The Muppet Show: Short n' Sweet

Having finished watching Disney's latest (and this time, successful) attempt to reintroduce Jim Henson's Muppets to the 21st century with my older brother on both Disney+ and ABC on Wednesday, February 4th, 2026, we thoroughly enjoyed this entry in what appears to be a proper revival/continuation of The Muppet Show we both know and love.

My history with the Muppets dates back to my toddler years, when I first watched The Muppet Movie (1979) on a small television set in a local arts and crafts store. I was completely mesmerized by the scenes of Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear driving around the United States in a rainbow-colored 1951 Studebaker, Miss Piggy beating up thugs in a barn, and Kermit engaging in an old west showdown with bad guys in an abandoned ghost town, which were undeniably formative images that would, unbeknownst to little me, spark my lifelong fascination with motion pictures and narrative storytelling. Upon rewatching this film years later, my love for Jim Henson and his countless collaborators' unrivaled creative vision for these characters continues to grow.

Moving on to this special, seeing and hearing The Muppet Show's iconic theme song play again for the first time since the final episode of the original show's fifth season aired in the U.K. in 1981 put a genuine smile on our faces, and seeing deep-cut appearances from Muppets like Beautiful Day Monster in the spotlight with Maya Rudolph delighted me. After years of Disney repeatedly misunderstanding how to reintroduce the Muppets to a new generation through numerous attempts to modernize the characters in different formats, Disney has finally come to the same conclusion that long-time fans like myself have been begging them to: bring back The Muppet Show as is.

While pop star Sabrina Carpenter was admittedly not my first pick to be this revival's first guest star, given her cheeky and NSFW (Not Safe For Work) persona, career decisions, and double entendre-laced humor, she fit in with and adapted to the Muppets' signature zany humor incredibly well. In addition to her single "Manchild", she sings Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers' "Islands in the Stream" as a duet with Kermit and, later, Miss Piggy, which worked very well and was very charming.

Moving on to the technical side of things, I love that the Muppets' strings are finally visible again after seemingly being digitally erased from history in recent productions. This absolutely enhances the Muppets' overall charm and visual appeal, and I am so glad someone on the crew remembered that small but critical detail from the originals. Matt Vogel's Kermit voice may take some getting used to, but he did his part despite the behind-the-scenes conundrum, as did everyone.

For context, Steve Whitmire (Kermit the Frog's longtime Muppeteer following Jim Henson's untimely passing in 1990) was let go as the voice and Muppeteer for Kermit in 2017 for adamantly wanting to maintain the integrity of the Muppets themselves, as Jim Henson would have wanted, much to Disney's chagrin, which resulted in Disney letting him go, and replacing Whitmire with Matt Vogel.

Overall, should this delightful revival continue (and it should), the possibilities for future guest stars are unlimited. I can easily see actors like Benedict Cumberbatch and singers like Ariana Grande making appearances in a potential Season 6 of The Muppet Show. Furthermore, Disney would be absolute fools (again) if they failed to seize the moment, for there is something for everybody here, especially fans of the classics. I know that my brother and I enjoyed it very much, so if we enjoyed it, so will you.

P.S. Dear Disney,

Don't think that bringing the Muppets back will somehow absolve you from attempting to cancel Jimmy Kimmel from his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, last September. Perhaps if you develop any basic morals/principles, grow more of a spine, listen to and respect the creatives and fans more than prioritizing Wall Street donors for once, and stop bending the knee to strongmen, maybe I would consider willingly supporting you again.

Final Score: 8 out of 10