Los Muppets

If you enjoy the muppets as I do, you will enjoy this show. Nothing ground breaking but a pretty fun mockumentary.

First of all, this is a show for a VERY niche audience: people that love the Muppets, but won't feel like their childhood is ruined if they do some dirty jokes. It's also not necessarily as family friendly as the other Muppet shows, but it's not...Avenue Q. Kids might just not like it because they won't get the jokes, but it's not super raunchy or anything. Basically, I'd feel more comfortable letting a kid watch this than something like "Family Guy."

Basically, Miss Piggy has her own late-night talk show, and her ex-boyfriend Kermit is the producer, with all the other Muppets working on the show in some form or fashion. It's filmed mocumentary style, like The Office or Modern Family, which works...okay? Tbh, you could've just filmed this show normally and it would've been fine.

The jokes are all very modern and have to do a lot with topics like micro-aggression, office politics, relationships, gender, sexuality, and even drug use. My favorite being a little nod to the members of The Electric Mayhem being "medically happy" and buying all of Bobo's GirlScout cookies.

I basically went in expecting the worst thing in the world, but it was actually pretty good! But don't get me wrong, I totally see why this was canceled. This is just a very odd combination of material. It's weird seeing Kermit and Piggy have real relationship conversations, it's weird when the show alludes to Bunsen and Beaker possibly spending the night together, and it's weird watching Piggy make-out with Josh Groban. Like, I dig it ALL, but it's also just plain weird.

I gotta throw out my favorite line of the whole show, however, and it is this: Fozzie: "Kermit, have you ever been hit with a tranquilizer?" Kermit: "No, but I once licked my third cousin and the walls started melting, so I feel you, bro."

"The Muppets" is a new show, presented in the style of "30 Rock" or other behind-the-scenes mockumentaries. It features Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy and all the other Muppets creations we have come to love. But this show is aimed at an older audience.

As always, much of the humor comes from the timeless characterizations (forms and personalities). How could you not love an imperious pig or an everyman frog? Not to mention the rest of the puppet cast, from a bear to a beaker.

We have enjoyed these creatures for so long that it is easy to take them for granted. The puppeteering and voice artistry are first rate. And I love the various ways they create the illusion that the Muppets are independent beings operating under their own power.

The writing is standard Muppets fare--clever and topical. You can practically hear the rimshots after some lines.

As in other Muppets shows, they interact with guest artists (Laurence Fishburne, Lea Thompson, Josh Groban and Jay Leno were in one episode). You can tell they are having a blast. So did I.

The point of this show is that the muppets grew up with us. Sure, it's not as innocent as the original, but the content isn't vulgar or inappropriate in any way. These just aren't the muppets of 1976, and they shouldn't be. Even if the muppets are fuzzy and ridiculous, I need to relate to them or the comedy won't resonate. I don't want the muppets I loved as a kid. I want the muppets I can love now.

Regarding the controversy over the portrayal of Ms. Piggy, there's nothing inherently wrong with any character, male or female, having shortcomings, or even being betrayed in a negative light. Kermit isn't portrayed as a beacon of virtue either. By laughing at these grown up muppets with grown up problems who have to learn how to find peace with themselves and others, I get a good healthy laugh at myself.

As someone that grew up with the Muppets and loved them just as enthusiastically through adulthood I found the show to be a breath of fresh air. I was laughing out loud within the first few minutes and that's something I haven't done with any 'comedy' show in a very very long time. There's something about seeing all my favorites on the air again that makes me feel like a kid again, but the adult humor (and I mean that in a sort of mild way, because it's not remotely what I would personally consider raunchy) kept it fresh and suited for the adults as well. The more adult humor was there, yes, but as innuendo. In my opinion it's always been there, subtly under the banter only now it's more noticeable for those of us that want to see it. And those instances were scattered.

Was it flawless? No, but it's the Muppets and I for one am more than grateful to ABC for giving them new life because I missed them with all my heart.