In the 1970s, Muppet creator Jim Henson proved that his creations were ready for prime time. The Muppet Show ran for five hit seasons on CBS, in the days when there were fewer than 40 cable channels. This fall, ABC brings the Muppets back to broadcast television.
This trailer for the new show—titled simply The Muppets—finds Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and the rest of the gang in a framework and sensibility that resembles The Office more than either The Muppet Show or the short-lived 1990s attempt Muppets Tonight. The trademark meta Muppet humor is still there, with references to the mockumentary style of the new series, but their goofy Vaudevillian vibe has been traded in for something a lot more deadpan.
Will this revamped Muppet show catch on? Can Fozzie the Bear survive in a world even less receptive to his hacky jokes? Will an interspecies romance between a frog and a pig on primetime TV become a wedge issue in the upcoming election? We'll find out this fall.
