2023 was quite a year for most of us, with the highest highs (a new Muppet series!) and the lowest lows (the new Muppet series gets canceled!). But here we are at the end, ready to look back with fondness and joy and disappointment and confusion and a little hunger.
Let’s take a look back in time at the past 12 months to revisit the biggest Muppet news and our favorite ToughPigs articles. There’s likely a bunch of stuff you missed the first time around, or perhaps articles you’ve already forgotten. It’s like a time capsule for things that literally JUST happened!
January
2022 Year in Review part 1, part 2 – It’s like this article but back in time!
My Week with Muppet Covers – No, not that kind of covers. But also, yes, that kind of covers.
Ernie and Bert Play Song Association – What IS the name of that song?
Muppet Fan Hopes for 2023 – We were so full of hope back then…
Move Over Alexa, Fozzie Bear is Your Digital Assistant – Has anyone let Eric out of their Alexa yet?
What Is a Modern Muppet (and Does It Matter)? – And we all still love Gonger, right?
Fraggle Rock: 40 Years Later Reviews Begin – Can we still dance our cares away 40 years later?
Remembering Pelé, Muppet Magazine Honoree – The soccer star also made a splash in an issue of Muppet Magazine.
The Definitive Ranking of Bob’s Crazy Costumes – No one wore a bee costume quite like Sesame Street’s Bob McGrath.
How to Enjoy the Winter Season (According to Muppet Penguins) – Watch out for the icy patch!
RIP Lloyd Morrisett, Co-Creator of Sesame Street – We remember the man who co-created it all.
The Muppets Need New Muppets – Like a girlfriend for Dr Teeth, or his mother or something.
February
Fraggle NFTs Not Looking So Great – This just in: NFTs are awful.
WATCH: Kermit and Fozzie Unpack their Adjectives – A fun, translucent, obsequious performance!
WATCH: ToughPigs Celebrates Sam & Friends at Comic Con – We went to Comic Con and all we got was this lousy Sam & Friends panel.
Cookie Monster Raids the Fridge in Super Bowl Ad – Gee, I wonder what he ate…
Muppet Gals Talking: Betsy Baytos – The dancer behind The Muppet Show’s Betsy Bird bares all.
Snuffleupagus Perceptions: What I Learned From a Viral Facebook Post – This post was always visible, just like a certain someone.
RIP Muppet Show Guest Star Raquel Welch – We remember her for her terrific Muppet Show appearance as well as her massive crush on Fozzie Bear.
RIP Sesame Street Guest Star Richard Belzer – The crossover king made his way to Sesame Street.
The Count Celebrates Inflation for NerdWallet – Apparently eggs going up in price is the Count’s jam?
Muppet Gals Talking: Carmen Osbahr – Rosita speaks! In multiple languages, even!
VIDEO: Muppet Connections on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – We walked up and down Hollywood Boulevard, so we’d better have a video to show for it.
March
Muppet Gals Talking: Rollie Krewson – Chatting with the person with all the secrets on how to build a perfect Muppet.
United Airlines Hires Oscar the Grouch – You think he’d go with a garbage airline, like Delta.
The Other Oscars 2023 – It was remarkable how close we came to getting these right!
ToughPigs Spoofs the Oscars: Kér, The Fraggelmans, Top Gonz and MORE! – We made this year’s Best Picture nominees even better, thanks to the Muppets.
To Introduce Our Guest Star Season 2 Wraps – Season 2 included Yvette Nicole Brown, Bob McGrath, Bobby Moynihan, and some guy named Frank Oz.
ToughPigs Spoofs MORE Movies – Babybearian, Weirdo, Wocka Wockanda Forever, and MORE! – Did you say you wanted more Muppetized movie spoofs? No? Well, we have them anyway.
Grover’s Mom and the Most Important Moment in Muppet Fan History – How Grover’s Mommy created Muppet Wiki.
NFT-Oh No: Sesame Street Gets Into the NFT Biz – This just in: NFTs are still awful.
Kermit Joins DCappella for A Cappella Rainbow Connection – He hadn’t sung it for a few days, so he got a choir together.
Doozer Kapital: A Critique of Fraggle Economy – How do Fraggles pay their rent? We may never know.
Why I Want “The Jane Henson Story” – Please and thank you.
Kermit the Watch – Does anyone have a spare $4600 laying around?
Muppets Mayhem Set Visit Recap – We sat in with the band on their home turf.
Adam Savage Meets Some Fraggles – He ended up doing an entire Henson series through the year!
Trans Visibility and the Muppet Community – The Muppet fan community continues to be a safe space for folks across the LGBTQ+ spectrum.
April
April Fools: ToughPigs Sells NFTs – This just in: NFTs are great now!
Henson Company Catch-Up: THE FEARING MIND Is a Horror Anthology AND a Family Dramedy! – We’re watching a forgotten Henson Company project and it’s… a lot of things.
RIP Fraggle Rock Composer Philip Balsam – Celebrating the life of one of the greatest songwriters of our time.
The Fraggle Foodie: Boober’s Root Cake – If it’s good enough for Boober, it’s good enough for us.
Cookie Monster Converts to Almond Milk for Califia Ad – What is he, ALMOND MONSTER now??
Muppet Gals Talking: Kathleen Kim – Ji-Young’s journey!
Kermit Tweets Up a Storm with GQ – Before it gets overrun by his friends.
Muppet, Sesame Street & Henson Movie Title Cards, Ranked – I’m partial to the MuppetVision 3*D one.
RIP Muppet Show Guest Harry Belafonte – The cultural icon starred in what might be the greatest Muppet Show episode of all time.
I’m Certain Jim Henson Would Have Loved This – Now I’m hungry…
May
Electric Mayhem Original Songs, Ranked – Ranking the Electric Mayhem songs before they give us a whole bunch of new ones.
The OTHER Members of The Electric Mayhem – Where the heck was Trumpet Girl in the new show!?
Fozzie Bear, M.A.M.M.A., and the Writers’ Strike – Who knew that the Dudley Moore episode of The Muppet Show would be so prophetic?
The Real Electric Mayhem Tour That Almost Happened – We could’ve seen the Mayhem on tour… sort of.
Kermit and Miss Piggy Crashed the Coronation – Because why the hell not?
The Muppets Mayhem Premieres – It was really good.
ToughPigs Interviews the Stars of Muppets Mayhem – The Mayhem know our names. That’s weird, right?
An Electric Mayhem / “Weird Al” Yankovic Wish List – And how did it take so long for Al to play with The Muppets?
ToughPigs Roundtable: Electric Mayhem Covers – Setting ourselves up for disappointment by brainstorming songs we’d like to hear the Mayhem cover.
Watch the Electric Mayhem Play ‘Song Association’ – We’re surprised they could even remember their own songs.
Disney+ Removing Dozens of Shows Including ‘Earth to Ned’ – This is why we can’t have nice things.
We Went To The Muppets Mayhem Premiere – Where we chased down a slider for a hungry Peter Linz.
Electric Mayhem Hits #1 on Billboard Charts – It only took the Mayhem 45 years to get a #1.
ToughPigs’ Charity Pride Month Fundraiser – We raised a bunch of money for charity because Muppet fans are incredible!
Introducing FRAGGLE TALK: CLASSIC! – A brand new podcast about a real old Henson series!
June
RIP Muppet Treasure Island Songwriter Cynthia Weil – She gave us songs like “Love Led Us Here,” “Something Better,” and “Cabin Fever.”
Pride Month Profiles: Morgana Ignis, Henson Puppeteer – Trans representation on the set of Earth to Ned.
Pride Month Profiles: Stoph Scheer, Henson & Muppet Performer – LGBTQP (the “P” is for “puppeteer”).
Why The Dark Crystal Is Queer (And Why That Matters) – It goes way beyond “girls have wings.”
The Muppets Mayhem: Backstage Pass Podcast Launches – Another new podcast! Celebrating the newest Muppet series with the entire cast of The Muppets Mayhem.
Let’s Ban the Muppets: A Call to Action – They had a good run.
RIP Muppet Show Guest Star Glenda Jackson – A professional pirate and a great Muppet Show guest star.
Pride Month Profiles: Kira Hall, Fraggle Rock Performer – Keeping the Pride Month profiles going with a Fraggle Rock puppeteer!
LISTEN: The Electric Mayhem Drops a Surprise Single – Surprise mayhem!
Pride Month Profiles: Ali J. Eisner – Okay, one more Pride Month profile. As a treat.
Bein’ Iconic – Are the Muppets inherently gay? Maybe!
RIP Muppet Show Guest Star Alan Arkin – The Oscar winning actor also turned into a bunny-throwing beast on The Muppet Show.
July
An Interview With Brian Henson – Where we got to ask him if puppets swearing is funny or a novelty?
Muppet Gals Talking – Lara MacLean – We wrangled an interview with the ultimate Muppet wrangler.
Five Muppet Foods I’d Like To Eat – We wish upon the Wish Pickle for more Wish Pickles to eat.
No, Floyd, We Don’t Talk About Feebles – Worst Muppet crossover ever?
No, Janice, We Don’t Say That Word – Except that Janice most definitely says that word.
RIP Tony Bennett – Also remembering that time Miss Piggy saved his life.
Hyper-Specific Barbies We Demand to See in the Barbie Movie – Doll wiggling at its finest.
The Muppets Mayhem: Burning Questions – What didn’t we see in the new Muppet series?
Five Muppet Foods I Wouldn’t Like To Eat – Like sweet potato, which is pumpkin that’s lying about being a potato.
Live Muppets Made Live Music This Weekend – Live puppetry?? Get out of here with that crazy talk.
Two Things About The Muppets Mayhem: Your Opinions – Part 1, Part 2 – Did you like it? Did you hate it? Did you BOTH it???
RIP Paul Reubens – We said bye-bye to PeeWee.
August
10 Years of My Muppets Show: The Only Good Muppet Game – Featuring everyone’s favorite character, Durwood Clapper!
Answering The Mayhem’s ‘MAYHEM!’ Questions – No word yet on how sheep can’t speak but can still be herd.
Muppet, Lend Me Your “eers” – A reminder that Jim Henson hated the word ‘Muppeteer’.
REVIEW: Flange Doozer Action Figure – You know, FLANGE!
Magical Muppety Tour: Retracing Jim Henson’s Steps on a Very Special Bus Ride – How better to remember Jim than by visiting the places special to him.
RIP Michael Parkinson – Remembering the legendary interviewer and his crush on Miss Piggy.
Muppet Babies Star in New Disney Junior Shorts – They’re just as cute in 2D!
An Interview with Elmo and Abby! – It was just a ruse to get to Brett Goldstein. It did not work.
A Rare Look at the (Never Built) Great Muppet Movie Ride – It’s the greatest theme park attraction we’ll never get to ride.
The Muppets Mayhem vs. Canon (Did Somebody Say Cannon?) – It’s best if you don’t think about it too much, or the universe may implode.
How to Watch the Muppet Movies in Order – There are more options than you think.
Bunsen and Beaker Cook Up Trouble at Disney’s Brew-Wing Lab – Pickle milkshake, anyone?
September
Doglion Is a Good Muppet Monster – The best, some may say.
RIP Jimmy Buffett – We remember the man who sang Caribbean Amphibian once (and other songs probably).
An Interview with “The Muppets Mayhem’s” Hannah Friedman – The woman wrote ‘Rock On’ for goodness sake, she’s a national treasure.
Oscar the Grouch: Time Lord? – I’ve heard he’ll sing at a Goblin King if asked.
REPORT: Muppets Talk Disney Parks, Dave Goelz Honored at Destination D23 – We honor Dave Goelz every day, so Disney is just playing catch-up.
Hubba-Wha?! Returns for Season 3 – Everyone’s favorite game show returns to stump audiences everywhere!
Unexpected Muppet Merch: LEGO Friends Andrea’s Theater School – How an existing LEGO set can become the Muppet theater!
Jim Henson: The Timeline – Learn all about Jim Henson’s history, but like, in a fun way!
Please Talk About the Other 64 Episodes of Dinosaurs – The Dinosaurs are more than their tragic end.
RIP Michael Gambon of The Storyteller – He wasn’t just Dumbledore, you know.
October
Muppet Gals Talking: Natasha Lance Rogoff – She made a whole Sesame Street in Russia!
Muppet*Vision 3D Gets Minor Upgrade – Now with more Waldo’s!
Fair Play 2023: Muppet Merch at Toy Fair – Of course, there’s never really enough.
Sesame Street Isn’t Funny Anymore, But You’re Going to Be Okay – Tango just doesn’t get the laughs!
Muppet Wiki Completes Its Sesame Street Episode Guide – Now you can find out everything about that one episode from 1983!
The Second-Most Classic Sesame Street Book – The only guarantee is that it’s not “The Monster at the End of This Book.”
Making Cookie’s Cookie Faces – Spoilers: Grover’s face wasn’t that tasty.
Henson Happenings at NYCC – 2023 – As if we weren’t already nerdy enough for running a Muppet fan site.
COMING SOON: Labyrinth Pinball Game – TILT.
The Secret Formula to a Great Muppet Movie – The unspoken criteria for building a Muppet classic.
Salads, Sponsorships, Cynicism, and Sesame Street – Who knew salad could be so uninspiring??
Only the Muppets Could Get The Haunted Mansion Right – The perfect balance between spooky and Muppets.
ToughPigs Halloween Parade 2023! – Some of the best Muppet costumes of the year!
Sesame Street to Undergo Massive Format Change – Get ready for more serialized Sesame, folks!
November
Change Comes to Sesame Street – How the aforementioned format change could affect the show’s future.
27 Things I Learned from Frank Oz’s Muppets Take Manhattan Commentary – #1: It was surprisingly hard to watch.
The Muppet Room Part 1: The Story – What possesses a person to build an entire backstage Muppet Theater in his home?
The Muppet Room, Part 2: Inside the Room! – Oh… yeah, I’d do that too if I could.
10 Things You Didn’t Know About “Don’t Eat the Pictures” – One thing you did know: Don’t eat the pictures.
WATCH: Kermit and Piggy at Disney World’s Jollywood Nights – Oh, instead of Hollywood. I getcha.
RIP Rosalynn Carter – The former First Lady, like most First Ladies, hung out with Big Bird.
Sesame Street Has Been Brought to You By the Letters ‘A’ and ‘I’ – And it shouldn’t have happened.
Muppets Mayhem Canceled After One Season – And it shouldn’t have happened.
Don’t Eat the Pictures and the Meaning of Art – Finding the art within another work of art.
A Requiem for The Muppets Mayhem – We get all introspective in response to the Muppets’ latest cancellation.
Henson Company Developing New Brian and Wendy Froud Series – Another Henson/Froud collab? It’s worked before!
December
Introducing the ToughPigs Discord Server! – And you’re invited to join the fun!
QUIZ: How Well Do You Know ToughPigs’ “Click Here” Lines? – We didn’t do well, and we wrote the dang things!
The Worst of the Muppets: Holiday Edition Podcast Launches – Sometimes it’s fun to love to hate on things.
A Fond Tribute to the Tough Pigs Muppet Fan Forum – It was our home for over 20 years, but it was time to grow beyond the forum.
The Muppets Arrive in Disney Magic Kingdoms Game – Get your very own Rowlf on your phone!
Rhett’s Great Muppet Caper – One fan’s trip around the sites of London.
Muppets Mayhem & Sesame Street Take Home the Emmys – The newest and the longest-running Muppet series brought home the bacon.
How Lady Gaga and the Muppets Demonstrates Muppet Viability – Even this terrible holiday special proves that the Muppets can thrive.
It’s STILL The Great Santa Claus Switch – Thig’s finest performance!
Eat Your Way Through “The Muppet Christmas Carol” – Where can I buy singing grapes?
New Year’s Resolution: Be More Like Janice – Fer sure. Rully.
RIP Tom Smothers – Sure, he was a comedy legend. But he also smoked a cigarette with a Muppet dog once.
2023 Year in Review – Click that link and read this article all over again!
Thanks for joining us on this Muppety journey over the past year, Muppet fans! We’re excited to see what 2024 brings, and we hope you’ll join us for the ride.
Click here to recall a year full of Mayhem on the ToughPigs Discord!
by Jarrod Fairclough and Joe Hennes
