Let’s Talk About A New Muppet Show

Because the world isn’t fair, on my first day of taking over The Muppet Mindset it was revealed that a new Muppet show Pilot is in the works.  So of course now it’s MY role to find out all the information that I’d usually find out on this site, so I can post it – on this site. It’s a cruel irony.

Thankfully my pals over at ToughPigs have a fantastic article with all the information we have.  Here’s just some of the information we know (thanks guys!):

• Randall Einhorn, who has directed episodes of The Office, Modern Family and Parks and Rec will be directing and producing the pilot.
• Bill Prady – co-creator of The Big Bang Theory – will be co-writing.
• The show will focus on the Muppet Show characters at ABC Studios

So there’s some talented people attached, and the focus will be on the core characters, rather than center around new characters like ‘Muppets Tonight’.
So what does this all really mean?  This isn’t the first we’ve heard of a new Muppet show, nor will it be the last, but with so little information, I think it’s pretty safe to COMPLETELY WILDLY SPECULATE and talk about my hopes for this show.

• The main thing to remember here is that a PILOT is being made.  This does not mean we are definitely getting a new Muppet Show.  Every year many pilots are made and not picked up.  Even if the pilot is filmed, there’s every chance we’ll never see it. (Remember America’s Next Muppet? That was filmed 10 years ago and has never been seen).
• Even though it’s being called a Muppet show pilot, it is not a Muppet Show pilot. There is no guaranteeing that the show will have the same format with a different guest star every week or a studio audience.
• My biggest worry is what age range this show will be made for.  The Muppets are family friendly characters, but that’s something that Disney seem to forget sometimes.  I have real concerns that this show will be made (or marketed) too ‘child friendly’ and that will put off a lot of the older audience, meaning the show won’t get that lucrative ’18-49 years old’ demographic and will be cancelled after 4 episodes.
• The show will focus on The Muppet Show characters, but I sincerely hope that doesn’t mean we lose Walter, Pepe, Bobo etc.  Since The Muppet Show ended we’ve been introduced to some new beloved characters, and I’d hate for them to fall by the wayside. That said, if I never see Mr. Poodlepants again, it’ll still be too soon.
  
  
• Up until a few days ago I ran the Twitter handle ‘@MuppetFanProbs’. Followers will recall that one of my main efforts on that page was to see the return of Skeeter, from Muppet Babies (#FansForSkeeter).  It’s well documented all over the internet that The Muppets are in need of more female characters.  While it used to be difficult to include Skeeter because Babies was owned by Marvel (and yet they were kept out of The Avengers?) the recent acquisition of Marvel by Disney means that there is nothing stopping Skeeter from a reappearance.  Fans rejoiced when she was introduced in adult form in the Muppet comic series ‘Family Reunion’.  And with a slew of fantastic female Muppeteers, there’s so much potential.
• I hope it stays true to the characters.  I hope we see as much of a return to form on the small screen as we have on the big screen.  I hope it’s funny, and zany, and silly and sweet.

So there we have it.  Of course I shall bring news to hand as soon as I know it.  Here’s hoping that towards the end of the year I’m writing up a review of the very first episode!
My thanks to ToughPigs for letting me steal their information!

Jarrod.