“The Muppets” Episode 1.1, “Pig Girls Don’t Cry” Starring Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Matt Vogel; Written by Bill Prady, Paul Kushell; Directed by Randall Einhorn.
Imagine the Swedish chef making a Muppet stew. He takes a bit of “The Muppet Show,” a dash of “Muppets Tonight,” and parts of the recent big screen Muppet movies, and he comes up with “The Muppets,” now airing on ABC.
And yes, the portions rely heavier on the newer, post-Jim Henson (and even Frank Oz) Muppets. Those looking for the sentimentality of “The Muppet Movie” may be disappointed, but the new show certainly embraces the zaniness of the original Muppet television series, where Kermit tried to maintain order at a theater while calming Miss Piggy, corralling guest stars, and dealing with wacky chickens, weirdos, and a bear that loves to tell jokes. Bad jokes. Now, instead of a theater, he works in a television studio, but there’s still plenty of drama behind the scenes. Even Statler and Waldorf have returned to ridicule and mock from the front row.
“The Muppets” has all the great Muppet characters we love. In addition to Miss Piggy, Kermit, Gonzo, and Fozzie, there’s Animal, the Swedish Chef, Pepe the Prawn, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band . . . the list goes on. And even if the pilot had nothing else to offer, it does have Muppets. Lots of them. And that’s just about enough for me to love it there.
But overall, how was the show? I really liked it. I’ll never get used to Eric Jacobson as Miss Piggy instead of Frank Oz, but that’s just my own personal issue. The plot of the first episode focuses on Miss Piggy and Kermit after an emotional break-up, but they still work together. This means Miss Piggy is more volatile than ever, and she takes out some of her anger on guest star Elizabeth Banks. A camera crew follows everyone around, and they follow Fozzie as he meets his girlfriend’s parents, who aren’t thrilled their daughter is dating a bear. I think we can expect to see more of the Muppets’ lives outside of the studio as the series progresses.
Gonzo suggesting a “Dancing with the Tsars” segment after Kermit spoke to Tom Bergeron about being a guest star had me laughing out loud. Pepe and Rizzo popped up in Russian costumes, and it was the sort of silliness that took me right back to “The Muppet Show.”
I love the Muppets. I have loved them since before I could form sentences, so I’m thrilled to see them back on tv. I think I already like this new series better than “Muppets Tonight!” which was another attempt to bring these beloved characters back onto television in the 90’s. As far as first episodes go, the series looks promising, and I know I’ll tune in next week.
My one complaint is there wasn’t enough Swedish Chef. We saw him occasionally, but I would love for him to have his own cooking segment on Miss Piggy’s show each week. He could chase lobsters and cook chocolate mousse and do all the wonderful things he did on “The Muppet Show.”
Aside from that, I’m optimistic about the series and am thrilled to have the Muppets back on a weekly basis.