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'{{Infobox television | name = Muppets Now | image = Muppets Now logo.jpeg | genre = [[Puppetry]]<br>[[Improvisational theatre|Improvisational comedy]] | creator = | starring = [[Bill Barretta]]<br>[[Dave Goelz]]<br>[[Eric Jacobson]]<br>[[Peter Linz]]<br>[[David Rudman]]<br>[[Matt Vogel (puppeteer)|Matt Vogel]] | theme_music_composer = | based_on = {{based_on|[[The Muppets]]|[[Jim Henson]]}} | opentheme = | country = United States | language = English | num_seasons = 1 | num_episodes = 6 | list_episodes = | executive_producer = Andrew Williams<br>Bill Barretta<br>Sabrina Wind | location = | camera = | runtime = 22–24 minutes | company = [[The Muppets Studio]]<br>Soapbox Films | distributor = [[Disney Media Distribution]] | network = [[Disney+]] | picture_format = | first_aired = {{Start date|2020|07|31}} | last_aired = {{Start date|present}} | related = | website = | story = }} '''''Muppets Now''''' is an American [[web television]] series produced by [[The Muppets Studio]] for [[Disney+]]. Directed by [[Kirk Thatcher]], the series is an [[improvised situation comedy|improvisational comedy]] based on [[The Muppets|''The Muppets'' franchise]] by [[Jim Henson]]. It premiered on July 31, 2020. ==Premise== ''Muppets Now'' is a series consisting of multiple different segments bridged together by a framing device featuring [[Scooter (Muppet)|Scooter]]. The segments include a game show, a cooking show, and a talk show. The series was marketed as unscripted, but several writers are credited. The show sees the debut of two new characters, Joe the Legal Weasel and Beverly Plume. The segments include: * '''Lifesty(le) with Miss Piggy''', in which [[Miss Piggy]] offers lifestyle tips with assistance from [[List of Muppets#Uncle Deadly|Uncle Deadly]], [[Taye Diggs]], [[Linda Cardellini]], and various other Muppet and celebrity guests. The segment is divided into smaller segments including “Try it with Taye Diggs” in which Piggy and Taye Diggs try beauty regimes or exotic foods and “Le Chat Room” where Miss Piggy discusses the given topic with Linda Cardellini and two other muppets (usually one of which is a random non-anthropomorphic animal or anthropomorphic inanimate object). (appears in all episodes) * '''Økėÿ Døkęÿ Køøkïñ''', hosted by turkey Beverly Plume in which the [[Swedish Chef]] competes against [[celebrity chef]]s. (appears in five of the six episodes) * '''Muppet Masters''', which features [[Walter (Muppet)|Walter]] discovering the Muppets' hidden talents. (appears in episodes 1 and 5) * '''Mup Close and Personal''', in which a different Muppet each time attempts to have an in-depth conversation with a celebrity guest. (appears in episodes 1,4 and 6) * '''Muppet Labs Field Test''', in which Dr. [[Bunsen Honeydew]] and [[Beaker (Muppet)|Beaker]] take their experiments out into the open. These are preceded by safety warnings with Kermit and Joe the Legal Weasel. Parts of the segments feature animated muppets as famous historical figures. (appears in all episodes except the first) * '''Pepe's Unbelievable Game Show''', where Scooter has came up with a long list of rules for [[Pepe the King Prawn]]'s game show, but Pepe himself would rather just make it up as he goes along, to Scooter's annoyance. (appears in episodes 2,3 and 5) ==Cast== ===Muppet Performers=== {{main|List of Muppets}} * [[Matt Vogel (puppeteer)|Matt Vogel]] as ** [[Kermit the Frog]], the leader of the Muppets. ** [[List of Muppets#Uncle Deadly|Uncle Deadly]], Miss Piggy's personal assistant. ** [[List of Muppets#Camilla the Chicken|Camilla the Chicken]], Gonzo's girlfriend. ** [[Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem#Floyd Pepper|Floyd Pepper]], the bass guitarist of The Electric Mayhem. ** Cacti * [[Eric Jacobson]] as ** [[Fozzie Bear]], Kermit's best friend, a struggling comedian. ** [[Miss Piggy]], the host of "Lifestyle with Miss Piggy". ** [[Animal (Muppet)|Animal]], the drummer of The Electric Mayhem. ** [[Sam Eagle]], a conservative eagle. ** A Mole who appears in the second installment of "Økėÿ Døkęÿ Køøkïñ". ** Cacti * [[Dave Goelz]] as ** [[Gonzo (Muppet)|The Great Gonzo]], a daredevil and Camilla's boyfriend. ** [[Bunsen Honeydew]], the host of "Muppet Labs Field Test". ** [[Statler and Waldorf|Waldorf]], an elderly critic. ** [[List of Muppets#Additional characters|Chip]], the I.T. guy. ** [[List of Muppets#Beauregard|Beauregard]], a dim-witted janitor of indeterminate species. ** [[Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem#Zoot|Zoot]], the saxophonist of The Electric Mayhem. * [[Bill Barretta]] as ** [[Pepe the King Prawn]], the host of "Pepe's Unbelievable Game Show". ** [[Swedish Chef|The Swedish Chef]], a chef who is the star of "Økėÿ Døkęÿ Køøkïñ". ** [[Big Mean Carl]] ** [[List of Muppets#Additional characters|Howard Tubman]], a rich pig and [[RuPaul]] superfan who appears in the first episode, interrupting Kermit's interview with his idol. ** [[List of Muppets#Additional characters|Bubba the Rat]], a butch rat who appears with Yolanda in "Lifestyle with Miss Piggy". ** [[List of Muppets#Bobo the Bear|Bobo the Bear]], an absent-minded bear. ** [[Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem#Dr. Teeth|Dr. Teeth]], the leader and keyboardist of The Electric Mayhem. * [[David Rudman]] as ** [[Scooter (Muppet)|Scooter]], the co-host of "Pepe's Unbelievable Game Show" and the producer of ''Muppets Now'' whose job is to upload the show onto Disney+ in time. ** [[Beaker (Muppet)|Beaker]], the co-host of Muppet Labs Field Test and the victim of Bunsen's experiments. ** [[Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem#Janice|Janice]], the guitarist of The Electric Mayhem. ** Miss Poogy, a member of the Moopets and Miss Piggy's doppelgänger. * [[Peter Linz]] as ** [[Walter (Muppet)|Walter]], the host of "Muppet Masters". ** [[Statler and Waldorf|Statler]], an elderly critic. ** [[Link Hogthrob]] ** [[List of Muppets#Additional characters|Joe the Legal Weasel]], the Muppets' new legal counsel. His main role in the series is in segments preceding “Muppet Labs Field Test” where he and Kermit warn the viewers to not try Bunsen and Beaker’s experiments at home. ** [[Robin the Frog]], Kermit's nephew ** Beepalyzer, a lonely, outdated computer who appears in the third installment of "Muppet Labs Field Test". ** Foo-Foo, Miss Piggy’s pet dog. * [[Julianne Buescher]] as ** [[List of Muppets#Additional characters|Yolanda the Rat]], a female rat who appears in "Lifestyle with Miss Piggy". ** Beverly Plume, a turkey who is the host of "Økėÿ Døkęÿ Køøkïñ". She also appears in the fifth installment of “Lifestyle with Miss Piggy”. ** Margaret, a [[List of Muppets#Whatnots|Whatnot]] beautician who appears in "Lifestyle with Miss Piggy". ** Rosie the Sheep, who appears in "Lifestyle with Miss Piggy". ** Beak-R, Bunsen's new high tech assistant who appears in “Muppet Labs Field Test”. ** Priscilla ** Brie the Cheese ** Elena the Penguin ** Some Bunny ** A Screaming Goat ** Esther ** Mary the Cow * [[Mike Quinn (puppeteer)|Mike Quinn]] ==Production== ===Development=== On May 21, 2019, it was reported that Disney was developing a 10-minute short series based on [[The Muppets]].<ref name="Announcement">{{cite web|title=EXCLUSIVE: Muppets Variety Shorts Coming To Disney+|url=https://thedisinsider.com/2019/05/20/exclusive-muppets-variety-shorts-coming-to-disney/|work=The DisInsider|accessdate=May 21, 2019}}</ref> The series was set to be an [[improvised situation comedy]] featuring three segments.<ref name="Announcement"/> On August 23, 2019, the series was officially announced under the title ''Muppets Now''.<ref name="Confirmation">[https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/the-muppets-disney-plus-short-form-series-1203312841/ 'The Muppets' Short-Form Series Coming to Disney Plus]</ref> On December 22, 2019, director [[Kirk Thatcher]] said that the series will approach "three different types of shows".<ref name="SixDays">[https://www.youtube.com/IXyv-MxGRmU?t=46m15s GalaxyCon Louisville]</ref> ===Filming=== Production on ''Muppets Now'' began on June 8, 2019,<ref name="Announcement"/> and lasted approximately six days.<ref name="SixDays"/> Thatcher serves as director for the series.<ref>[https://kirkrthatcher.com/ Kirk Thatcher official website]</ref> ==Episodes== {{Episode table |background=#FFA000 |overall=6 |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |country=US |released=y |episodes= {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 1 |Title = Due Date |RTitle = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://dtcimedia.disney.com/news/next-on-disney-plus-july-2020|title=Next on Disney+: July 2020|author=Disney+ Media Relations|work=Disney+|date=June 17, 2020|accessdate=July 17, 2020}}</ref> |DirectedBy = Christopher Alender<br>[[Kirk Thatcher|Rufus Scot Church]]<br>[[Bill Barretta|Vito Massaro]] |WrittenBy = Matthew Barnette<br>Marcos Gabriel<br>[[Jim Lewis (writer)|Jim Lewis]]<br>Jamilyn Rosalas<br>Noah Smith<br>Joanna Truman<br>Andrew Williams<br>Kelly Younger<br>(story team) |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|7|31}} |ShortSummary = Scooter uploads the videos for the Muppets' newest show on a tight deadline while receiving messages from his co-workers. Miss Piggy discusses personal style with Uncle Deadly, [[Taye Diggs]], Janice, Rosie the Sheep, and [[Linda Cardellini]] in "Lifestyle with Miss Piggy". Walter reveals Kermit's hidden talent for photobombing in "Muppet Masters". The Swedish Chef and Carlina Will compete against each other to make the best curry in "Økėÿ Døkęÿ Køøkïñ". Kermit attempts to interview RuPaul in "Mup Close and Personal", but is constantly interrupted by the other Muppets. '''Guest stars''': [[Linda Cardellini]], [[Taye Diggs]], [[RuPaul]], and Carlina Will |LineColor = #FFA000 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 2 |Title = Fever Pitch |RTitle = <ref name="august"/> |DirectedBy = Rufus Scot Church<br>Vito Massaro |WrittenBy = Matthew Barnette<br>Marcos Gabriel<br>Jim Lewis<br>Jamilyn Rosalas<br>Noah Smith<br>Joanna Truman<br>Andrew Williams<br>Kelly Younger<br>(story team) |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|8|7}} |ShortSummary = Scooter has to deal with Fozzie bombarding him with pitches while trying to get the segments up online in time. Pepe drives Scooter crazy with his made-up rules in the first installment of "Pepe's Unbelievable Game Show" with help from Beauregard, Carol, and Gonzo and his chickens. The Swedish Chef competes against [[Danny Trejo]] to make the best taco in "Økėÿ Døkęÿ Køøkïñ". Dr. Bunsen Honeydew experiments with melting and burning with his new high-tech assistant Beak-R and a jealous Beaker in "Muppet Labs Field Tests". Miss Piggy discusses health with Uncle Deadly, Taye Diggs, Bobo the Bear, Yolanda Rat, Bubba the Rat, Camilla the Chicken, and Linda Cardellini in "Lifestyle with Miss Piggy". '''Guest stars''': Linda Cardellini, Taye Diggs, and [[Danny Trejo]] |LineColor = #FFA000 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 3 |Title = Getting Testy |RTitle = <ref name="august"/> |DirectedBy = Rufus Scot Church<br>Vito Massaro |WrittenBy = Matthew Barnette<br>Marcos Gabriel<br>Jim Lewis<br>Jamilyn Rosalas<br>Noah Smith<br>Joanna Truman<br>Andrew Williams<br>Kelly Younger<br>(story team) |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|8|14}} |ShortSummary = Scooter is forced by Joe to host a test-screening for the segments, and the test audience turns out to be Statler and Waldorf. The Swedish Chef helps [[Roy Choi]] cook a Kalbi rice bowl with [[kimchi]] in "Økėÿ Døkęÿ Køøkïñ". Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker have some experiments on velocity with the assistance of a pizza delivery man in "Muppet Labs Field Tests". Miss Piggy discusses relationships with Uncle Deadly, Taye Diggs, Kermit, Beaker, Brie the Cheese, and Linda Cardellini in "Lifestyle with Miss Piggy". Pepe continues to be unpredictable on "Pepe's Unbelievable Game Show" with Miss Piggy and Big Mean Carl's help. '''Guest stars''': Linda Cardellini, Taye Diggs, [[Roy Choi]], and [[Al Madrigal]] |LineColor = #FFA000 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 4 |Title = Sleep Mode |RTitle = <ref name="august"/> |DirectedBy = Rufus Scot Church<br>Vito Massaro |WrittenBy = Matthew Barnette<br>Marcos Gabriel<br>Jim Lewis<br>Jamilyn Rosalas<br>Noah Smith<br>Joanna Truman<br>Andrew Williams<br>Kelly Younger<br>(story team) |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|8|21}} |ShortSummary = Scooter gets Animal's help to keep him awake to upload the videos after he pulled an all-nighter. Miss Piggy interviews [[Aubrey Plaza]] in "Mup Close and Personal", but she gets too distracted by her looks, forcing Uncle Deadly to get the footage they need. Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, and their old and lonely computer, the Beepalyzer, experiment with sound vibrations in "Muppet Labs Field Tests". The Swedish Chef competes against Guiseppe Losavio to make the best spaghetti in "Økėÿ Døkęÿ Køøkïñ". Miss Piggy discusses self care with Uncle Deadly, Taye Diggs, Miss Poogy, Elena, Pepe, and Linda Cardellini in "Lifestyle with Miss Piggy". '''Guest stars''': Linda Cardellini, Taye Diggs, [[Aubrey Plaza]], and Guiseppe Losavio |LineColor = #FFA000 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 5 |Title = The I.T. Factor |RTitle = <ref name="august">{{cite web|url=https://dtcimedia.disney.com/news/next-on-disney-plus-august-2020|title=Next on Disney+: August 2020|author=Disney+ Media Relations|work=Disney+|date=July 16, 2020|accessdate=July 17, 2020}}</ref> |DirectedBy = Christopher Alender<br>Rufus Scot Church<br>Vito Massaro |WrittenBy = Matthew Barnette<br>Marcos Gabriel<br>Jim Lewis<br>Jamilyn Rosalas<br>Noah Smith<br>Joanna Truman<br>Andrew Williams<br>Kelly Younger<br>(story team) |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|8|28}} |ShortSummary = Scooter attempts to overcome the several technical difficulties that come with a system update while uploading the sketches. Miss Piggy discusses travel with Uncle Deadly, Taye Diggs, the Swedish Chef, Foo-Foo, Beverly Plume, some bunny, and Linda Cardellini in "Lifestyle with Miss Piggy". Walter unveils Uncle Deadly's hidden talent for stage combat in "Muppet Masters". There's another unpredictable installment of "Pepe's Unbelievable Game Show" with the help of a screaming goat, two cacti, and the Swedish Chef. Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker experiment with pressure in "Muppet Labs Field Test". '''Guest stars''': Linda Cardellini and Taye Diggs |LineColor = #FFA000 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 6 |Title = Socialized |RTitle = <ref>{{cite web|title=What’s Coming To Disney+ In September |url=https://whatsondisneyplus.com/whats-coming-to-disney-in-september/ |website=What's on Disney Plus|accessdate=6 September 2020|date=August 31, 2020}}</ref> |DirectedBy = Christopher Alender<br>Rufus Scot Church<br>Vito Massaro |WrittenBy = Matthew Barnette<br>Marcos Gabriel<br>Jim Lewis<br>Jamilyn Rosalas<br>Noah Smith<br>Joanna Truman<br>Andrew Williams<br>Kelly Younger<br>(story team) |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|9|4}} |ShortSummary = Robin makes Scooter co-moderator on the Muppets social media accounts, forcing him to deal with multiple notifications while uploading the videos. Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker experiment with chemical reactions as Joe makes sure they meet legal standards in "Muppet Labs Field Test". The Swedish Chef and Marina Michelson present their unique takes on meatballs in "Økėÿ Døkęÿ Køøkïñ". Fozzie interviews [[Seth Rogen]] while babysitting in "Mup Close and Personal". Miss Piggy discusses treating yourself with Uncle Deadly, Taye Diggs, Walter, Esther, Mary the cow, and Linda Cardellini in "Lifestyle with Miss Piggy". '''Guest stars''': Linda Cardellini, Taye Diggs, Marina Michelson, and [[Seth Rogen]] |LineColor = #FFA000 }} }} ==Release== ''Muppets Now'' premiered on July 31, 2020, on Disney's streaming service, [[Disney+]].<ref name="Confirmation"/><ref>[https://whatsondisneyplus.com/muppets-now-coming-to-disney-this-summer/ Muppets Now Coming to Disney+ This Summer]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Muppets Now Coming To Disney+ In July|url=https://whatsondisneyplus.com/muppets-now-coming-to-disney-in-july/|work=What's On Disney Plus|date=2020-05-20|access-date=2020-05-20|language=en-us}}</ref> The first season will consist of 6 episodes. As is normal for a Disney+ original series, episodes are released weekly. {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+ International ! scope="col"| Country ! scope="col"| Release date |- | {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Disney+#Launch|Australia]] |scope="row" rowspan="6" | {{dts|2020|07|31}} |- | {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Disney+#Launch|Canada]] |- | {{flagicon|IND}} [[Hotstar#International availability|India]] |- | {{flagicon|IRL}} [[Disney+#Launch|Ireland]] |- | {{flagicon|NZL}} [[Disney+#Launch|New Zealand]] |- | {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Disney+#Launch|United Kingdom]] |- | [[OSN|Middle East and North Africa]] |scope="row"| {{dts|2020|08|01}} |- | {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Disney+#Launch|Japan]] |scope="row"| {{dts|2020|08|21}} |- | {{flagicon|IDN}} [[Hotstar#International availability|Indonesia]] |scope="row"| {{dts|2020|09|05}} |- | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Disney+#Launch|Denmark]] |scope="row" rowspan="4"| {{dts|2020|09|15}} |- | {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Disney+#Launch|Finland]] |- | {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Disney+#Launch|Norway]] |- | {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Disney+#Launch|Sweden]] |- | [[Disney+#Launch|Latin America]] |scope="row"| {{dts|2020|11|17}} |} ===Marketing=== On August 23, 2019, during the series' official announcement, a promotional teaser featuring [[Kermit the Frog]] and a Muppet named [[List of Muppets#Additional characters|Joe the Legal Weasel]] was shown at the [[D23 (Disney)|D23 Expo]].<ref name="Confirmation"/> On January 1, 2020, footage of the series was released in a video featuring original Disney+ content set to be released through the year.<ref name="2020Footage">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQP4bk1uGXM What's Coming to Disney+ in 2020]</ref> The official trailer was released on June 24, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|last=Romano|first=Nick|title=RuPaul dishes with Miss Piggy in trailer for Muppets Now Disney+ show|url=https://ew.com/tv/muppets-now-trailer-disney-plus-rupaul/|work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|accessdate=June 24, 2020|date=June 24, 2020}}</ref> ==Reception== On the review aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the series has an approval rating of 69% based on 51 reviews, with an average rating of 6.52/10. The critical consensus reads, "Though ''Muppets Now''{{'}}s formulaic sketches fail to showcase The Muppets' chaotic charms, it's entertaining enough to suggest that with looser reins - and a lot more music - it could become the best reboot in years."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/muppets_now/s01|title=Muppets Now (2020)|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|accessdate=August 24, 2020}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the series has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/muppets-now|title=Muppets Now Reviews|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|website=[[Metacritic]]|accessdate=August 14, 2020}}</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *{{Official}} *{{Disney+ series}} *{{IMDb title}} {{The Muppets}} {{Disney+ original series}} [[Category:2020s American comedy television series]] [[Category:2020 American television series debuts]] [[Category:American television shows featuring anthropomorphic characters]] [[Category:American television shows featuring puppetry]] [[Category:Disney+ original programming]] [[Category:English-language television shows]] [[Category:The Muppets television series]] [[Category:Improvisational television series]]'