50 years of The Muppet Show

50 years ago, The Muppet Show was first broadcast!

Jim Henson’s anarchic, fuzzy-felt creations were a staple of Sunday teatime telly and later moved to the big screen, from Star Wars to Labyrinth (don't get me started on teenage crush Jennifer Connelly)!

The original series ran for five seasons from 1976-1981 and featured memorable guest star appearances, including Mark Hamill (Star Wars).

Kermit and Miss Piggy (who scared me as a kid) became pop culture icons and adorned my childhood bedroom walls alongside Luke Skywalker and the Fourth Doctor.

We all have our own Muppetational stories… My parents gifted Muppet memorabilia to the children's hospital where my life was saved, against all odds, in 1977. The Muppet Show is as important to me as Doctor Who and Star Wars.

There's no new series following a one-off special on Disney+ earlier this year, which is a travesty. All 120 episodes of the original The Muppet Show are streaming on Disney+.

What are your memories of watching The Muppet Show? Let me know in the comments below.

Sabrina Carpenter stars in The Muppet Show

To celebrate the New Year, Disney has released a teaser trailer for the upcoming special of The Muppet Show, starring Sabrina Carpenter, which will be available on ABC and Disney+ later this year.



From 20th Television, Disney Branded Television, The Muppets Studio and Point Grey Pictures, the special event is directed by Alex Timbers, who also serves as executive producer. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver and Alex McAtee are executive producers for Point Grey Pictures; David Lightbody, Leigh Slaughter and Michael Steinbach are executive producers for The Muppets Studio; Sabrina Carpenter, Albertina Rizzo, Matt Vogel and Eric Jacobson are executive producers.

Veteran Muppet performers Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, David Rudman and Matt Vogel will perform the majority of the iconic Muppet characters in this production, supported by a talented team of additional performers. Dave Goelz, who has performed with The Muppets for over 50 years, was one of the performers on the original The Muppet Show and originated the characters Gonzo and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, among many others.

This year, The Muppet Show celebrates its 50th anniversary. All five seasons of The Muppet Show are currently available to stream on Disney+.

The Muppet Show special will premiere on 4th February on Disney+.

Are you looking forward to The Muppet Show on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

The Muppet Show returns on Disney+

On Wednesday, an official teaser trailer dropped for The Muppet Show on Disney+.



Read the official synopsis:

"It's “The Muppet Show!” Kermit, Miss Piggy and the beloved Muppet gang are back with a brand-new special event. Music, comedy, and a whole lot of chaos are bound to ensue when The Muppets once again take the stage of the original Muppet Theatre with their very special guest, Sabrina Carpenter!"

There's a talented team behind the project, with Alex Timbers, known for his work in musical theatre, serving as director and executive producer of the special. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, and Alex McAtee are executive producers for Point Grey Pictures; David Lightbody, Leigh Slaughter and Michael Steinbach are executive producers for The Muppets Studio; and Sabrina Carpenter, Albertina Rizzo, Matt Vogel and Eric Jacobson also serve as additional executive producers.

The Muppet Show is as important to me as Doctor Who and Star Wars, but that's a story for another time.

Disney+ is currently home to the original The Muppet Show, and the new special will reportedly serve as a backdoor pilot, the success of which will determine if the show gets a full revival.

The Muppet Show returns on 4th February for a triumphant special event on Disney+ and ABC.

Are you looking forward to The Muppet Show on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

The Muppet Show is coming to Disney+

The Muppet Show is coming to Disney+. The original series ran for five seasons from 1976-1981 and featured memorable guest star appearances including Mark Hamill (Star Wars).

"It's going to be great to welcome back longtime fans, and to give a new generation of fans a chance to see how we got our start, how Miss Piggy became a star and so much more,” Kermit the Frog said in a statement.



"Today, I’m proud to say: 'It’s time to play the music, light the lights and meet the Muppets on Disney Plus tonight!'" Kermit added. "And as for Statler and Waldorf, the two old guys in the balcony, I can only add: 'Sorry, guys, but... here we go again.”

Kermit, Miss Piggy and friends hold a special place alongside Doctor Who and Luke Skywalker. So much so, my parents gifted Muppet memorabilia to the children's hospital where my life was saved, against the odds, in 1977. If we ever meet when it's safe to do so, over tea and cake I may tell you the full story of the boy who lived.

Still no sign of Muppets Tonight, which is a travesty as Sandra Bullock is an all-time great guest and a crush of mine.

All 120 episodes of the original The Muppet Show start streaming 19th February on Disney+. Are you excited? Let me know in the comments below.

Muppets Now this July on Disney+

The Muppet Show was as much a staple of teatime viewing as Doctor Who in the mid-seventies. So much so, Jim Henson’s creations played a profoundly personal role in my early life. If we ever meet, I may tell you the full story of the boy who lived.

So, it’s wonderful news Muppets Now will introduce a new generation of fans to their unique brand of mischief and mayhem on Disney+.

""Muppets Now” is The Muppets Studio’s first original series for Disney+. In the six-episode season, Scooter rushes to make his delivery deadlines and upload the brand-new Muppet series for streaming. They are due now, and he’ll need to navigate whatever obstacles, distractions, and complications the rest of the Muppet gang throws at him.

Overflowing with spontaneous lunacy, surprising guest stars and more frogs, pigs, bears (and whatevers) than legally allowed, the Muppets cut loose in “Muppets Now” with the kind of startling silliness and heartfelt fun that first made them famous."

Muppets Now streams on Disney+ 31st July.

A prequel to The Dark Crystal is coming to Netflix

Netflix has announced a prequel series to Jim Henson's classic tale The Dark Crystal.

Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is set many years prior to the events depicted in the 1982 movie that pushed the boundaries of animatronics within a divided world, Thra, that evoked J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The Gelflings are caught up in a battle between the peaceful Mystics and power-hungry Skeksis.

Frank Oz co-directed The Dark Crystal with Jim Henson and, as a fledgling film fan, it was impossible not to be acutely aware of story similarities between The Dark Crystal and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi the following summer. Mythological tropes I'd actively seek out evermore.

Information regarding the upcoming 10-part prequel series is scant. However, Netflix released a teaser trailer that has captured fans imaginations around the world.



Director Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans) will executive produce the series and direct. Leading the writing are co-executive producers Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, and Javier Grillo-Marxuach (The 100).

“Louis Leterrier is passionate about the world of ‘The Dark Crystal’ and has an incredible creative vision for the series,” said Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company. “He brings this passion to every facet of the production as he leads the talented team of artists and writers that are bringing this entire universe to life. Netflix has a deep respect for my father’s original work and the many people it inspired. They are the perfect partners to create this next epic chapter in ‘The Dark Crystal’ story for new fans and the loyal fans who have waited so long for more adventures from this world.”

Trevor Jones' soundtrack for The Dark Crystal remains a touchstone, and I hope the prequel series will reprise those memorable motifs from Jim Henson's world of wonder...

Sesame Street's Star Wars parody stars Chewie cookie!

Sesame Street and The Muppets occupy a poignant place in my formative years! So, I couldn't pass up seeing some of my most beloved childhood heroes in a galaxy, a milky way galaxy far, far away...



Star S'Mores is a peach of a parody and follows unlikely heroes as Cookie Monster tries to learn self-control and rescue the Princess from the evil Empire.

Hearing Frank Oz's Groda, a mashup of Gonzo and Yoda, is a highlight. What fun!

Use the Four.

Star Wars meets The Muppets

Disney is no stranger to crossovers and has released Star Wars characters, based on original IP, before. However, this is genius.

When these fully poseable action figures are launched at Disney Parks, this Fall, expect to see them packaged two to a case. There'll be Kermit the Frog as Luke Skywalker with Miss Piggy as Princess Leia, Link Hogthrob as Han Solo and his buddy Fozzy as Chewbacca, Beaker as C3-PO and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew as R2-D2, and Sam Eagle as Obi-Wan Kenobi with Gonzo as Darth Vader with an accessory Camilla as a Stormtrooper.

If the Star Wars The Muppets line continues, what figures would you like to see sold at Disney Parks? How about Dr Teeth as Boba Fett...