Ok..so.....I enjoyed it. For what it was attempting , I think it was a good start to something that could be great.Honestly, so much better than I feared.As a high ranking member of my own made up Jim Henson religion wherein I serve as a Pastor of Muppets, I was pleased. I want to watch it again to solidify some thoughts as I was a bit overwhelmed emotionally that I was watching such a thing in the first place that I'm sure a lot of details got lost in the hysteria rush of I'M WATCHING A NEW MUPPET SHOW !!!!. And the fact that I want to give it a second go is a good thing. I laughed.I cried ( and not just because I was seeing a new Muppet show in familiar felt.But that ,tonight, I can't share my feelings about it with Jess. I wish she was here for so many reasons, and sharing this experience is one of them). I appreciate that adult humor was kept to a minimum.Going in I had absolutely no idea who Sabrina Carpenter was ,and by the end, still little clue. But, as is the charm and success of a good Muppet Show, that didn't matter. As a kid ,there were guests on the original show that I, at the time ,did not know who they were.But that never detracted from my enjoyment of the show. Having gone back and watched the original many times over the decades, I've even grown to admire performances that I had earlier disregarded as just not my thing. I would like more episodes please. I've already started a guest list and bits I would like to see them perform
Now ... some notes of a spoilery nature ...
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First note....they HAVE to record their guest artist singing LIVE ! None of this lip-syncing to studio tweeked vocals. This is not an album cut. This is not a music video .This is suppose to be a LIVE performance in a theater setting. It should sound like that, feel like that. I don't care if they record a live vocal that the performer then mimes , but it needs to be a live track. Unless Auto Tuning is the joke of the sketch, I don't want to hear it .Ever . Honestly, it would be fun to have an artist who is known for using auto-tune,and being the Muppet show, something goes wrong with the device that does the auto-tuning and as result we get some hilarious sounds coming out of the mouth of a performer every time they try to sing or even speak ,Ending with them simply sitting down and singing a auto tune free, gimmick free emotional acoustic song backstage to a Muppet who was in charge of the tuning device.
Second note - They need to cut back on the editing of the sketches. What makes the Muppet's work ,for me, is their interactions with the human standing right next to them. In the environment.When there is too much editing back and forth between Muppet and human, it separates them from the space they share. Seeing the Muppet react to the human in a one shot works more than cutting to a reaction shot. Also, this is suppose to be a performance on a stage to a seated theater audience. Lean into that. We don't need fancy camera angles unless the sketch or punchline dictates it. I'm not opposed to a cut to a closeup of vocalizing chickens when they are providing harmony or la-la-la-ing for emphasis in a song.
Third note; sketch specific : Kermit doesn't have to be in multiple sketches.He shouldn't , unless it's a episode storyline specific reason. He's the host, not the star. I would have liked him to only have sung when he takes the stage at the end.The basic storyline throughout the episode is that Kermit needs to keep cutting acts.Disappointing his friends and performers who wanted to be on the stage on this important night.and then Kermit hogs the stage by being in multiple numbers? I think it would have been a stronger emotional beat if Kermit wasn't scheduled to perform in any of this weeks show but he took to the stage at the end to bring everyone back together through song. With the cancelled acts coming on stage one by one,coming together,joining the chorus. Kermit ,once again, making millions of people ,and Muppets , happy through his performance.
Fourth note : Ok this one I freely admit I need to rewatch the sketch to make sure I didn't miss a specific detail that was lost in the fog of OH MY GOD I'M WATCHING A NEW MUPPET SHOW!! , but I like when it's a solo Muppet performance of a song there is also a built in thematic twist or pun to the setting or performance. I must have missed something during the Rizzo rat song. But when your song's chorus has the phrase "Blinded by the lights", shouldn't ,you known, be actually blinded by some lights? With their Muppet eyes going white with tiny iris' ? the next line is " I can't sleep till i feel your touch" you could show Rizzo blindly stumbling about trying to find his love interest...then he falls into a sewer " I'm drowning in the night" Pun it up. Until you can feel it !
Fifth Note : Give us the triple threat stars. If someone is known for singing , lets see them do something else in a sketch. Show off their other skills.Unexpected talents. If a performer is known for doing emotional songs....have the joke be they want to do a silly song.
Sixth note, Sketch Note: The Miss Piggy period sketch would have been a perfect time to tip the hat to the ballroom joke dance sketches of old. With the background characters telling random jokes in between Piggy's attempt to perform her dramatic scene. Frustrating her as no one around her takes her big "acting" attempt serious. could have had a line that there was a big director in the audience and she wanted to show off her acting......chops. And be serious for at least once on the show , only for the typical chaos of the Muppets to over take her performance.
Seventh Note : I thought the backstage scenes were too crowded with unnamed Muppets. Stepping on some of the jokes in the foreground. It's one thing to see assorted Muppets coming off stage after a sketch ,continuing a visual joke from moments before.With Kermit making a parting comment on their performance. Or to even see a Muppet preparing for their upcoming sketch. But there was just Muppets everywhere. Distracting chaos.
Eighth Note: Kermit's voice. I know it's always going to be different. It will never be Jim. And I can adapt to the change in sound over time. But to be honest, this took me out of the moment. Again, this is part of the I want to watch it all over again to soak it in . But That voice ,man. And maybe it wasn't just the voice, but also the performance of the Muppet. Felt (ha-ha) very cover band-ish. A lot of the voices were so close to hitting the mark ,but again felt as if they might be missing certain inflections. I wonder if puppeteers of such well known characters with established voices get too caught up in trying to mimic the voice that isn't one they naturally designed themselves ,and forget the character of their speech?
Ninth Note : That bit with Rowlf on the piano at the beginning was perfect Muppet unexpected silliness. And on par with how the characters should interact with each other. Since it has been ages since we have seen these characters together in this setting, I would have liked a bit more of that. We kind of almost got a moment like that between Fozzie and Kermit.
Tenth Note: I enjoyed that they had a second guest star just sitting in the audience. The Maya Rudolph bits were fun.I would have easily enjoyed seeing a whole show with her. A running gag of a new series could be that a future guest appears in the audience of the show,prior to ,and does a bit. Maybe have a third audience member appear in multiple shows, their bit being that they want to be in the show but are never asked but show up every week ,just in case the main guest is a no show, and then they are the actual guest at the very last episode of the season
Eleventh Note: I like that they were not afraid to introduce a new Muppet into the mix. Even if just for a two line joke.And those lines even gave the character a little backstory. Familiar past characters are great but new ones give the performers something to make their own
Twelth Note: The original Muppet Show was a variety show. And if this new one is to continue, I hope it remembers that. Variety shows have been a thing of the past for decades.Today's younger audiences are probably not familiar with that style. But I think It's time for a return. And I hope the vaudeville nature of the Muppet Show is celebrated. If only so I can create a Phantom of the Muppet Theater who calls himself "The Vaudvillainian" and tries to scare the performers.
