‘The Muppets’ misfires

Published 9:00 am Thursday, September 17, 2015

Out of all the new shows scheduled to arrive this fall, I was most excited about the return of The Muppets.

Then I watched the show and died a little inside.

Kermit and Miss Piggy were a significant part of my childhood, and my desire to feed my nostalgia was enough to build anticipation despite the warning signs which have been known for months: “The Muppets” would not be a variety show, Kermit and Miss Piggy have broken up and the show would be an “adult” take on the characters.

Despite all that, I was willing to give it a chance. The Muppets have always been edgier than their Sesame Street counterparts. The frog/pig split could be grounds for some interesting conflict. And variety shows are a little old fashioned for a 2015 audience (although Neil Patrick Harris seems to be doing just fine with his very enjoyable and live variety show “Best Time Ever”).

The first episode of “The Muppets” aired Tuesday night on ABC. The reboot brings back all the characters you would expect: Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, Beaker, Pepe the Prawn, Rizzo the Rat, Animal. But instead of putting on a variety show like their late ‘70s show, these Muppets all work for Miss Piggy on her late night talk show. Fozzie is the announcer, Animal is in the house band and Kermit is the show’s producer. 

“The Muppets” is shot faux-documentary style, like “The Office” and “Modern Family.” The format aims to place the characters in real-world settings for comedic effect. The problem is that faux-documentary staging is a tired device, something even Gonzo acknowledges, and making The Muppets more like everyday people robs them of what makes them special in the first place.

The original “The Muppet Show” and each of the Muppet movies, even the two most recent outings, are silly, irreverent, joy-filled affairs which pull in viewers, not because the furry blue monsters are like us, but because we are like them. Deep down, we are all ridiculous furry blue monsters.

The greatest sin of “The Muppets” is not that it isn’t funny (and it isn’t). Its greatest sin is that it lacks joy. There’s no joy in Kermit and Piggy’s

complicated relationship.

There’s no joy in Sam the Eagle telling the cast what they can and cannot say on network television. There’s no joy in Fozzie Bear joking about his unique problems with online dating.

I plan to keep watching “The Muppets” in the hope that it gets better, that it finds its joy. But until the show opens with “It’s time to play the music. It’s time to light the lights,” I’m not sure there will be much joy to be found. 

Adam Floyd can be reached at adam.floyd@gaflnews.com.

Adam Floyd is a crime reporter at the Valdosta Daily Times.