- Disney+ presents the first full special trailer for The Muppet Show
- Sabrina Carpenter stars
- It is very close to the original.
I’m old enough to remember the confusion over a certain puppet when The Muppet Show It first aired in 1976. Although I was excited that it would feature a cast of Muppet characters, I was confused because only one, Kermit the Frog, was instantly recognizable to me. Where were Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie? Aside from Kermit, these Sesame Street stars lacked the creative freedom necessary to launch and host a weekly comedy show, which ran for five seasons and returns thawed from cryofrozen on Disney+.
The special, which airs on February 4, got its first official trailer on Friday (January 23, 2026). It’s a time warp of sorts, in that the Muppets’ cast of characters, settings, and even gag setups appear unchanged from the original. However, there is also a nod of recognition that this special, produced by and starring The study’yes Seth Rogen, it’s a risk, or at least a challenge, and these web stars may not deliver.
There’s a constant stream of jokes about how this isn’t their dream job, that it will only continue if this one is successful, and as Statler and Waldorf joked from their balcony seats, the Muppets did it for the money.
Look
Watching the 90-second clips, I found myself smiling from ear to ear. Everything was so familiar and, at the same time, somewhat fresh. It could be the presence of celebrity guest Sabrina Carpenter, who mixes it up with Miss Piggy, or the perfect blend of classic and contemporary.
The Muppets It was always a show that operated on two levels. There were the jokes and sight gags that probably appealed to the kids wandering around Sesame Street, and the winking jokes and references that appealed to adults and parents.
Take this exchange between Kermit and Carpenter:
Kermit: “We’re still working out some kinks.”
Carpenter: “Okay, I love kink.”
Surely that joke is intended for adults, especially Generation Z, who may be less familiar with The Muppet brand but also have a different view of some social mores.
Judging by the clip, the sets and shooting style of the new show sometimes come close to the original, but they also seem a little more real in some of the behind-the-scenes interactions.
This, however, is not The Muppets. That unfortunate 2015 revival was more of a documentary about the “real lives” of the Muppets as they tried to support a show centered on Miss Piggy. I have few good memories about it.
At this point, it’s unclear if the special will lead to a more regular series or more. With ownership of the Disney brand, I’m sure they would like to revive Muppet Mania and put on a series of The Muppet Show specials in another new movie.
Those have also been make-or-break affairs, but maybe Disney can start seeing Muppet movies like the trip to the stars franchise: every odd or even is good; you just know you have to deal with the occasional failure to get to the golden Muppet nugget.
Whatever the case, I plan to see The Muppet Show special and I hope this is really what we call The Muppet Show.
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