Fifty years after it first delighted audiences, The Muppet Show is making a comeback—and this time, Kermit and the gang are betting everything on one special night.
ABC and Disney+ have produced a one-off episode that arrives with both nostalgia and cautious hope.
The question isn’t whether fans will enjoy seeing their beloved characters again—it’s whether this special can prove there’s still room for Muppet madness in today’s entertainment landscape.
And judging by the creative team’s approach, they know exactly what’s at stake.
A Frog Who Knows His History
From the opening moments, The Muppet Show special acknowledges the elephant—or should we say, whatever-Gonzo-is—in the room.
We are so excited to be back on the very stage where it all started, and then ended—and then is maybe starting again depending on how tonight goes.
That’s Kermit during his opening monologue, perfectly capturing both excitement and anxiety about this comeback attempt. It’s a self-aware wink that prevents the special from feeling like just another recycled property trying to cash in on nostalgia.
Naturally, Statler and Waldorf interrupt with their signature heckling, alternating between lobbing insults and cackling at their own jokes throughout the program. Some things never change—and that’s exactly the point.
Classic Structure With Modern Chaos
Any fan of the original series will recognize the format immediately. Conflicts brew backstage while chaos bleeds into performances, with equipment snafus, last-minute casting changes, and Gonzo’s death-defying stunts causing mayhem on both sides of the curtain.
But here’s where the special gets clever: Kermit’s central dilemma revolves around having too many acts scheduled. Everybody wants to be in The Muppet Show’s big return, creating the perfect structural gag while giving narrative purpose to the controlled chaos.
This setup also provides a built-in excuse for the reality of production—with a cast of fan favorites this massive, there simply isn’t room to give everyone adequate screen time. Instead, eagle-eyed viewers need to watch backstage scenes carefully to spot random Muppet characters popping up in the background.
Miss Piggy Steals The Show (As Expected)
If there’s one character who dominates this special, it’s Miss Piggy—and fans of the purple-gloved diva will absolutely feast on her screen time.
Her insistence on having no less than two featured numbers pushes her into one of those famous temper tantrums that defined so many classic episodes. But what really elevates her role is the pairing with guest star Sabrina Carpenter, who plays a self-proclaimed Miss Piggy superfan.
Carpenter fully admits she’s modeled her own style after the iconic Muppet, leading to one of the special’s sharpest exchanges.
My attorneys and I have taken notice, and we will be in touch.
That’s vintage Miss Piggy—vain, litigious, and absolutely hilarious.
Sabrina Carpenter: The Perfect Guest Choice
While the special comes with certain “do not reveal” restrictions (including which specific songs are performed), Carpenter proves an ideal choice for the tone this new Muppet Show aims to achieve.
Kids can certainly enjoy the special, but adults will pick up on gently racy jokes that prevent it from being merely a nostalgia-fest. Case in point: when Kermit mentions they’re “still working out a few kinks,” Carpenter responds with enthusiasm.
That’s all right! I love a kink.
It’s the kind of double-entendre humor that made the original series work for multi-generational audiences—cheeky enough for adults to appreciate without crossing lines that would alienate younger viewers.
Classic Bits Get Modern Polish
Production values reach impressive heights throughout the half-hour special. Kermit’s spindly green legs—once a rarely seen oddity of the Muppet realm—appear on camera more often than not, showcasing technical capabilities that weren’t available decades ago.
The show uses brisk editing and cuts to an audience populated with both human and Muppet guests, creating the buzzing energy of a live show. It’s a smart production choice that makes everything feel immediate and spontaneous.
Along with Gonzo’s sequence, the special brings back classic skits including a Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker lab snafu that goes completely off the rails—exactly as fans remember and love. These callbacks work because they’re executed with genuine affection rather than mere obligation.
Not Everything Lands Perfectly
Despite its many strengths, the special stumbles occasionally. Executive producer Seth Rogen pops up for a quick cameo and a funny crack about Muppet canon, but Maya Rudolph’s bit involving a near-death experience comes across as more weird than witty.
More problematic are jokes calling out Miss Piggy for being old—she’s the same age as most other Muppets, after all, and she looks just as fabulous as ever. These moments feel unnecessary and somewhat out of step with the special’s otherwise charming approach.
A Speech That Reveals Everything
By the end, the show-within-the-show manages to solve its problem of too many performers and not enough time—of course it does. But Kermit can’t resist delivering a speech that feels aimed more at TV viewers than their studio audience.
Maybe we’re a little rusty, but we promised to do a great show for you, and I hope that you at least enjoyed some of it.
It’s a little too on the nose, essentially asking viewers to judge whether these beloved characters deserve another chance at regular television.
Yet it’s hard not to welcome the small-screen return of these much-loved characters all the same. The special proves far more successful than that ill-conceived Office parody attempted a decade ago, which tried to force Muppets into a mockumentary format that never quite clicked.
What This Means For The Future
At just 30 minutes, the special leaves viewers wanting more—and that seems entirely intentional. The choice of finale song (which remains under review embargo) strongly suggests that creators are hopeful this won’t be a one-time event.
If this really is just a stand-alone special, it’ll go down as an entertaining entry on the Muppets’ long timeline of TV and movie projects. But everything about the production—from the self-referential humor to the careful balance of nostalgia and modern sensibility—suggests testing the waters for something more substantial.
The real question is whether audiences will tune in enthusiastically enough to convince ABC and Disney+ that regular Muppet programming deserves another shot. Given how the special walks the tightrope between honoring what made the original work and updating for contemporary viewers, there’s genuine reason for optimism.
The Muppet Show special arrives February 4 on ABC and Disney+, ready to prove that a frog can still host a variety show—and that sometimes, coming back home is exactly what audiences need.