“Muppets Now” Disney Plus Review by Josh Davis
August 16, 2020 3:00 pm |
The original “The Muppet Show” debuted in 1976 and was out-of-the-gate bonkers. It was a funny, satirical, musical, chaotic, operatic variety show that combined elements of vaudeville and zany sketch comedy … but with puppets.
Music has been the driving force in many a Muppet project, from the brassy opening of “The Muppet Show” theme, to the strange but infectious ear worm of “Mahna Mahna,” to Kermit’s heartfelt, banjo-driven “Rainbow Connection,” and even the 2012 Oscar nominated “Man or Muppet” duet between, well, a man and a Muppet.
Sadly, there’s not much music in the latest Muppet project, “Muppets Now,” which debuted with one episode on Disney+ in July.
What the show does have going for it, however, are plenty of familiar voices and just enough trademark Muppet zaniness to squeak by. The voice cast includes Matt Vogel (Kermit, Uncle Deadly, etc.), Eric Jacobson (Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal), David Rudman (Scooter, Beaker, Janice), Bill Barretta (Swedish Chef, Pepe the King Prawn, etc.), David Goelz (Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf, etc.) and a Peter Linz (Walter, Statler, etc.).
In the “Muppets Now” pilot episode, Scooter is trying to upload the Muppets’ newest production in a kind of Zoom call with Kermit, who is in turn trying to offer some last-minute notes on revisions. Interspersed with the conversation are four short segments that could have just as easily been YouTube standalone bits.
In “Lifesty” with Miss Piggy, the Muppets’ reigning diva offers fashion and style tips, flanked by her sinister-looking manservant Uncle Deadly. The skit only mildly skewers the vast amount of makeup and other style tutorials on YouTube, but does manage to earn a good laugh during a segment on “face slapping massages” with special guest Taye Diggs.
“Muppet Masters” stars Walter, from the 2011 reboot film “The Muppets,” as he talks photography with Kermit the Frog. Kermit, it turns out, is not a master photographer, but is actually a master photobomber (said quickly and as one word for maximum comedic effect).
“Økėÿ Døkęÿ Køøkïñ” with Swedish Chef is an off-the-wall cooking tutorial with special guest chef Carolina Will. Will shows the audience how to make a delectable Caribbean dish, while the Swedish Chef spit-shines his workstation, cooks a stew using a whole pineapple, a box of salt, and some already popped popcorn … and eventually just orders takeout.
“Mup Close & Personal,” with Kermit the Frog and RuPaul, is a fairly standard interview that goes off the rails when other Muppets pop in and spoil the chat. Gonzo wants to ask a few questions, like, “how many pennies do you think would fit in this room?” and whether RuPaul is disappointed at not being awake when spiders inevitably crawl into your mouth while sleeping. Miss Piggy and Fozzie also cameo, with Fozzie finally bringing the whole gang in to “have everybody ask their questions at once.”
Each bit has a good laugh or two, but nothing really stands out here. Also, there’s zero music in the first episode.
The Muppets have always been an up and down ride in terms of quality, with even the landmark “The Muppet Show” having plenty of stinkers and just plain weird sketches. “Muppets Now,” for now, is a just OK reboot with room to grow. Hopefully, future episodes will have a little more fun with the formula and, if we’re lucky, bring back some of the music that helped define the Muppets’ best moments.
New episodes drop weekly, on Fridays, on Disney+.
PCL Rating: Taste It
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH 🍅
Categorised in: Television Reviews
This post was written by Leftover Brian
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