Declan Hale

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For my first article on this blog, it only makes sense begin talking about a property whose most famous song contains the popular line “It’s time to get things started,” right?

In all seriousness, now is a great time to talk about The Muppets and their legacy. With Disney bringing “The Muppet Show” back for a special episode hosted by Sabrina Carpenter (and maybe more, depending on the special’s performance), many online have been discussing this legendary group of felt performers and their impact on entertainment.

It also points to a bright new era for the nostalgic IP. Certainly, now is a perfect time to test the waters. “Nostalgia bait” has become more prominent than ever (it’s no coincidence that 6 out of the 10 highest grossing movies of the 2020s are based on properties at least 15 years old, and the other 4 are sequels). After all, those following The Muppets know that their recent output has been disappointing. Even though most of their content in the past 10 years has received fairly positive critical reception, it has all been relegated to the slop pile of Disney Plus with little marketing push.

Those with keen memories may recall that there already was a short-lived “Muppets Renaissance” this century, starting with the beloved 2011 “The Muppets,” a film that proved the property could still be a critical and financial success well beyond its glory years. This was followed up by “Muppets Most Wanted,” which did not fare as well in the box office, but still outperformed its budget and showed that people weren’t done with The Muppets.

So what happened? Only 15 years ago, these lovable puppets were on top of the world, and now they can barely get the attention of the streaming audience without a huge nostalgia boost?

Well, I didn’t mention another property of theirs, one that could be looked at as a downward turning point for these characters: their 2015 sitcom.

“the muppets.” (which I will from here on out refer to as “The Muppets 2015”) was a primetime show on ABC that lasted one season. Unfortunately, the show did not do well in the ratings department, totaling 16 episodes before getting unceremoniously cancelled.

The first episode raked in a sizable 9.01 million viewers, but the next episode dropped in viewership by nearly half, and the decline was exponential from there.

Not only that, but the production was plagued with troubles. The show had to take a mid-season break amidst the declining viewership to switch showrunners, and some reports also claim The Muppets 2015 played a major role in Steve Whitmire leaving his long-time role as Kermit The Frog.

Despite the show’s lackluster reputation, I’m here to tell you it might be worth a watch!

The Muppets 2015 Plot

The show follows a basic premise: The Muppets encounter awkward scenarios and slapstick shenanigans as they work together to put on a live broadcast. Sound familiar?

The Muppets 2015 acts as a modernization of the IP’s magnum opus, “The Muppet Show.” The 1970s production had The Muppets scrambling to put together a variety sketch show, a very common television genre of that decade. Meanwhile, The Muppets 2015 sees the titular characters crafting a late night show (hosted by Miss Piggy), a much more common format in the 2010s.

The show takes on another quirk of popular television from the time, too: the mockumentary filming style. The Muppets 2015 was coming off the heels of programs like Parks & Recreation and The Office (the latter of which was only just starting to see its revitalization through its tenure on Netflix), so it made sense to incorporate it into this modern retelling.

Following in the steps of its contemporaries–and despite each episode touting a mostly self-contained plot–the show follows some basic throughlines. The main story sees Kermit and Miss Piggy at odds. They start the show as exes, but as the season progresses, they warm up to one another again and end on a heartfelt moment. After the mid-season hiatus, the show also adds a plot involving a “branding guru” named Pache, who was tasked by the network to “update” The Muppets, but becomes a nuisance for everyone involved.

There are some smaller threads throughout the season as well, such as Fozzie’s relationship with Becky, but the main plot remains pretty easy to follow.

A Different Style Of Humor

The Muppets 2015 does not hold back when telling you what kind of show it is. In spite of its TV-PG rating, the premiere almost immediately throws the viewer into the show’s sense of humor, with Kermit’s cynical take on his ex-relationship with Miss Piggy (lamenting about having to park by a giant sign of her face) and Pepe The Prawn commenting on his cousin’s wedding dress, saying “there’s not many options when you’re pregnant with 4,000 babies.”

That’s all within the first 30 seconds.

This more “adult” style of comedy, I believe, is what held a lot of people back from enjoying the show in its entirety. Looking at the ratings, the huge drop from the first episode compared to the rest of the series reveals that there was obviously something people didn’t like about the first episode. This is the most apparent cause.

In the long run, this is a shame. Admittedly, the show does come in a little hot with its intentions. For example, hearing Kermit say “sexy” is like hearing Mr. Rogers drop the F-bomb.

Yet, that doesn’t mean the show fails to land good jokes with this new style of humor. In the first episode, one of the best jokes of the show comes to light, with Fozzie revealing that putting “bear looking for love” in his dating profile didn’t attract the kind of dates he was looking for.

In fact, I think most of the jokes this show has to offer are pretty funny. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t be writing this whole blog on it!

Certainly, the humor is not something you get used to right away. I remember watching this show when it first aired, and I was not a fan of the jokes. However, when I came back to the show about a decade later, I knew what the humor would be like, and it helped me look more fondly on some of the other aspects the show offers.

Besides, there are parts of the show that benefit from this raunchier angle. Characters like Pepe The Prawn and Rizzo The Rat–both of whom already teetered the line of family-friendly–are able to explore the comedic potential of their characters. Personally, Pepe remains one of the funnier characters on the show, as the writers were able to play greatly into his womanizer angle.

Also, compared to the shock value of productions like “The Happytime Murders” and “Avenue Q,” The Muppets 2015 still remains reserved. The Muppets do fling around their fair share of edgy jokes, but there is also room for quieter moments, where the maturity this show tackles blossoms in other ways.

A Modern Retelling

As mentioned before, The Muppets 2015 takes the formula that “The Muppets Show” perfected and revamps it for a modern audience. This goes beyond the premise.

The Muppets 2015 is able to incorporate many modern elements without coming across as “try-hard.”

Arguably, this should not come as too much of a shock; The Muppets were able to perfect this during their early 2010s film, after all. Yet, with a format like this (especially one directly playing off the ’70s “Muppet Show”), it could have been very easy to rely on such a gimmick. Instead, The Muppets 2015 is able to find a pristine balance between the old and the new.

The only time there is a direct reference to this show being a “modern retelling” and leaning into the property’s age is through Pache’s character. The episode he is introduced in (Episode 11, Swine Song) sees him attempting to make many obviously wrong choices to rejuvenate the show, but The Muppets fight back, relying on their timeless talent and charm to create a successful show. While the episode itself is pretty heavy-handed in its messaging, it works as a good thesis for how the show–and The Muppets as a whole–handles their characters throughout the decades.

What really helps bring The Muppets to life in this show, though, is how the characters interact with the outside world.

This show most effectively modernizes The Muppets by showing them interact with the real world in real scenarios, without needing the excuse of a grandiose adventure.

This is an aspect of The Muppets 2015 that is rarely utilized in other Muppets content. The films usually witness The Muppets adventuring into the world on a grander scale, while the original “The Muppets Show” does not let the characters leave the theater.

In The Muppets 2015, The Muppets get to experience the world on a human level: Fozzie tests his jokes at dinky comedy clubs, the whole gang go out to do karaoke, Kermit goes on dates in real restaurants. This all adds a human element to The Muppets.

As paraphrased from “The Gospel According To Jim Henson” by David Zahl (and despite Jim Henson saying that you shouldn’t use puppets to duplicate what humans can do), The Muppets are starkly human: they laugh, they suffer. The Muppets 2015, through its “first-hand” look of what these characters do outside of their day jobs, brings us closer to the humanity of The Muppets than ever before, and it is something worth beholding.

A Mature Look At The MUppets

The edgier humor and deeper look at the mundanities of The Muppets’ lives certainly makes The Muppets 2015 a more “mature” take of the IP, but the true maturity lies in the smaller moments of the show: specifically, the relationships it portrays.

There are a few relationships this show delves into, including the one-sided crush Sam The Eagle has on Janice and Fozzie’s relationship with Becky, but the one given the most attention is between (of course) Kermit and Miss Piggy.

The show starts by presenting the two leads as somewhat vindictive towards one another. The first episode has many moments of Kermit bemoaning his role as a producer for his ex-girlfriend’s late-night program. Truthfully, I imagine a lot of people tuned out because of this angle. When I first saw it, this plotline certainly threw me off guard, and even on rewatches, witnessing their fractured relationship in the first few episodes is unpleasant.

But, that’s not the end of their relationship.

Whether the show had planned it from the beginning or it was a change implemented during the mid-season hiatus, The Muppets 2015 finds ways to bring the two closer together, eventually leading to an earnest moment at the end of the program.

Kermit starts the show in a committed relationship to another pig named Denise, a southern-belle type without much of a personality other than “Kermit’s girlfriend.” However, she eventually becomes jealous of Kermit spending all his time at work, especially since this puts him in close proximity to his ex-girlfriend. This is only escalated by an impromptu performance by Kermit and Miss Piggy, done as a result of backstage troubles, which leads to Denise’s envy spilling over and results in her and Kermit’s relationship ending.

This only lets Kermit and Miss Piggy’s romance grow as a series of extenuating circumstances force them closer together. The episode “Little Green Lie” sees Kermit’s nephew Robin come into town, and his parents’ divorce leads him to placing elevated importance on Kermit & Miss Piggy’s relationship (not knowing the two are separated). The two pretend to be in a couple, but their lie is eventually exposed, and Robin utters the pivotal line “You two are meant for each other.”

In the following episode, Miss Piggy finds herself in the hospital from an ankle accident. In her morphine-induced state, she tells Kermit she loves him, and Kermit finally realizes that he still loves Miss Piggy as well. All this tension builds into the series finale.

After their “I love yous” were exchanged (though Miss Piggy did not remember this due to her anesthesia), Kermit does not know what to do with their relationship. When Miss Piggy hears of Kermit’s wishy-washy nature, she wants nothing more to do with him. Even when Kermit tries to win her back with a grand show of affection, she ignores it and leaves the set.

This brings us to final moment of the show. Miss Piggy is on a flight to Africa for the late-night show’s break, and Kermit follows her onto the place. An understated moment ensues, where Kermit brings Miss Piggy an “in-flight calzone.” He reveals that airlines don’t serve calzones, and all the ones Miss Piggy has received on previous flights were a result of Kermit planning them out. He goes on to say he would do anything for Miss Piggy, as he had done in the past. Before Miss Piggy can respond, she passes from the Dramamine she took for the flight.

And that’s the show!

I present this extended plot synopsis to say this: The Muppets 2015 is able to present Kermit & Miss Piggy’s relationship in a unique, grounded way that previous ventures had not done.

Granted, this is not the first time The Muppets have presented this duo’s love in a grounded manner. Most of their movies see the pair’s love tested, and some grand event brings the two together for a sweet, final moment.

However, the team behind Muppets 2015 tried something different here. They let their romantic connection build in a slow-burn across multiple episodes, and when Kermit has to pull off a grand gesture to win Miss Piggy back, she rejects him. It isn’t until Kermit follows her on the plane that their connection is rekindled in a quieter way. It is not the big, public show of affection that wins her back (something the show blatantly foreshadows she would be a fan of based on her addiction to the spotlight), but it is the simple act of love he shows to make her life easier and his sincere profession of devotion that wins her back. Indeed, the audience does not get to see whether Miss Piggy actually takes Kermit back or not, but the assumption is clear.

It makes Kermit and Miss Piggy’s love feel stronger and realer than ever. They are not tested by some fantastical conquest they must complete (not to say that these storylines have any less merit than the one presented in The Muppets 2015), but by real-life situations that any one of us could face.

Some might not like this take on their relationship. It may seem antithetical to make their relationship more grounded, since they are puppets after all. In my opinion, I think it does not take away from the characters’ inherent qualities. Kermit already has one of the more sensible personalities among the cast, and Miss Piggy’s softer moments work to flesh out her character against her otherwise over-the-top temperament.

The way relationships are handled on this series lets the writers play with different facets of the characters’ personalities without disrupting the core qualities of what makes the characters who they are.

Trying Something New

Overall, I most respect this show for taking a big risk. Unfortunately, this did not pan out with general audiences, but I think it created one of the most interesting programs The Muppets have ever been involved in.

Looking back at the last 10 years of Muppets content makes it easier to appreciate what this show attempted. As mentioned previously, The Muppets have not been dormant since this show’s finale. We have seen the releases of “Muppets NOW,” their Haunted Mansion special, and “The Muppets Mayhem.” All of these shows and specials have played it incredibly safe. While it is hard to get the exact numbers due to all of these programs being streaming exclusives, all the projects’ reception online is very lukewarm, and you do not hear much talk of them anymore. The fact these were all dumped onto Disney Plus without any sort of theatrics displays the lack of trust Disney has for the property.

But, it was risk-taking that brought The Muppets to household-name status in the first place.

As we approach the newest “Muppets Show” special coming in February 2026, I only hope that The Muppets are not afraid to try something new. While the special is sure to gain positive attention, the property will not be able to retain a new audience if they are not willing to take risks. And sure, taking a big swing sometimes does result in a miss, but it was big swings that brought The Muppets to popularity, and what made The Muppets 2015 one of the brand’s best. productions to date.