on Disney Channel’s “Girl Meets World” help her fit in with the likes of Miss Piggy and Fozzie. Her featured segments included a performance of her song “Manchild” and a duet of “Islands in the Stream” with Kermit.
Libby Dreibelbis, a sophomore secondary English education major, enjoyed Carpenter’s involvement in the special.
“I think [Carpenter] worked well with the traditional stars they had in the ‘70s show, because in the original, they would [feature] giant celebrities of the time,” Dreibelbis said. “I felt like it was a good way of drawing in a large audience to something Disney might not necessarily think would draw a big crowd.”
Erhartic felt that featuring Carpenter allowed the show’s crew more creativity than a typical Muppets production.
“[Carpenter’s] height actually allowed them to try some creative camera work,” Erhartic said. “Older specials used a lot of downward angles and shots looking up to hide the puppeteers, but because Sabrina is so short, they were able to play with angles more.”
Also featured were Seth Rogen, the special’s executive producer, and Maya Rudolph, who made several brief cameos throughout the half-hour. Rogen’s recent work on “The Studio” makes him an excellent fit for the special — his character, Matt Remick, is practically a live-action Kermit trying to keep schedules on track and egos in check.
The question still remains: Will “The Muppet Show” be continued as a full season, or was this a one-time event? The special achieved 7.58 million viewers since it premiered, along with a 147% audience increase and a 98% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
With the rising audience demand, Walt Disney Company CEO Josh D’Amaro has expressed interest in further incorporating the property into Disney’s theme parks — but an official announcement on the future of the show remains to be seen.
“I would love to see Kate McKinnon as a future guest star,” Mohr said. “I’ve heard people say Bad Bunny would be solid, too.”
Above all, the special is a solid half-hour of pure creative talent. Even for non-diehard fans, the sheer craftsmanship and production of it all is quite impressive. It is remarkable how Muppeteers are able to make a few pieces of fabric with eyes seem like fully-realized performers. The effort shown to revive “The Muppet Show” makes it evident that this was a passion project, not a cynical reboot.
“The Muppet Show” is available to stream on Disney+.
