Get ready for The Muppets Mayhem, it's going to be a wild musical ride! The Muppets’ Electric Mayhem Band has been making music – and causing carnage – for 45 years, ever since we saw them on The Muppet Shows back in the 1970s. In that classic series they were more in the background — if that was really possible with Animal as drummer! — but now the band are the focus as Disney Plus is dedicating a whole series to them.
With special guests including Morgan Freeman, Paula Abdul, Tommy Lee, Ziggy Marley and Susannah Hoffs, The Muppets Mayhem follows the band as they aim for the big-time, recording their first studio album. We join Dr Teeth, Animal, Floyd Pepper, Janice, Zoot and Lips as they team up with driven young music executive Nora Singh, played by You Tuber and actress Lilly Singh, in the hope of sending the band’s success stratospheric. But how will the old-school band fare where it comes face-to-face with the current music scene?
"Very quickly Nora learns that she’s in for a huge handful with the band,’ says Bad Moms star Lilly. "She’s a very organised person, very type A, and she has lots of ideas. She thinks they’re going listen and take instruction, but they have their own way of doing things. She wants to prove herself to her boss and make her mark in the industry, so she needs for them to get their act together and make some awesome music. But that’s a very difficult thing to do!"
Here’s everything you need to know about The Muppets Mayhem on Disney Plus…
The Muppets Mayhem release date
The Muppets Mayhem is a 10-episode series launching as a box set on Disney Plus from Wednesday May 10 2023.
Is there a trailer or The Muppets Mayhem?
Yes Disney+ has now released a full trailer plus a short teaser trailer of The Muppets Mayhem which shows the band preparing to bring the house down and many of the famous guest stars (see our full list below). Take a look here...
The Muppets Mayhem plot
The Muppets Mayhem follows The Muppets’ Electric Mayhem Band on a musical adventure as they record their first studio album. The six-piece band, which is made up of Dr Teeth, Animal, Floyd Pepper, Janice, Zoot and Lips, get together with hotshot music executive Nora Singh (Lilly Singh), who plans to make them a global success. But can they cope in the world of modern music?
While there are guest stars rocking up such as Tahj Mowry and Saara Chaudry (see more below), we do hope the band's regular Muppet pals and fellow performers such as Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and Fozzie Bear might make an appearance somewhere along the way...
Who's who in The Muppets’ Electric Mayhem Band
Here's our guide to the members of The Muppets’ Electric Mayhem Band...
Dr Teeth
Dr Teeth is voiced by Bill Barretta and is the band’s lead vocalist and keyboard player. He first appeared in March 1975 and sports a gold tooth. Bill, who voices the character, also voices The Swedish Chef, Pepe the King Prawn, Rowlf the dog and Bobo the bear. HE's an obvious parody of the 1970s band Dr Hook.
Animal
Drummer Animal is voiced by Eric Jacobson. Animal is a wild and frenzied monster, known for his gravelly laugh and limited vocabulary, but a talented drummer. We think Animal was probably modelled on The Who's lagendary late drummer Keith Moon. During performances Animal is so wild he has to be chained to his drum kit to avoid violent outbursts. Eric also voices Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and Sam Eagle as well as Sesame Street’s Bert, Grover and Oscar the Grouch.
Floyd Pepper
Floyd is the band’s bassist and backing singer. He’s known for his sarcasm and is in a relationship with fellow band member Janice. He’s also largely responsible for keeping Animal under control. Floyd is voiced by Matt Vogel who is also responsible for Kermit, Uncle Deadly, Crazy Harry and Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Count von Count.
Janice
Lead guitarist Janice also occasionally plays the tambourine, trombone and trumpet. She's always supercool and 'far out' and a bit like a mix of Janice Joplin and Joanie Mitchell. She’s voiced by David Rudman who also voices Scooter and Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster and Baby Bear. He’s also worked on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Zoot
Zoot plays the saxophone in the band. He’s an ageing, burnt-out musician voiced by Dave Goelz, who also voices Gonzo and has worked on Labyrinth, Fraggle Rock and The Dark Crystal.
Lips
Lips plays the trumpet but rarely speaks. He’s voiced by Peter Linz who is also behind Walter, Sesame Street’s Ernie and Winnie the Pooh in The Book of Pooh. He’s also in the stage show Avenue Q.
The Muppets Mayhem guest stars and who else is starring
Other stars of The Muppets Mayhem include YouTuber and actress Lilly Singh (Hot Mess Holiday), who was known as Superwoman, is playing music executive Nora. Tahj Mowry (Baby Daddy) is Gary and Saara Chaudry (The Mysterious Benedict Society) is Hannah.
"For many reasons we haven’t seen this much of the band, ever, so we get to learn their back stories and why they are the way they are," says Tahj, who made his name on the American sitcom Full House. "As for Moog, he just wants to be in the band’s presence as often as he can, whether that’s him holding their cups of coffee, or bringing them some snacks in between rehearsals. And if he can help them record an album, he can die happy!"
There are a number of famous guest stars. Here's who you can expect to rock up in The Muppets Mayhem...
Paula Abdul, Steve Aoki, David Bizarro, Rachel Bloom, Nicole Byer, Sofia Carson, Charlamagne Tha God, Tommy Chong, Billy Corgan, Stephanie D’Abruzzo, Colton Dunn, Morgan Freeman, Susanna Hoffs, James Hong, Jennifer Irwin, Karamo Kesha, Tommy Lee, Lil Nas X, Riki Lindhome, Cheech Marin, Ziggy Marley, Jack McBrayer, Arden Myrin, Nico Santos, Kristen Schaal, Ben Schwartz, Ryan Seacrest, Kevin Smith, Chris Stapleton, Danny Trejo, Joe Lo Truglio, Weird Al Yankovic, Cedric Yarbrough and Zedd.
Behind the scenes and more on The Muppets Mayhem
The Muppets Mayhem is based on characters created by Jim Henson, and the series is developed and written by executive producers Adam F. Goldberg (The Goldbergs), Bill Barretta (The Muppets, Muppets Haunted Mansion) and co-executive producer Jeff Yorkes. Michael Bostick, Kris Eber and The Muppets Studio's David Lightbody and Leigh Slaughter also serve as executive producers. Original music by executive music producer and Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee Linda Perry.
The Disney+ Original series from Disney Branded Television is produced by ABC Signature and The Muppets Studio.
Executive producer and show creator Bill Barretta, who also voices Dr Teeth as well as Muppets favourites The Swedish Chef and Pepe the King Prawn, says each member of the band goes on a fantastic rollercoaster journey. "They’re all easy going, they love the music life and they basically go where the wind takes them. But then they find themselves on this new journey they never expected,’ he says. "They’re all kind of clueless in their own way. But we get to see them grow and change, and ultimately find themselves again. It’s a great ride for them. "I think the key to it is heart. It sounds corny but it’s about embracing difference, and loving each other for being different!"
