The Muppets (New TV Series)

[RedFFWolf]

Anybody else watching the new Muppets series that premiered on ABC back in late September? It came onto Sky 1 a while ago and I'm absolutely hooked.

It depicts the personal and private lives of the cast and crew (the muppet characters, of course) of the show, "Up Late with Miss Piggy", styled in a form of mockumentary.

(A group called One Million Moms have criticised the show and its "adult direction", which I'm glad, because now I know about the group - and they're hilarious [for all the wrong reasons, but still laughworthy]).

I'm falling for Pepe, but I've already given my heart to Uncle Deadly

For anyone watching, do you like the style of the show and the overall presentation of the Muppets and the humour? I love it!
(Also, any favourites?)

 

[Cthulhu]

I think a bit was on TV the other day; am I correct in presuming it's like a Muppets reality show for adults or something?

 

[vaderSW1]

I'm loving this show. I love the whole idea behind it. I love the adult themes. I feel like there is enough childish humor for children to enjoy it but also enough double entendre and adult humor to engage the older audience. I have read there has been some rating issues though. I've also read that there was a change in either head writer or show runner. Either way, there are likely some changes coming for the show. I certainly hope that they don't change it too much.

The episode with Josh Groban was BRILLIANT. This week's episode with Dave Grohl was pretty good too. Loved the drum-off between Grohl and Animal. Anything where The Electric Mayhem are featured heavily is good for me. I love them. Specifically, I love Animal.

I think a bit was on TV the other day; am I correct in presuming it's like a Muppets reality show for adults or something?

Yop, to answer your question, the show is kind of setup to be like The Office. All of the Muppets (with a few exceptions) work on Ms. Piggy's late night talk show. The cameras follow the characters around in a reality tv show type setting based around the talk show premise. It's really quite clever.

 

[Interslicery]

I don't need to know Electric Mayhem has alcohol problems, or that Fozzie's gf is racist towards bears, and I don't need to hear Kermit say "I find pigs sexy"

 

[vaderSW1]

I don't need to know Electric Mayhem has alcohol problems, or that Fozzie's gf is racist towards bears, and I don't need to hear Kermit say "I find pigs sexy"

To be fair, I think it has always been implied that Electric Mayhem were on drugs/alcohol. I just don't think anyone ever came out forthright and said it until this new show started. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. I think it's funny and keeps with the established characterization of the members. Speaking of Electric Mayhem, did you ever see the Robot Chicken "Behind the Music: Electric Mayhem" mockumentary? I thought it was brilliant. What this new Muppet show is doing with them reminds me of the Robot Chicken bit. If you've not seen the Robot Chicken bit, check out the video below:

I could do without the whole Fozzie's gf and her parents drama. I didn't find it necessarily funny at all. They could do so much more with Fozzie's character.

The Kermit "I find pigs sexy" thing has always been implied as well. So, it doesn't bother me at all.

 

[Dashell]

It's okay.. i watched the first few episodes with really high hopes and while I did get a few laughs i guess it just wasn't what I was expecting. It's just kinda meh to me, but I don't hate it or anything.

I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't last long but critics really seem split on the show

 

[Cthulhu]

The Kermit "I find pigs sexy" thing has always been implied as well. So, it doesn't bother me at all.

I guess that's the crux of it; a lot of themes were previously only implied instead of spoken out loud, which made it funny because it was like a kid's show with adult themes that only adults grasped. Which is a selling point of 'family' shows - adult humor sprinkled in.

 

[RedFFWolf]

I'm loving this show. I love the whole idea behind it. I love the adult themes. I feel like there is enough childish humor for children to enjoy it but also enough double entendre and adult humor to engage the older audience. I have read there has been some rating issues though. I've also read that there was a change in either head writer or show runner. Either way, there are likely some changes coming for the show. I certainly hope that they don't change it too much.

The episode with Josh Groban was BRILLIANT. This week's episode with Dave Grohl was pretty good too. Loved the drum-off between Grohl and Animal. Anything where The Electric Mayhem are featured heavily is good for me. I love them. Specifically, I love Animal.

Josh Groban episode has been a repeated watch (as well as Miss Piggy going out to the pub after work with the crew)


I can see how it doesn't work for others, and I appreciate that. I have a biased love for the Muppets, and I've always enjoyed the moments where it's been made clear children are not the strict target audience. And of course, their very nature [as puppet characters] is probably what allows for aspects of the humour to come through for some, whereas others may just see the overall execution as mediocre writing/comedy. Vantage point dependency and whatnot - especially for the case of an iconic brand.

The co-creator, Bob Kushell has been swapped out. From what I gather from the Wiki, it is part of a creative overhaul, with the final six episodes of this season going to act as a sort of relaunch of the show.