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* [[Julianne Buescher]] as:
* [[Julianne Buescher]] as:
** Denise, a pig who works as a network marketer and Kermit's girlfriend.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Seitz|first1=Matt|title=The New Muppet Show Recaptures Some of the Original’s Glory|url=http://www.vulture.com/2015/09/the-muppets-tv-review.html|accessdate=September 18, 2015|work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|date=September 18, 2015}}</ref>
** Denise, a pig who works as a network marketer and Kermit's girlfriend.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Seitz|first1=Matt|title=The New Muppet Show Recaptures Some of the Original’s Glory|url=http://www.vulture.com/2015/09/the-muppets-tv-review.html|accessdate=September 18, 2015|work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|date=September 18, 2015}}</ref>
** Yolanda Rat, a show staff member that is dating Rizzo.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jaffe|first1=Jenny|title=The Muppets Recap: Josh Groban Is a Douche|url=http://www.vulture.com/2015/09/muppets-recap-season-1-episode-2.html#|accessdate=September 30, 2015|work=New York (magazine)|New York|date=September 30, 2015}}</ref>
** Yolanda Rat, a show staff member that is dating Rizzo.


* [[Dave Goelz]] as:
* [[Dave Goelz]] as:

Revision as of 19:23, 30 September 2015

Not to be confused with The Muppet Show.
The Muppets
File:The Muppets (TV) title card.jpg
Title card for The Muppets
Genre
Based onCharacters created by Jim Henson
Developed by
Directed byRandall Einhorn
Starring
Composers
  • Ed Mitchell
  • Steve Morrell
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes2 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Bill Prady
  • Bob Kushell
  • Randall Einhorn
  • Bill Barretta
  • Kyle Laughlin
  • Debbie McClellan
Running time22–24 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 22, 2015 (2015-09-22) –
present

The Muppets (stylized as the muppets.) is an American television comedy series that premiered on September 22, 2015 on ABC. Co-created by Bill Prady and Bob Kushell,[2] the series is produced by ABC Studios and The Muppets Studio, with Randall Einhorn and Muppet performer Bill Barretta serving as executive producers alongside Prady and Kushell.[3]

A show-within-a-show, the series is set in Los Angeles and depicts the everyday personal and professional lives of The Muppets during production of Up Late with Miss Piggy; a fictional late-night talk show starring Miss Piggy and airing on the ABC network after Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[4] The Muppets serves as a parody of other mockumentary-style series, such as Modern Family, Parks and Recreation and The Office, by employing the same single-camera setup filming style with the implication of a documentary crew filming everyone.[5] The series stars Muppet performers Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, and Steve Whitmire in multiple roles.[6]

Background

The series marks the characters' first ongoing prime-time network television series since Muppets Tonight was canceled in 1998 after two seasons. The series was picked up by ABC, the same network that aired Muppets Tonight—as the characters, the network, and the production companies are all owned by The Walt Disney Company—on the ABC network schedule.

This marks the second time Prady has attempted to revive The Muppets. Before co-creating CBS' The Big Bang Theory, the writer-producer shot some test footage that ABC ultimately passed on. Prady's history with The Muppets dates back to his work on Fraggle Rock in 1987. His previous writing credits for Muppet productions include the Muppet*Vision 3D attraction at Walt Disney World, and the tribute special The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, which earned Prady an Emmy Award nomination in 1991.[3][7]

Executive producer Bob Kushell explained the intention behind the series; "We have the opportunity to explore these characters as individuals with their own emotional lives that are separate from each other and aren't shadowed by each other's presence, as I think they have been for the last 20 years... it's not just a behind-the-scenes look at a show, but it's the relationship-driven, emotional stories that people go through in their personal lives. Everyone in this version of The Muppets wants to push them further in a way they've never been before."[8] Kushell added, "Rightfully or wrongfully, The Muppets became more of a kids' product over the years. We want to bring them all the way back to what they were intended to be and then some. But never so much that anyone has to explain anything uncomfortable to their kids."[5]

Cast

  • Julianne Buescher as:
    • Denise, a pig who works as a network marketer and Kermit's girlfriend.[13]
    • Yolanda Rat, a show staff member that is dating Rizzo.[14]
  • Peter Linz as:
    • Walter
    • Angel Marie, the camera operator for Up Late with Miss Piggy.

Episodes

No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
–First Look PresentationRandall EinhornBill Prady & Bob KushellJuly 21, 2015 (2015-07-21)1.33[a]

The Muppets find out ABC is interested in filming a documentary series about them, but Miss Piggy is not on board, forcing Kermit to break the bad news that the show will not air. Meanwhile, Fozzie has to meet his girlfriend Becky's parents who do not approve of her dating a bear.

Note: The 10-minute episode was shown at the ABC upfront at San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2015.

Guest stars: Topher Grace as himself, Elizabeth Banks as herself, Margo Harshman as Becky, Jere Burns as Carl, Meagen Fay as Holly
1"Pig Girls Don't Cry (Pilot)"Randall EinhornBill Prady & Bob KushellSeptember 22, 2015 (2015-09-22)[b]9.01[20]

The Muppets tackle some of the show's problems and to find guest stars that Miss Piggy approves of since she does not want Elizabeth Banks. Fozzie tries to get Becky's parents to approve of him even though he is a bear. Imagine Dragons perform their song "Roots".

Guest stars: Elizabeth Banks as herself, Tracy Anderson as herself, Tom Bergeron as himself, Imagine Dragons, Riki Lindhome as Becky, Meagen Fay as Holly, Jere Burns as Carl.
2"Hostile Makeover"Randall EinhornStory by : Bill Prady & Bob Kushell
Teleplay by : Dave Caplan & Gregg Mettler		September 29, 2015 (2015-09-29)[b]TBA

Hoping to improve her mood, Kermit sets Miss Piggy up with Josh Groban only to find Josh has his own ideas for the show. Bobo the Bear attempts to sell cookies for his daughter. Fozzie is invited to a party at Jay Leno's house.

Guest stars: Josh Groban as himself, Laurence Fishburne as himself, Jay Leno as himself, Lea Thompson as herself, and Reza Aslan as himself.
3"Bear Left Then Bear Write"[21]TBATBAOctober 6, 2015 (2015-10-06)[b]TBD
4"Pig Out"[21]TBATBAOctober 13, 2015 (2015-10-13)[b]TBD

Forthcoming guest stars this season include Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jennifer Lawrence, Sofía Vergara, Kerry Washington, Topher Grace, and Liam Hemsworth.[5]

Production

Bill Prady originated the idea to bring The Muppets back to prime-time television and enlisted Bob Kushell as co-creator and showrunner for the project, as Prady will concurrently perform his co-creator/executive producer duties on CBS' The Big Bang Theory, which is guaranteed at least through its tenth year, for the 2016–17 season.[22]

The Muppets was considered a "stealth, late presentation" in the 2015 comedy development season. After buying Prady and Kushell's pitch, ABC ordered a pilot script and a 10-minute proof of concept filmed presentation, which was filmed at the Walt Disney Studios in May and delivered just in time for ABC schedule consideration.[23] On May 7, 2015, ABC greenlit the series to order as an entry in the 2015–16 television season.[24] The pitch presentation, which was first screened to the public on July 11, 2015, at Comic-Con to an overwhelmingly positive response, was released online on July 21, 2015.[25][26] In regards to what Muppet characters to include, producers decided to omit extremely anthropomorphic characters such as "talking vegetables and dancing chickens".[5]

The series is shot at Stages 6 and 7 of the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California and on-location throughout Los Angeles.[citation needed] Sets must be raised four and a half feet so the persons operating the Muppets will have room, and all sets have platforms which can be moved.[27]

Broadcast

The Muppets premiered on September 22, 2015 on ABC in the United States.[28][29] It will be broadcast on Sky 1 in the UK in late 2015.[30] The series was also acquired by the Seven Network in Australia.[31]

Reception

On the review aggregate website Metacritic, The Muppets has received a metascore of 62 out of 100, based on 30 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[32] On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a rating of 66%, based on 53 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "The Muppets brings new energy to a beloved franchise – and although longtime fans may be taken aback by the show's adult mockumentary approach, the classic characters retain their essential spirit."[33] The Washington Post's Hank Stuever complimented the series, calling it "a smart and often witty update to the Muppet brand," giving it a "B".[34] Merrill Barr of Forbes wrote a negative review, stating, "By taking these creatures and turning them into 'real' people, the only way to make them funny becomes having them do outlandish things. The only problem is they're inherently outlandish just by existing, so everything they do just feels tame and lifeless by comparisson. [sic]"[35] Dominic Patten of Deadline.com negatively compared the series to Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.[36] Brian Lowry of Variety gave a more mixed reaction, calling it "something of a mixed bag", praising the humor, but criticizing the subplot of Fozzie dating a human woman.[37] On the other hand, Dorothy Rabinowitz of The Wall Street Journal was more positive toward the series. She wrote, "As soon as you begin watching the new Muppets the question arises—how come no one thought of this before? So perfect is the idea of a late-night talk show called Up Late with Miss Piggy one has to wonder."[38]

The conservative advocacy group One Million Moms, an offshoot of the American Family Association, began protesting The Muppets, citing it as "not suitable for family viewing", and calling for boycotts against it immediately after ABC picked it up, long before the series debuted.[39][40]

Ratings

No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49) 		Viewers
(millions) 		DVR
(18–49) 		DVR viewers
(millions) 		Total
(18–49) 		Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Pig Girls Don't Cry (Pilot)" September 22, 2015 (2015-09-22) 2.9/10[20] 9.01[20] TBA TBA TBA TBA
2 "Hostile Makeover" September 29, 2015 (2015-09-29) TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA
3 "Bear Left Then Bear Write" October 6, 2015 (2015-10-06) TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

Notes

a This number represents the number of views the First Look Presentation received on YouTube (as of September 19, 2015) since ABC officially released it on July 21, 2015.[41]
b Episodes will premiere one day earlier on City in Canada.[42]

References

  1. ^ a b "Go Behind the Scenes With Kermit and the Gang as They Produce a Late Night Talk Show on the Series Premiere of "THE MUPPETS"". The Futon Critic. September 8, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  2. ^ Hibbard, James (May 7, 2015). "The Muppets Revival Greenlit as First Photo Released". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Goldberg, Lesley (May 7, 2015). "ABC Orders Shondaland and Jenna Bans Dramas, 'Muppets' Revival, More". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Wagmeister, Elizabeth (July 11, 2015). "'The Muppets' Woo Over Comic-Con; Kermit & Miss Piggy Reveal ABC Series Details". Variety. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d Barnes, Brooks (September 7, 2015). "On 'The Muppets,' Miss Piggy Has a Talk Show and a Chatty Staff". The New York Times. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  6. ^ Zeitchik, Steven (September 10, 2015). "ABC's 'Muppets' takes Kermit and Co. out into the real world -- will they remain subtly subversive?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  7. ^ "Jim Henson Remembered: 'Muppets' Producer Bill Prady Pays Tribute to His Legendary Mentor". Variety. May 15, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  8. ^ Snetiker, Marc (September 11, 2015). "A day on set with Piggy, Kermit, and the brand-new Muppets". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c Snetiker, Marc (July 11, 2015). "The most genius moments from Kermit and Piggy's magical first Muppets panel at Comic-Con". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 12, 2015. We have a cast of seven performers,...
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Goldberg, Lesley (August 4, 2015). "ABC's 'Muppets' Will Feature Music, But Not Politics". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  11. ^ a b c d e Zhu, Danielle (September 14, 2015). "Everything we know about the Muppets revival (so far)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  12. ^ Dornbush, Jonathon (September 22, 2015). "'Pig Girls Don't Cry'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  13. ^ Seitz, Matt (September 18, 2015). "The New Muppet Show Recaptures Some of the Original's Glory". New York. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  14. ^ Jaffe, Jenny (September 30, 2015). "The Muppets Recap: Josh Groban Is a Douche". New York (magazine). Retrieved September 30, 2015. {{cite news}}: Text "New York" ignored (help)
  15. ^ a b Caffrey, Dan (September 30, 2015). "The Muppets' flaws are justified, if still slightly jarring". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  16. ^ Suddath, Claire (September 17, 2015). "Can the man behind television's biggest sitcom—and his puppet twin—help the Muppets take prime time?". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  17. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 11, 2015). "Gonzo On 'The Muppets' New Show: "We Don't Have Deals Yet!" – Comic Con". Deadline. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  18. ^ a b Nguyen, Hanh (September 16, 2015). "The Muppets: Where Are They Now?". TV Guide. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  19. ^ Dornbush, Jonathan (September 29, 2015). "TV Recaps | The Muppets: 'Hostile Makeover'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  20. ^ a b c Kondolojy, Amanda (September 23, 2015). "Tuesday Final Ratings: 'The Voice', 'NCIS', 'Limitless' & 'The Muppets' Adjusted Up; 'Best Time Ever' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  21. ^ a b "muppets, the on abc". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  22. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (March 12, 2014). "'Big Bang Theory' Renewed Through Season 10". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  23. ^ Friedlander, Whitney (April 3, 2015). "ABC Eyes 'Muppet Show' Reboot". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  24. ^ The Futon Critic Staff (May 7, 2015). "Development Update: Thursday, May 7—Three New Comedies Heading to Series at ABC". The Futon Critic. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  25. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (July 11, 2015). "Comic-Con: 'Muppets' Steal the Spotlight, Get Standing Ovation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  26. ^ Lowe, Kinsey (July 21, 2015). "'The Muppets' Pilot Pitch: What Was Screened at Comic Con". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  27. ^ Brewer, Kyla. "Back in prime time: ABC raises the curtain on the famous puppet crew in 'The Muppets'". TV Media. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  28. ^ Friedlander, Whitney (June 10, 2015). "ABC Sets Fall Premiere Dates for 'Muppets,' 'Wicked City,' 'TGIT' & More". Variety. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  29. ^ The Muppets (10 June 2015). "THIS JUST IN!!! Our new series, The Muppets ABC will premiere on Tuesday, September 22nd at 8:00 pm! It's primetime to light the lights!". Facebook. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ Plunkett, John (July 9, 2015). "The Muppets Mockumentary TV Series to Air on Sky 1". The Guardian. London. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  31. ^ Template:TV Tonight
  32. ^ "The Muppets Reviews". Metacritic.com.
  33. ^ "The Muppets: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  34. ^ Stuever, Hank (September 16, 2015). "Fall TV Preview 2015". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  35. ^ Barr, Merrill (September 16, 2015). "'The Muppets' Review: A Joyless Excursion Made For Adult Fans That Lacks What Made Them Fans At All". Forbes. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  36. ^ Deadline Hollywood (September 16, 2015). "'The Muppets' on ABC - TV Review". YouTube. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  37. ^ Lowry, Brian (September 17, 2015). "The Muppets: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  38. ^ Rabinowitz, Dorothy (September 17, 2015). "'The Muppets' Review: All Grown Up". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  39. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (September 23, 2015). "'The Muppets' Slammed as 'Perverted' and 'Ruined' by One Million Moms Advocacy Group". The Wrap. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  40. ^ "Warning! The New 'Muppets' is Not Family-Friendly". OneMillionMoms.com. September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  41. ^ ABC Television Network (July 21, 2015). The Muppets - First Look Presentation. YouTube. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  42. ^ http://www.citytv.com/toronto/shows/the-muppets/
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