Disney hasn’t always succeeded when bringing back its classic titles. The recent ‘Willow’ series, a sequel to the original film, received harsh criticism and was cancelled after just one season. Similarly, the movie ‘Tron: Ares’ performed poorly in theaters and became one of Disney’s biggest financial disappointments. However, the return of ‘The Muppet Show‘ after over 40 years has been a hit on Disney+, becoming their most-watched show last week and suggesting a promising future for Kermit the Frog and his friends.
The Muppet Show first aired 50 years ago and quickly became popular thanks to its blend of classic variety show elements, quirky humor, famous guests, and memorable characters. These characters, while appealing to children, often dealt with surprisingly complex and grown-up problems. A recent revival of the show launched on Disney+ and ABC on February 4th, immediately topping the charts on Disney+ and attracting over eight million views in just eight days – more than double the 3.07 million who watched the premiere on ABC.
Disney and ABC highlighted the success of the Muppets with a video featuring Kermit sharing impressive viewership numbers. They announced that Muppet movies, series, and specials on Disney+ have collectively been watched for a total of 125 million hours.
How ‘The Muppet Show’ Became a Success After More Than 40 Years
In 2004, after years of talks, The Muppets officially joined Disney. Although the Muppets had enjoyed success with films like The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, as well as various TV specials, the franchise struggled after the acquisition. Many people, even those working on Muppet projects, felt Disney wasn’t sure how to best use the characters.
To successfully revive The Muppet Show, director Alex Timbers teamed up with executive producer Seth Rogen and focused on one key principle: staying true to the show’s original spirit. While they featured current pop star Sabrina Carpenter as a guest, Timbers wanted to avoid simply chasing trends for a younger, TikTok-focused audience. As he explained in an interview with the LA Times…
The new special is set in 2026, but it deliberately avoids modern technology like cellphones and trendy slang. The creators wanted it to feel natural and not like the Muppets were awkwardly trying to use current internet trends or phrases.
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This special really came to life thanks to Seth’s dedication. He’s been hoping to bring back ‘The Muppet Show’ for years, and it’s exciting to see the Muppets return in their classic format – something so many people adore.
Often, when older TV shows are revived today, it feels like the creators are trying too hard to make them go viral or attract new viewers by awkwardly adding current slang or trends that don’t fit the show’s original setting. But the recent revival of The Muppet Show successfully avoided this trap. It stayed true to the spirit of the original – a group of quirky performers putting on a show with limited resources – and that’s exactly what made it work.
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2026-02-14 16:17