# The Muppets' lack of success on TV after The Muppet Show **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 30, 2020, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343 "2020-08-30T00:44:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/21 "2020-08-31T02:55:30Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > This thread is about Henson Studio \> Disney Muppet projects, not Sesame Street. Well, the OP didn’t specify that; but it did specify post-Muppet Show, and Sesame Street actually started before The Muppet Show. > [@ZipperJJ](#): > > My contribution to this thread… I dunno. The 2015 show was HILARIOUS and classic. I am really bummed it didn’t catch on. I’m enjoying Muppets Now on Disney +. It’s pretty fun with some classic elements! And I really enjoyed Muppets Tonight (the sort-of-revival of The Muppet Show in 1996) and wish it had caught on. ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/22 "2020-08-31T03:47:08Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > The 2015 show was HILARIOUS and classic. I am really bummed it didn’t catch on. Agree! The writing and performances were as good as anything in past Muppetverse projects, and had a more adult edge. Which brings us back to the original question - why didn’t it find an audience? (How many of you were aware there even was a prime time Muppet show in 2015?) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/23 "2020-08-31T11:11:39Z")
I was going to mention the 2015 show as well, which I found _hilarious_. The writing was excellent - Pepe the Prawn really came into his own in that one. But I suspect it floundered because it was too adult for children and too childish for many adults. Speaking of adult Muppet productions, I have to say that **The Happytime Murders** was waaaaaaay outside the usual Muppet box (and was produced under the “Henson Alternative” brand). Speaking as someone who enjoys excessively weird stuff, I came away somewhat traumatized by watching it. That scene with the octopus and the cow…I’ll never be able to unhear that “MOOOOOOOOOOOO…” ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/24 "2020-08-31T11:33:28Z")
Yeah. The Uncle Deadly/Miss Piggy stuff was terrific fun. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/25 "2020-08-31T22:35:39Z")
Henson (and Oz) might not have produced Sesame Street, but they were a big part of what made it what it was. And Sesame Street is certainly more of a Muppets project than Star Wars was, because unlike Star Wars, Sesame Street contains Muppets. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/26 "2020-08-31T23:12:58Z")
The new one that just started is ok. One of its problems is that it does the SAME sketches every week. I love the Swedish Chef but he’s not funny every episode. A little more variety would make it work better. I think what made the 70s one work was that it just went for it. It was risky and bonkers. In the successive shows there were moments of hilarity, but you need that madcap “Let’s just try it and see if it works” energy. The last few shows have all felt like Muppet by numbers instead of authentic chaos. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/27 "2020-08-31T23:48:23Z")
I like the new show, though the Piggy segments have gotten old quick. Of course the Muppet Labs segments are gold in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/28 "2020-09-01T00:03:59Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > the chemistry is missing. We need to get Bunsen and Beaker working on that, ASAP. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2020, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/29 "2020-09-01T00:11:21Z")
Great guest stars, like Raquel: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7fGQRnEvhfA/hqdefault.jpg "Raquel Welch and the Muppets") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fGQRnEvhfA) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VoIZQh1IjI8/hqdefault.jpg "FEVER - rita Moreno/Muppets") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoIZQh1IjI8) Not for kids ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2020, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/30 "2020-09-01T00:59:21Z")
I like Roger Ebert’s [Muppet Movie (1979) review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-muppet-movie-1979) where he waxes rhapsodic about Kermit riding a bike. To expand on what Didi44 said up-topic, CGI would be used nowadays, and the magic would be gone. We stopped watching due to burnout, seeing the same characters doing the same routines over and over. It felt like Hee-Haw in many ways, with the same corny jokes. I suppose we could ask why did Hee-Haw die? ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2020, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/31 "2020-09-05T18:48:31Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > I like Roger Ebert’s [Muppet Movie (1979) review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-muppet-movie-1979) where he waxes rhapsodic about Kermit riding a bike. A gem. One thing I miss about Roger is how he always accepted movies on their own terms. Note: “in their last film appearance before **their deaths** , Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy.” (emphasis mine) He does mistake a banjo for a ukulele, though. Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2020, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/32 "2020-09-05T19:44:20Z")
The recent versions have tried to be up to date. The Muppet Show wasn’t up to date even when it was on. That was its charm. I thought the 2015 show was dreadful for that very reason. I don’t have access to the new one. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2020, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/33 "2020-09-05T21:33:28Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > And I really enjoyed Muppets Tonight (the sort-of-revival of The Muppet Show in 1996) and wish it had caught on. I thought it was rather uneven; Martin Short was a hoot but other episodes, like Garth Brooks trying different genres, fell flat. The series probably would have been better with a different muppet as host. ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/34 "2020-09-06T01:39:31Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > The series probably would have been better with a different muppet as host. Hey! My homey made of foamy was a great host! Clifford was perfect in front of the camera and Rizzo handled the backstage chaos just fine. Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/35 "2020-09-06T13:10:41Z")
I thought Pepe the Prawn was the host of Muppets Tonight? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/36 "2020-09-06T13:33:18Z")
I thought Clifford was the host. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/37 "2020-09-06T14:11:59Z")
> [@Powers](#): > > One thing I miss about Roger is how he always accepted movies on their own terms. Well, except when he was reviewing Star Trek films. Then all he cared about was criticizing the premise and nitpicking errors that, if he had bothered to think about them for half a second, weren’t really errors at all. ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/38 "2020-09-06T14:46:26Z")
Pepe and Seymour were the elevator operators on _Muppets Tonight_. Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343/39 "2020-09-06T14:56:44Z")
Out of curiosity, I read his reviews for the 2009 reboot film, then for _The Voyage Home_ and _The Wrath of Khan_. I thought they were fair and did a good job of understanding that the key to the success of _Star Trek_ is in the characters, not the science and not the action. True, he was distracted a bit in the 2009 review by questions of plausibility and technicality but – to an extent – weren’t we all? Powers &8^] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-muppets-lack-of-success-on-tv-after-the-muppet-show/919343.md?page=1)