I'm happier than the Swedish Chef cooking: They're working on a 'Muppet Show' reboot for adults!
Like many people, my childhood was steeped in Muppets. And while I did watch Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and Muppet Babies, my favorite Muppet projects were always the ones that were, despite their G rating, a little aged up — like the original Muppet Movie or the prime-time Muppet Show. Now there's word that ABC is developing a mockumentary-style, "adult" Muppet Show reboot, where we'll see more behind-the-scenes of the show (it's being compared to 30 Rock) and into the Muppets' personal lives. The show hasn't been picked up yet, but ABC is considering a full series order, and I'm all like:
There's no word yet on which specific Muppets the show will focus on, but it's pretty obvious, I think, that there will be a good dose of Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, and Gonzo. And hopefully these guys:
Sam the Eagle:
And, dare I dream... "Pigs in Space"?
I hope that the reboot also keeps the original Muppet Show's tradition of bringing on guest stars. The classic show didn't just have great antics from Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and the rest of the Muppet crew, it also had great late 70s and early 80s performers hosting and doing bits with the Muppets. Like Steve Martin:
Or Alice Cooper, surrounded by monster Muppets:
Or Gilda Radner and a giant carrot:
Or Elton John and his talking lunch (he plays "Crocodile Rock" around two minutes in):
The Muppets have done more "adult" entertainment before, too — there was a series of reoccurring sketches on the first season of Saturday Night Live, known as "The Land of Gorch." The sketches were not well-received, though, and ceased after the first season of the show. The fact that NBC has one Land of Gorch sketch online under the heading "Dregs and Vestiges," which I'm pretty sure is a synonym for "We really love this and definitely want you to watch it."