I’m not a hardcore Muppets fan by any means, but they have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, stretching back to the days I’d see Kermit the Frog pop up on Sesame Street. So whenever a new Muppets project is announced, my curiosity will usually be piqued, though whether it fully grabs my attention later on is another matter. Fortunately, The Muppets Mayhem, which is now available for Disney+ subscribers to watch, is a welcome jolt for this long-running franchise, and I’m already hoping that the Mouse House’s streaming platform keeps The Electric Mayhem’s tour going for Season 2.
Unlike most Muppets projects, The Muppets Mayhem eschews spotlighting all the heavy-hitting puppets we know and love in favor of exclusively focusing on the band The Electric Mayhem, comprised of Dr. Teeth, Floyd Pepper, Janice, Animal, Zoot and Lips, all respectively portrayed by Bill Barretta, Matt Vogel, David Rudman, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz and Peter Linz. After decades of performing their music, whether it’s for The Muppet Show or touring around the United States, the band is finally recording their first album thanks to some prodding from Lilly Singh’s Nora, a junior A&R executive, and with help from their biggest fan, Tahj Mowry’s Moog. However, in typical Muppets fashion, the journey towards this goal is fraught with complications, ranging from traditional comedic hijinks to The Electric Mayhem learning to navigate the modern music scene.
