One of the biggest streaming highlights of the week (or the year/decade/millennium thus far) for fans of any age is Disney+’s The Muppet Show special, celebrating 50+ years of Jim Henson’s timeless and fan-beloved creations. Seth Rogen is leading the charge this time around, a few years after the maddeningly short-lived Muppets Mayhem concluded, but don’t expect this special to just be a grab bag of stoner jokes and Judd Apatow-friendly snark.
Somehow going beyond my stretched-to-snapping-point expectations, The Muppet Show is the truest return to form these characters have enjoyed in….possibly ever. Rogen’s Freaks and Geeks co-star Jason Segel, Nick Stoller and James Bobin arguably came the closest with 2011’s The Muppets, but this special goes above, beyond, and through. (Possibly propelled by The Great Gonzo’s cannon.) It provides laughs, warmth, and joy, and without solely throttling nostalgia. Allow me to wax on a bit more…
