Back in March, ToughPigs posted a guide to quarantining with the Muppets, featuring the shows and games available for easy viewing. Maybe you saw it, and used it to help you through the first two months of this.
But we’re still here. Not much has changed, sadly. Except that there’s actually even more Muppet stuff to stream than before. Plus some odds and ends we missed the first time around. I guess thank goodness for small favors in large doses.
Here’s what you can be streaming on all the major platforms, plus my specific recs!
Disney+
The House of Mouse currently owns the Muppet Show characters, and so a lot of their hijinks can be found on Goofy’s favorite streaming platform. Obviously, there are some, er-hem, notable exceptions. But here’s what’s out there and Muppetational.
- The Muppets (the 2015 ABC show)
- Want to just sample a few episodes of this oft-maligned but not-actually-bad TV series? Check out these recommendations:
- Ep. 109 “Going, Going Gonzo” is one of the only episodes to get Gonzo correctly. He’s fun but still very emotional. The episode also features a great musical performance by The Muppets’ own Dave Grohl and Lady Gaga and the Muppets’ own Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
- Ep. 112 “A Tail of Two Piggies” is the one where the Muppets attempt to tackle body image issues in a way that’s actually genuinely heartfelt. It also features the cast rocking out with Joan Jett.
- Want to just sample a few episodes of this oft-maligned but not-actually-bad TV series? Check out these recommendations:
- Muppet Babies (2018 reboot)
- I know, I know, we’re all sad that the original isn’t on here. But this show is actually a ton of fun too, with a lot of heart and cute cameos. Check out these episodes in particular:
- Ep. 110 “The Good, The Bad, and The Froggy / Muppet Rock” is the episode that famously features the real, adult, puppet Dr. Teeth (performed by Bill Baretta) in a timeline-shattering, but still wonderful, appearance. Don’t take it too seriously, just enjoy it.
- Ep. 114 “A Backyard Divided / Grandpa Camp” features Statler and Waldorf learning how to be better grandparents to Baby Fozzie. C’mon. You want to watch that.
- I know, I know, we’re all sad that the original isn’t on here. But this show is actually a ton of fun too, with a lot of heart and cute cameos. Check out these episodes in particular:
- Muppet Babies Show-and-Tell shorts
- Muppet Moments shorts
- The Muppet Movie
- The Great Muppet Caper
- Muppet Christmas Carol
- Muppet Treasure Island
- The Muppets (the 2011 movie)
- Muppets Most Wanted
- That’s a lot of Muppets! I recommend checking out The Great Muppet Caper if you haven’t in a while, because then you can listen to the latest season of Movin’ Right Along, our ToughPigs podcast.
- Also remember that Muppets Now will be arriving on July 31. And the very cute Muppet Babies Playdate puppet shorts will be arriving in June. So…just keep hitting refresh.
If that all isn’t enough, the service also features some Muppet cameo appearances you can check out. The Muppets appear in the following…
- Disney Family Sing-Along Volume II (opening song, Miss Piggy appears later on too)
- Good Luck Charlie Episode 401 “Duncan Dream House”
- Big City Greens season 1, episode 25 “Hurty Tooth” (featuring the voice of Fozzie Bear as a dentist)
- America’s Funniest Home Videos season 15, episode 21
Netflix
Chances are, if you have any streaming platform, you have this one. Here’s what’s Muppety there.
- The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
- The Crystal Calls: Making the Dark Crystal Age of Resistance
- Pajanimals
- Being Elmo
- Splash and Bubbles
- The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell
- Julie’s Green Room
- Seth Rogen’s Hilarity for Charity (which features appearances by the Muppets)
If that isn’t satisfying your Muppet itch, The West Wing is on Netflix and the Muppets appear in Episode 516 “Eppur Si Muove.” Allison Janney is tall, and Big Bird is tall! That’s comedy gold. Watch this episode and imagine this fantasy world where the government gets things done.
Amazon
There’s a surprisingly robust selection of Henson stuff on Amazon. Check out some of these:
- The Muppets Take Manhattan (free with ads)
- Muppets From Space (free with ads)
- Sesame Street
- A lot of newer Sesame content is available here. If you’re new to new Sesame, check these out:
- The Cookie Thief is a fun little mini-movie with some great classic art parodies. It’s also Fran Brill’s final performance as my girl Prairie Dawn.
- Season 39, Episode 2 is weird because it features Will Arnett basically playing Gob Bluth. You gotta see that to believe it.
- Season 39, Episode 13 features Neil Patrick Harris as a singing Shoe Fairy.
- Season 38, Episode 15 has another good guest star: Tina Fey as a pirate.
- A lot of newer Sesame content is available here. If you’re new to new Sesame, check these out:
- Paul Williams: Still Alive
- The Storyteller
- The Storyteller: Greek Myths
- Dog City
- Farscape
- Song of the Cloud Forest
- Living With Dinosaurs
- Monster Maker
- Lighthouse Island
- Mother Goose Stories
- Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas
- Pajanimals
- The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss
- The Christmas Toy
- Dreamchild
- Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story
- Dinosaur Train
- Sid the Science Kid
- And of course, you can always check to see if other things are available to buy. There’s Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal and some episodes of Fraggle Rock, Dinosaurs, and even more Sesame Street this way.
HBO Max
The new kid on the block is here, and when you’re done finally streaming the works of Hayao Miyazaki, you can watch some good Sesame stuff.
- Sesame Street
- HBO Max has the most old-school Sesame Street episodes of any streaming service. That’s really good to hear! A lot of these weren’t officially available previously. Here’s some ones you should definitely sample:
- Season 7, Episode 2 “Big Bird Runs for President” hilariously imagines a world where someone would run for president without understanding that a president needs to help all people, not just people like him. This makes sense, because Big Bird is six years old. An adult would never believe this.
- Season 9, Episodes 1-3 are the Hawaii arc. The cast goes to Hawaii on vacation. There’s an episode titled “Mr. Hooper Learns to Surf,” which is basically the best thing you can imagine.
- Season 10, Episode 3 is the first appearance of the horrifying purple shapeless spiral-eyed monstrosity that would one day become Telly Monster. Please enjoy that horror.
- Season 11, Episodes 7-8 feature arguably the best special guests Sesame Street has ever had: C-3PO and R2-D2.
- Season 19, Episodes 3-5 are the episodes where Maria and Luis get married. Don’t cry. I promised myself I wouldn’t cry.
- Season 39, Episode 1 is one of the best modern Sesame Street episodes, featuring Telly, Chris, and Murray Monster in an elaborate Indiana Jones parody.
- HBO Max has the most old-school Sesame Street episodes of any streaming service. That’s really good to hear! A lot of these weren’t officially available previously. Here’s some ones you should definitely sample:
- The Not-Too-Late Show
- There are currently three episodes of Elmo’s show, and more will be coming every week. They’re all worth watching.
- When You Wish Upon a Pickle
- Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Special
- Elmo’s Playdate
Apple TV
The Fraggles have moved out of Doc’s walls and onto Apple TV. That’s good news for us. The entire classic Fraggle series has recently joined its short-form sequel, which should basically be mandatory viewing if you’ve missed it. A reboot is on its way, but that’s a long way from now. For now though, you’ve got plenty to keep you occupied.
- Fraggle Rock
- Fraggle Rock: Rock On!
- The new Fraggle show is very good. Watch it all.
- Sesame Workshop’s Helpsters
Roku
There is a streaming service called Roku, and I guess some people are watching it. Here are some Henson things you can find there.
- The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss
- Mother Goose Stories
- The Animal Show
- Construction Site
- The Hoobs
- Mopatop’s Shop
- The Secret Life of Toys
- Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola
- Brats of the Lost Nebula
- The Ghost of Faffner Hall
- Hi Opie
Hulu
Hulu doesn’t have much, but they do have Doozers. If animated Muppet-like creatures aren’t your bag, you can find actual Muppets on an episode of Scrubs when the Sesame Street gang made an appearance. It’s Episode 805, “My ABC’s.”
Tubi
Tubi is a completely free (ad-supported) streaming service, and they’ve got some great offerings as well:
- The Muppets All-Star Comedy Gala
- I Am Big Bird
- Dog City (animated series)
Not to be outdone, YouTube also has the animated Dog City series, for free and legit (as in, not bootleg).
Online
There’s SO much more than the streaming content on the big networks. ToughPigs, The Muppet Mindset, The Museum of the Moving Image, The Disney Family Museum, and more have been hosting livestream interviews, with a lot more to come.
Our friends at the Muppet Wiki put together a handy list of the videos that are available, and we recommend keeping an eye on each of our social media accounts to learn about what else is on the way.
Anyway, if that’s not enough Muppet streaming content for you, I don’t know what to tell you. Aside from emailing Disney+ about putting The Muppet Show up.
Stay well, Muppet fans, and hang in there.
Click here to watch Muppet programs on six devices at once on the ToughPigs forum!
by Evan G.
