Did anyone watch ABC's new show THE MUPPETS last night? What did you think?

[CrispyBiscuit]

We watched it for a few minutes and turned it off.   Among other adult themes, Kermit, for example, had said "hell" and "sexy."     They mentioned Miss Piggy missing a waxing appointment.   In another scene, Fozzy is sitting at a table with his "girlfriend's" family talking about compatibility issues.    Kermit made a blatant reference to his reproducing (we had already had our son leave before this) -- I can't recall the exact line he said -- but the point was apparent.    

 

We didn't like what the writers had done to the characters.   We had talked it up for weeks leading up to it thinking it'd be a fun, wholesome show for us to watch as a family.   I thought that is what the writers would have tried to appeal to families too.    Does this appeal to other families?   To whom were they trying to appeal with such adult themes?  Thumbs down in my view.

 

If you watched any/all of it, what were your thoughts?

[Pink and Green Mom]

My children have no interest in the show and I never watched the Muppets the first go round.  I had similar thoughts to you though when I saw the promos.  I just assumed this show was being targeted to grown ups as opposed to children.  I am not a prude.  Trust me.  But it made me stop and realize how different shows are today than they were back when we were growing up. 

[speedmom4]

We watched it for a few minutes and turned it off.   Among other adult themes, Kermit, for example, had said "hell" and "sexy."     They mentioned Miss Piggy missing a waxing appointment.   In another scene, Fozzy is sitting at a table with his "girlfriend's" family talking about compatibility issues.    Kermit made a blatant reference to his reproducing (we had already had our son leave before this) -- I can't recall the exact line he said -- but the point was apparent.    

 

We didn't like what the writers had done to the characters.   We had talked it up for weeks leading up to it thinking it'd be a fun, wholesome show for us to watch as a family.   I thought that is what the writers would have tried to appeal to families too.    Does this appeal to other families?   To whom were they trying to appeal with such adult themes?  Thumbs down in my view.

 

If you watched any/all of it, what were your thoughts?

 

That is so disappointing. Why does Hollywood think they need to "sex" it up to appeal to the general public? Muppets don't have sex!  Right?!

[Word Nerd]

I've been planning to give it a try, but after reading a review yesterday from someone in my generation who found it depressing, I may just skip it. I understand that this show targets grown-up fans of The Muppet Show like me, not kids, but I still don't want to see all that. It's akin to how unsettling it is when I see photos of the Muppets' puppeteers moving them. Of course I know they're puppets, but seeing evidence ruins some of the magic. 

[Word Nerd]

 

We didn't like what the writers had done to the characters.   We had talked it up for weeks leading up to it thinking it'd be a fun, wholesome show for us to watch as a family.  

 

You must not have seen any previews. The new show has never been promoted as a wholesome family show.

[Seasider]

I saw Kermit and Miss Piggy on Jimmy Kimmel the other night, behaving as adult celebrity guests with much passive-aggressive conversation about their recent split. That pretty much told me that the sweet happy flower child tone of the original Muppet Show would not be featured in the new one.

 

Depressing is the proper word, I think.

[Mimm]

Did they decide that since Muppet fans had grown up we're all ready for a grown up show? Instead of trying to appeal to a new generation?

[Ellie]

You must not have seen any previews. The new show has never been promoted as a wholesome family show.

 

And it's on ABC, which is generally not family friendly.

[Just Kate]

I watched it with my 8 year old dd (we are both HUGE Muppets fans). Thankfully, many of the adult comments went over her head, but we will not be watching again. I mean, I remember the old Muppets show and it had jokes that were aimed at adults. But it had such a different feel to it. Even taking my dd out of the equation (pretending I had watched it alone), I just didn't like it. So I'm bummed...I was hoping for a show with a similar, yet updated feel to it. No more current Muppets Show for us!

[Chris in VA]

I watched it for about 15 seconds. It felt skeevy to me.

 

That's not what I expected, nor is it what I'd formerly associated with The Muppets.

 

I think it's sad--what could have been such fun...

[Kristie in Florida]

We had a choice between NCIS and watching Muppets. NCIS won and now I see that it was the right decision.

[6packofun]

Skeevy, that's a good word.  As soon as the word "sexy" came out of Kermit's mouth I was a little creeped out.  It just seems like a weird choice to take it in that direction...I said as much to dh and he said that he always thought the original Muppet Show had plenty of mild innuendo (especially some Raquel Welch episode? maybe it's HIM remembering that...LOL).  Innuendo is one thing, though, and I don't recall much of it.  Is he right?  I don't like the Muppets enough to remember.  :P

[kewb]

I loved the original and had no interest in watching the reboot. Now I am glad I didn't.

I will stick to watching the original show and movies.

 

There is enough innuendo in the original for me.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Dd watched it on the treadmill t.v. at the Y but said that it was "stupid".  

[momofkhm]

We DVR everything, so, no, I didn't see any promos.  I was thinking a family friendly show.  Then someone on my facebook "Liked" what Franklin Graham said about it so I saw it.  Much the same you guys have said - adult themes.  Not what I was expecting!  After reading that and now you guys, will not be watching.

[Jan in SC]

It wasn't promoted as a family show.

 

We watched it. It wasn't good. It just wasn't funny at all.

[PrincessMommy]

Skeevy, that's a good word.  As soon as the word "sexy" came out of Kermit's mouth I was a little creeped out.  It just seems like a weird choice to take it in that direction...I said as much to dh and he said that he always thought the original Muppet Show had plenty of mild innuendo (especially some Raquel Welch episode? maybe it's HIM remembering that...LOL).  Innuendo is one thing, though, and I don't recall much of it.  Is he right?  I don't like the Muppets enough to remember.   :p

 

yes, there was adult innuendo.  Miss Piggy was/is modeled a bit after Mae West. 

 

But, that said, the original show still had a innocence about it.  More of a wink,wink, nod, nod kind of thing rather than in your face.

 

I haven't seen the new one.  We dvr'd it last night.  I'll give it a try later

 

[Word Nerd]

 

But, that said, the original show still had a innocence about it.  More of a wink,wink, nod, nod kind of thing rather than in your face.

 

 

 

This. There is a difference between the wink, wink, nod, nod of the old Muppet Show and the in-your-face style of the new show, with Nathan Fillion doing the walk of shame out of Miss Piggy's trailer with his shirt mis-buttoned and telling Kermit good morning.

[Bluegoat]

I saw the second half.  I didn't think it was that funny, but I wouldn't make a final judgement based on one episode - lots of shows take time to find their feet.

 

But I agree that I didn't really like the way they tried to make it more "adult".  I actually think the original show was pretty adult, though it could be watched by kids - but a lot of the humour was more for adults, and not just the innuendo.  There was that episode with Peter Ustinov which made me laugh like crazy - what kid knew who Peter Ustinov was, or cared?  And the skit he did about the p-sssychologist was much funnier to an adult.

 

But I think maybe the older show was just more respectful of the audience - it had all kinds of guests and jokes, like a real variety show.  Lots of the things accessible to kids in it were also really enjoyable for adults, they were still smart and funny, and not all humour for adults needs to be sexual. 

 

It seemed like it was actually a lot less literate to me, which you would think would be the opposite with a show directed more towards adults.  It seems more like it was about dumbing down tv than an older audience.

[BigMamaBird]

I dearly loved the Muppets growing up.  I still remember the big deal my parents made over Muppet Night!  I was really excited to watch it last night but our antenna wouldn't pick up the signal and I was seriously disappointed!!  But then this morning I started reading the avalanche of bad reviews from my friends on FB and now on here.  It makes me so sad.  Jim Henson was such a creative genius, I loved his work!  To see the Muppets having evolved (devolved maybe?) into what it's become is very disappointing.  They're pandering to the lowest common denominator now, when in the past, they used to never underestimate the intelligence of children!  

 

Our family is going to have to pass on this one.  Maybe we'll just watch the original Muppet Show I have on DVD instead.  

[Word Nerd]

It seemed like it was actually a lot less literate to me, which you would think would be the opposite with a show directed more towards adults.  It seems more like it was about dumbing down tv than an older audience.

 

That doesn't surprise me, as it's from the co-creator of Big Bang Theory, a show that strikes me as lowest-common denominator, crude humor pretending to be smart [ducking tomatoes].

[Jenny in Florida]

That doesn't surprise me, as it's from the co-creator of Big Bang Theory, a show that strikes me as lowest-common denominator, crude humor pretending to be smart [ducking tomatoes].

 

I'm so glad to see someone else feels that way about Big Bang Theory! I know so many smart people who just love that show, and I've never gotten the appeal. 

 

We are a Muppet-adoring family (My husband and I had a choir sing "The Rainbow Connection" at our wedding, just for context.), but I've been turned off by the promos I've seen for the new show. My husband has been determined to give it a try, anyway. We were just waiting for it to show up on Hulu. I'm actually really sad to read all the negative reviews. I so badly wanted to be wrong and for the new show to be good.

[Bluegoat]

That doesn't surprise me, as it's from the co-creator of Big Bang Theory, a show that strikes me as lowest-common denominator, crude humor pretending to be smart [ducking tomatoes].

 

That is really interesting to me, because I feel the same way.  I guess it is the nerd jokes that make people feel like it must be "smart."  But if you take away those occasional references, it is pretty much a standard adult sitcom.  I guess the thing is, nerds aren't always literate or sophisticated - if they've been allowed to avoid anything that looks like a liberal art, they may be the opposite.

 

But, Muppets were always super-sophisticated and literate, even when they were doing pop culture stuff, and they could be sensitive and poignant as well.

 

[Jan in SC]

I'm so glad to see someone else feels that way about Big Bang Theory! I know so many smart people who just love that show, and I've never gotten the appeal.

 

We are a Muppet-adoring family (My husband and I had a choir sing "The Rainbow Connection" at our wedding, just for context.), but I've been turned off by the promos I've seen for the new show. My husband has been determined to give it a try, anyway. We were just waiting for it to show up on Hulu. I'm actually really sad to read all the negative reviews. I so badly wanted to be wrong and for the new show to be good.

It's on Hulu this morning, but don't get too excited.

 

Did you see that the Hamilton soundtrack is streaming free?

[Jenny in Florida]

It's on Hulu this morning, but don't get too excited.

 

Did you see that the Hamilton soundtrack is streaming free?

 

I did not see that! I will have to check that out!

 

Yeah, I'm not excited. I think my expectations were pretty effectively lowered by the promos I had already seen. However, my husband insists on being optimistic about it.

 

(We're experiencing the same division in outlook regarding the new Star Wars film(s). I refuse to get my hopes up, but he is already buying merchandise.)

[Chris in VA]

Yes, I recall some innuendo, esp with Miss Piggy and Kermit. But it never made me feel uncomfortable. Not much does, but...IDK. Muppets came from Sesame Street. The Muppet Show always had a little edge, but I never felt a family couldn't enjoy it together.

[JessReplanted]

Oh my. Did anyone like it? How depressing that they brought the Muppets back only to have the show be horrible.

 

I haven't seen it yet. I may try to watch it on Hulu tonight.

[kristi26]

We watched it for a few minutes and turned it off.   Among other adult themes, Kermit, for example, had said "hell" and "sexy."     They mentioned Miss Piggy missing a waxing appointment.   In another scene, Fozzy is sitting at a table with his "girlfriend's" family talking about compatibility issues.    Kermit made a blatant reference to his reproducing (we had already had our son leave before this) -- I can't recall the exact line he said -- but the point was apparent.    

 

We didn't like what the writers had done to the characters.   We had talked it up for weeks leading up to it thinking it'd be a fun, wholesome show for us to watch as a family.   I thought that is what the writers would have tried to appeal to families too.    Does this appeal to other families?   To whom were they trying to appeal with such adult themes?  Thumbs down in my view.

 

If you watched any/all of it, what were your thoughts?

 

I had considered watching it with my family up until I read a review online about it warning families that it would NOT be family friendly. I was a little skeptical about the review, thinking it couldn't be true and was planning to preview it on demand before watching with the kids. Good to know I don't need to bother. My kids will NOT be watching that and neither will DH and I. Sad. :(

[trulycrabby]

No, we didn't watch it. I knew things were headed downhill when Kermit and Miss Piggy broke up. :zombie:

[poppy]

Poor Jim Henson's ghost.

[HRAAB]

I always thought the Muppets was a show both adults and children could enjoy; at least my entire family did. We missed it last night. I had my twins read this thread, and they're both disappointed. We will probably watch the next one and see.

[mamiof5]

Nah! Have never been a muppets fan, and had read bad reviews about it. Besides, ABC for us is junk, so we don't watch it at all

[MrsBasil]

I knd of want to watch it, because I love most of the Muppet movies but it doesn't sound like it will be all that funny. And the idea of implied puppet sex is just not really my thing.

[Farrar]

Poor Jim Henson's ghost.

 

I think he would have liked it, honestly. Henson always liked to skirt controversy. He loved to work in references to s*x, drugs, etc. Many times the network cut things that were a little too risque. He began as a really experimental filmmaker and liked to play around with the idea of these fuzzy characters talking about adult themes. He had Kermit and Piggy break up in the 90's just before his death, with similar bantering to today. He always wanted the Muppets to appeal primarily to adults. I think the whole trope of the dirty talking puppet stems from Henson's Muppets.

[Butter]

I have some friends on FB who have mentioned it.  Those without kids thought it was great.  Those who are parents were skeeved out by it.

 

Even if we paid for TV we wouldn't have watched it.  My daughter (who is 15) has a Muppet (puppet, really) phobia.

[Farrar]

I'll say... I didn't love it. Dh thought it was okay. We agreed we didn't mind if the kids saw it, but we're pretty liberal about what we'll let them see. I don't know if they'll be into it or not. I really didn't like Kermit's new girlfriend. For some reason, she gave me the heebie jeebies.

 

I think part of my problem is that I don't really like Piggy. I find her really... I don't know... I think she's like a parody of women and I have never been able to enjoy her much. Her cloying need for the spotlight, her romantic demands... it always seems to me like she's a caricature of how men think of women as shrews.

 

Also, I don't know that the puppets saying adult things stuff really amuses me. It's been done and it's been done with much more out there content (like that teddy bear movie with Mark Wahlberg) and with much more subtly (by the Muppets themselves in previous incarnations!). It's not fresh enough for me to find it inherently interesting...

[idnib]

There is nothing on the planet that makes me want to think about Muppet-Muppet sex or even worse, Muppet-human sex. Ew.

 

If only they'd tapped the market of people who want to pass on a new Muppets to their kids, instead of thinking they needed to be edgy.

[Joules]

I think he would have liked it, honestly. Henson always liked to skirt controversy. He loved to work in references to s*x, drugs, etc. Many times the network cut things that were a little too risque. He began as a really experimental filmmaker and liked to play around with the idea of these fuzzy characters talking about adult themes. He had Kermit and Piggy break up in the 90's just before his death, with similar bantering to today. He always wanted the Muppets to appeal primarily to adults. I think the whole trope of the dirty talking puppet stems from Henson's Muppets.

 

I think so, too.  He always meant Sesame Street for kids and the Muppet Show for adults. I enjoyed the Muppet Show as a kid, but much of the innuendo went over my head.  I just loved the songs.  I definitely saw more when I saw them as an adult.  I posted this in the thread about fall shows.  Is this the wholesome show everyone remembers?

 

 

I remember some scenes like that from the original, like Baby, It's Cold Outside with Miss Piggy and Rudolph Nureyev:

 

 

[Farrar]

I think so, too.  He always meant Sesame Street for kids and the Muppet Show for adults. I enjoyed the Muppet Show as a kid, but much of the innuendo went over my head.  I just loved the songs.  I definitely saw more when I saw them as an adult.  I posted this in the thread about fall shows.  Is this the wholesome show everyone remembers?

 

Exactly. This runs down a lot of the skirting the edge moments in previous Muppet shows:

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/86115/20150922/jim-hensons-weird-amazing-muppets-show-pitch-skits-family-friendly.htm

 

I think it's fine if people don't really like it... I'm not sure I did. I just don't think Jim Henson's memory has been dishonored at all. Obviously it was a little more wink wink nudge nudge back in the day... but everything on TV was because it was more tightly controlled than now.

[Dmmetler]

http://www.songlyrics.com/muppets/i-hope-that-something-better-comes-along-lyrics/

 

It wasn't until I was an adult and showed the original Muppet Movie to DD that I realized that Rowlf was talking to Kermit about TeA :).

[Chava_Raizel]

I haven't seen it yet (forgot to set my dvr) but I'm surprised at all the backlash. I think people hear Muppets and think Sesame Street. Yes, there have been plenty of family friendly Muppet movies, but Jim Henson never intended for the Muppet Show to be for children, or even family friendly.

 

There was a program on PBS last week called In Their Own Words or something like that, and the episode focused on Jim Henson. Did you know that when he originally pitched The Muppet Show, he called it Sex and Violence to make sure they got the point that it wasn't for children. I'm thinking Jim Henson would be perfectly happy with the new show.

[Incognito]

I don't think there is a lot more sexual content than there was when we were kids - but I think a few of the lines are a bit more blatant than I recall (DH had one go over his head that I found a bit overly much, so I guess I have a dirty vocabulary/mind, which may have made it worse than it was).  I think that 95% of the sexual things mentioned would go over my kids' heads (and so does DH).  

 

I saw the Franklin Graham thing and figured he'd be embarrassed by his review and realize he should have waited until the thing actually aired and watched it himself before saying what he said.  The show isn't about animal on human sex - Fozzie and the girl's relationship is a parody of interracial couples and the parents' objections.  It isn't a wholesome show, but it also isn't any more of an abomination than the other adult TV sitcoms out there.  The original Muppets are not particularly wholesome either.  They're fun and silly and lots of other things, but they tend to make sex/drug jokes.

 

I agree, Kermit's new girlfriend really bothered me - I don't know if it is just that I'm not ready to see him with a new pig or if she really did sound and look super creepy.

 

Meh - it wasn't bad or good - I told my DH to record the next few too and we'll see if we keep it in the DVR (he wanted to axe it).  

 

[idnib]

 The show isn't about animal on human sex - Fozzie and the girl's relationship is a parody of interracial couples and the parents' objections.  

 

I haven't seen it, but my comment was referring to a man with a mis-buttoned shirt coming out of Miss Piggie's trailer or whatever.

[Farrar]

I haven't seen it, but my comment was referring to a man with a mis-buttoned shirt coming out of Miss Piggie's trailer or whatever.

 

But there have been suggestions that various Muppets have dated humans for years and years.

 

I wonder how much of this is just coming from adult eyes. Of course all the old show stuff went over our heads - we were kids. And of course it doesn't now - we're adults. I'll bet a lot of it still goes over many kids' heads.

[Amber in SJ]

The character,  Animal was never appropriate for kids :)  He would chase guest stars, audience members & muppets alike around chanting "Woman, woman, woman!"  while they screamed & fled.  

 

Amber in SJ

 

 

[BarbecueMom]

I laughed a few times, but it did feel like a pilot episode. However, I can't think of a pilot episode of a show that doesn't make me cringe years later. Heck, I rarely rewatch the first season of anything.

 

The kids were in the room when we watched it and there was nothing that I had a problem with them seeing or hearing. Then again I don't shoo them out for many Big Bang Theory episodes (except next week's... I'm not spoiler free and there's too many things in that one I don't want them repeating).

[JessReplanted]

Ok, I'm watching it and I don't think it is that bad. (I always thought the original muppets were a bit "adult.") I haven't actually laughed yet though, so I don't know if I will watch it again.

 

I always thought that Miss Piggy treated Kermit horribly. They never made sense to me. I'm not heartbroken that they broke up.

[Slojo]

There have been busses in Chicago saying things like, "The first prime time show with full frontal nudity..." with Kermit's lower region exposed (the actual photo was find, but lots of innuendo ;-( :glare:​ I could tell it wasn't going to be a "share with the whole family kind of moment."  I give it half a season...

[Garga]

I was mostly bored through it. I wonder if it'll get better? I don't know. I thought the original was hilarious and I love watching it even now. But last night's show was just dull and boring and the jokes were predictible, because they're the same jokes on every other sit com. The Muppets used to be so stinkin' clever. Where was the cleverness? It was just all trite sex jokes.

[Mimm]

Wow, after reading all this, I went to watch it on Hulu and it was much milder than I expected. But it was also kind of depressing. I don't know who thought the aftermath of a breakup was a great idea for a setting of the show. It wasn't terribly clever or upbeat or funny. Maybe it'll get better. I've always loved the Muppets.