So how are you reacting? Are you freaking out? Are you fearing the end of the Muppets forever? Are you cautiously optimistic?
As you’ve no doubt heard by now, Bob Kushell is leaving The Muppets. He was an executive producer and co-showrunner for the series alongside Bill Prady. ABC may be looking to replace him with Kristin Newman, whose credits include Galavant, The Neighbors, and How I Met Your Mother. When the show returns after the winter hiatus, the last six episodes of the season will see the show trying a few things differently creatively.
And that’s pretty much all we know. Which has given folks a ton of room for the TV fan’s favorite sport: wild speculation! Much of the discussion about this development has included words like REBOOT, which, unless all the characters are getting new footwear, suggests a major overhaul for The Muppets.
But as far as I know, so far there hasn’t been an official quote from ABC or Bill Prady or Denise saying “This is a reboot, and we’re giving the show a major overhaul.” So until we know more for sure, we really can’t assume that the network has no faith in the show and thinks nothing is working. Yeah, the ratings have gone down since the boffo (Lenny) numbers for the first episode, but they’ve remained pretty stable, and the people in charge should be well aware that a most of the show is working. I don’t think the changes will be too drastic. When The Muppets returns, it probably won’t take place on a cruise ship, or a sporting goods store, or in ancient Rome.
And honestly, I hope it doesn’t change too much. First and foremost, the show is funny. Every week there have been jokes that make me laugh vigorously, and when I lurk around the internet every week I always see a few jokes that have caught on in a big way. Some of the most popular being Fozzie’s “passionate bear,” the Swedish Chef’s “Somebody cookin’ de bacon,” Carl’s “I take messages, I DON’T JUDGE TONE,” and Scooter’s “Put a robe on, Ken!” Funny comedy is one of the essential ingredients in the Muppet recipe, so they absolutely have that going for them.
But… even as a fan of the show, I’m willing to admit there’s room for some redistribution of certain other ingredients.
For example, the Muppets are entertainers. It’s what they do. They sing and dance and perform. It was such a good idea to make The Muppets about the characters presenting a late-night TV show. We kind of assumed Up Late with Miss Piggy would follow Jimmy Fallon’s lead and be as much a nutty variety show as a talk show. (Whose interview skills are weaker, Piggy’s or Fallon’s?) But so far, that hasn’t happened much. One of the best moments of the series was Piggy’s “I’m Sorry” musical number in the Reese Witherspoon episode — singing, rapping, and “Wha-how’d they do that?!” puppetry. We should have more of that! And everyone who saw “Pig Out” loved the karaoke sequence, in which a whole bunch of Muppets sang. We should have more of that! If in fact Kristin Newman is the new showrunner, her experience with Galavant, a nutty TV musical comedy, would bode well in the singing/dancing department.
And what do those aforementioned moments have in common? Muppets having a good time. I’ve been a big defender of the show’s efforts to let the characters be real, flawed human beings (you know what I mean), and I maintain that it’s a good thing to experiment. But maybe it is time to experiment in a different direction. The Muppets should be able to squabble amongst themselves and have problems, but it couldn’t hurt to see what happens if there’s a little less emphasis on intra-Muppet conflict and a little more on working together despite the odds to put on a great show. Or a good show. Or an okay show.
Oh, but it shouldn’t be The Muppet Show. A lot of the naysayers are suggesting that everything would be great if they just did a complete do-over of The Muppet Show, but I really just don’t see this working. As perfect as the old show was, I can’t imagine a hit series in 2015 that takes place in a vaudeville theater and features a lot of showtunes and old English music hall numbers. They already did that show, and they don’t need to do it again. But a slightly different take on this show? That’s worth a shot.
So, this has all been pretty rambly, but my point is: This news was unexpected, but don’t be pessimistic, be Mupptimistic!
Actually, that sounds really stupid. Don’t do that. Just keep watching the show.
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by Ryan Roe – Ryan@ToughPigs.com
