Jim Henson’s Muppets are no exception. An acquisition back in the mid 2000s, Disney has dutifully propelled them every which way: into their parks, motion pictures, and on television.
The previous iteration, The Muppets on ABC, was a little too meta for audiences and only lasted one season. Here, however, their antics spool out in bite-size morsels, like a YouTube playlist on auto, bouncing from one short variety-themed video to another.
First and foremost, Muppets Now gets these characters back to their slapstick/vaudevillian roots. In the first episode, we find Miss Piggy paired with fellow Muppet, Uncle Deadly. This turns out to be an inspired choice, as their banter is equally dark and humorous. Guest Taye Diggs enters the scene and the topic shifts to masseuse techniques. Here, viewers are quickly reminded of Piggy’s adeptness at martial arts to great comedic effect.
Next, a beauty and makeup Zoom chat is helmed by Piggy as she brings in guest Linda Cardellini. Piggy must navigate talk of fashion and beauty while dodging semi-lucid quips from fellow participants Janice of The Electric Mayhem and a disinterested Rosie, a grazing sheep.
Kermit gets his moment to shine in a segment titled “Muppet Masters”. Host Walter gives us a quick education about photography while Sam the Eagle (a favorite of many Muppets fans) serves as the photographic subject. But how does Kermit “fit” into the picture? (No spoilers.)
The weakest entry in this episode features The Swedish Chef. A usually fun protagonist, he is precariously balanced in a bake-off themed sequence with guest Carlina Will. This clip, as well as the aforementioned segments, all feature a bit of educational value, yet suffer from quick editing and a focus toward abrupt chaos. This reviewer wished he could see more attention paid to the steps behind the creation of Carlina’s creative dish, and less attention on Swedish Chef’s missteps.
And finally, in a witty interview dubbed “Mup Close & Personal”, Kermit the Frog is paired with RuPaul who waxes poetic about his career. That is, until a barrage of Muppets hijack the meeting. Gonzo and Fozzie betray the sanctity of the interview, much to Kermit’s chagrin. They too are upstaged by Howard Tubman, a hog who sashays in and out, with his eyes fixed firmly on Ru, whom he idolizes.
Bookended by fun screen captures showing a frazzled Scooter at the streaming controls, Muppet fans may feel that Muppets Now has legs. Frog legs, that is. Doc Hopper’s French Fried Frog Legs be damned.
You can find Muppets Now streaming exclusively on Disney Plus (and it looks like new episodes drop every Friday).
