Disney+ - The Muppet Show: a special episode that leaves you wanting a whole season

By Mulder, 04 february 2026

There's a very particular serotonin rush that only happens when the group strikes up that familiar theme and the curtain rises on controlled chaos: a troupe that swears it has a plan, a stage manager who already regrets everything, and a theater that seems to have been waiting for our return to laugh at the same places. The Muppet Show understands this feeling and, more importantly, refuses to be embarrassed by it. After years of reinventions ranging from Love Us, Internet to What If the Muppets Were a Workplace Drama, this unique half-hour special finally accepts the simplest truth: the classic vaudeville format isn't a relic, it's the Muppets' natural habitat. With Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg serving as executive producers (and Seth Rogen appearing on screen as a fan who won a contest), this special feels like a deliberate reset, less a reinvention than a confident return to basics: big stage, quick sketches, musical numbers, backstage panic, and the feeling that the whole enterprise could collapse at any moment... which is, of course, the intended effect.

The smartest decision is structural: it doesn't treat nostalgia as a museum display, but as a living rhythm you can still dance to, especially when the show draws on that delightful backstage farce that made the original timeless. Kermit is still the anxious axis around which the chaos revolves, and the special uses him as it should: not as a hero, but as a stressed-out master of ceremonies trying to keep the circus from devouring itself. There's an immediate, almost backdoor pilot energy to the whole thing, as if the production knew it was being scrutinized by the audience, the network, and the guardians of intellectual property, and decided to win the game by simply being good. The result is a show that moves quickly, retains the feel of the Muppet Theater, and discreetly modernizes the production without erasing its analog, disjointed soul. It's one of the rare modern revivals that remembers that if you modernize the Muppets too aggressively, you don't get a contemporary result, but a generic one.

The choice of Sabrina Carpenter as the first guest is another wise decision, as she possesses that essential quality compatible with the Muppets: she can invest herself in her role without trying to dominate it. The Muppet Show needs humans who play fair and play the fool, who can sing, dance, and react to absurdity with a wink that says, Yes, of course this is real. Sabrina Carpenter pulls off this feat with ease: she doesn't wink at the Muppets, she winks with them, which is why her numbers and her acting work better than simple celebrity appearances. Her presence exudes a vaudevillian elasticity, a pop star sophistication that still leaves room for burlesque, and when the show flirts with slightly more risqué, PG-13-rated innuendo, she's agile enough to carry it off without the tone tipping into forced avant-gardism. You can sense that this special is testing what it can get away with: just enough double entendres for adults, plenty of innocent silliness for kids. And in that balance, Sabrina Carpenter becomes less of a guest and more of a true stage partner.

Of course, the Muppets live and die by their ensemble chemistry, and the special is at its best when it operates on the frequency that everyone wants stage time: sketches that are sometimes gloriously silly, sometimes surprisingly clever, sometimes a little random, and oddly enough, that last part is also true. The variety show model has always been a glorious rummage through a trunk of ideas, and this special embraces that scattered charm while maintaining a steady pace. You'll find the familiar pleasures: laboratory disasters, reckless stunts, backstage traffic jams, performers arriving at the wrong place at the wrong time, and the classic tension of an overbooked and ill-prepared show. The idea that we have to cut something is a wise choice, as it transforms the entire episode into a prolonged, self-contained crisis, the kind that makes Kermit the most likable manager in entertainment history: honest, exhausted, and trying not to yell.

If there's one element that proves the special really understands the franchise, it's the way it treats Miss Piggy, not as a nostalgic accessory, but as a force of nature. Miss Piggy's diva energy is still the driving force behind the show, and the special episode allows her to be funny in multiple ways: glamour, vanity, possessiveness, theatrical delusion, and occasional legal threats that seem like a modern alternative to physical comedy without fundamentally changing who she is. Her dynamic with Sabrina Carpenter is the kind of delightful pop culture reflection that the original series always did well with its guest stars, and it's used not only to create jokes but also to create dynamics: jealousy, rivalry, false friendship, and the feeling that every compliment is also a weapon. When the series veers toward period parody and theatrical pomp, it feels like the writers remember that the Muppets don't need relevance so much as commitment: commit to the costumes, commit to the melodrama, commit to the absurdity, and the audience will follow.

That said, not everything is perfectly calibrated, and the places where it falters are instructive. A few punchlines feel like first drafts, elements that land okay rather than great, and when the material isn't at its sharpest, it's more noticeable with the Muppets than with most comedy ensembles because their character identities are so demanding. Even the hecklers seem to be asking for another try, which is ironic because the balcony duo is supposed to be quality control for the show. Nevertheless, when the show works, it works in the unique way that only the Muppets can: the laughter comes half a beat after the chaos, because your brain is processing what you just saw, and then you smile at the sheer audacity of it all. The other inevitable adjustment is Kermit's voice: Matt Vogel plays the character with warmth and skill, but if you grew up with Jim Henson's unmistakable cadence, or even that of Steve Whitmire, who played the character for a long time, you'll feel a slight disconnect that you'll either quickly accept or continue to notice throughout the show. It's not a deal breaker, but it reminds us that the Muppets don't just have iconic faces, they also have iconic sounds, and that's sacred ground.

The special also scores points by not confusing more cameos with more fun. Maya Rudolph is used sparingly, as seasoning rather than a main course, and Seth Rogen's presence works because it fits the meta premise: an executive producer cut short for time reasons is exactly the kind of self-deprecating showbiz joke the Muppets should be making. But the real strength of this episode is that it doesn't need celebrity oxygen to breathe; it's at its best when it lets the troupe's internal machinery do its work. That's why the “soft relaunch” vibe feels promising: it proves that the format can still work in 2026 and suggests there's room to grow if the creative team dares to evolve from a “we remember what this is” to “we know what else this can be” foundation. In a landscape obsessed with intellectual property as a source of content, it's strangely refreshing to watch something that seems like a sincere attempt to bring comfort, lightheartedness, and a little collective joy without erasing the particular aspects that make it unique.

This special episode of The Muppet Show succeeds because it doesn't try to forge a new identity, but instead revisits an old one and relies on the fact that it still works. It's not perfect and isn't always as polished as our fondest memories of the original, but it captures enough of the soul, rhythm, and spirit of the show to justify the experience and, frankly, make you want to see more. If this really is a pilot in disguise, it does exactly what it needs to do: it leaves you feeling that the Muppets don't need to be updated to remain relevant, but that they need to be unleashed in their own timeless chaos, again and again.

Synopsis:
Kermit and his friends return in a modern version of their classic variety show, blending nostalgic charm with new comedic sketches while staying true to the timeless spirit of the Muppets.

The Muppet Show
Directed by Lex Timbers
Based on the Muppet characters and properties of Disney
Starring Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, Sabrina Carpenter, Maya Rudolph, Seth Rogen
Theme music composer: Jim Henson, Sam Pottle
Opening credits The Muppet Show Theme
Composers: Bill Sherman, Zach Marsh
Executive producers: David Lightbody, Leigh Slaughter, Michael Steinbach, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee, Matt Vogel, Eric Jacobson, Albertina Rizzo, Alex Timbers, Sabrina Carpenter
Producer: Dani Iglesias
Production companies: The Muppets Studio, 20th Television, Point Grey Pictures, Disney Branded Television
Network: Disney+, ABC
Release date: February 4, 2026 (United States, France)