Footage of the new Muppet show has been released by ABC. First shown at Comic-Con, the 10-minute presentation was shot by series creators Bill Prady, Bob Kushell and Randall Einhorn instead of a full pilot. Prady produced long-running sitcom The Big Bang Theory, Kushell has written for The Simpsons and Anger Management and director Einhorn worked on The Office and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
“The following presentation was made by the Muppets to convince ABC to make a new show starring the Muppets. It was never meant to be seen by the public.” Reads a slightly tongue-in-cheek Star Wars-style opening scrawl. “But following Comic-Con, demand to see it was so overwhelming. So the network was able to cut through the red tape.”
With Muppet stalwarts Kermit, Miss Piggy and Fozzie, as well as human guests Elizabeth Banks and Topher Grace, the clip is a taster of what’s to come – a mockumentary “behind the scenes” take on Muppet life featuring the characters talking about their feelings directly to camera (a trope that’s nicely undercut by Gonzo). It’s being promoted as a more adult version of the show – which so far means some slightly more risque jokes (Kermit’s “bacon-wrapped hell on earth”) and some sly drug references (“Everyone’s going to be upset,” says Kermit at one point. “Except the band, they’re always happy … Legally now”).
With other familiar furry faces such as Dr Bunsen Honeydew, Dr Teeth, Pepe the King Prawn, Sam Eagle and Waldorf and Statler also returning, the series is due to launch in the autumn on ABC in the US and Sky1 in the UK.
