After nearly 45 years, Kermit the Frog and the rest of the Muppets return to the stage in a brand new special. Directed by Alex Timbers, The Muppet Show follows the Muppets restarting The Muppet Show after all these years. But does the special live up to the hype? Let’s find out.
Firstly, the puppetry is, as usual, great. All the muppets sound great, and nothing is too different from the original performances from the original 70’s show. However, in 2016, Steve Whitmire, who had been voicing Kermit since Jim Henson’s death, was fired for “unacceptable business conduct” and hostile behavior. This resulted in Matt Vogal taking over the voice in 2017; however, due to the failure of Muppets: Most Wanted in 2014, we have not received a major muppet project until now. I think this has resulted in a lot of people returning to the muppets and being confused or upset about why Kermit sounds so different. Personally It doesn’t bother me; however, some fans are very passionate about who should voice kermit and this has resulted in some backlash.
But everything else is amazing, the acting, the comedy, the songs were all very enjoyable, and the brand new guest stars, Sabrinah Carpenter and Seth Rogan, both bounced off the Muppets extremely well in the special.
Overall, The Muppet Show (2026) is one of the most fun things I’ve watched in recent years. The special doesn’t feel like an attempt to modernize the muppets but a faithful return to form for The Muppets, which really does make me happy. The directors have been very vocal about this special being a test pilot for fully bringing back the Muppets, which is something that I think the world really needs right now. So go watch the special, go prove that we want The Muppets and support continuing Jim Henson’s Legacy even all these years later.
9/10
