The Muppet Show (2026 TV special)

Summarize Fact Check

The special opens in a dark, empty Muppet Theatre as Rowlf plays "Rainbow Connection" on piano. Beauregard dusts the hallway and Kermit arrives, turning on the lights and reflecting on the show’s history before realizing it is time to start again. Scooter prepares the evening's guest star, Sabrina Carpenter, but Miss Piggy is dressed the same as her, sparking tension.

After the opening theme, Sabrina kicks off the show with a performance of "Manchild" set in a rowdy bar run by Sam Eagle and populated by unruly Frackles and dancing chickens.

Backstage, Kermit quickly discovers the production is overcrowded because he accidentally approved nearly every act out of politeness. Scooter presents an impossibly long schedule and Kermit scrambles to cut segments. Fozzie offers to help and cuts executive producer Seth Rogen instead while Miss Piggy insists on keeping her two lavish numbers, including an over-the-top historical musical spectacle, ignoring Kermit's concerns about time.

Gonzo attempts a deadly roller-skating obstacle course while reciting the names of every Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress, only to immediately crash and continue bursting into scenes throughout the episode mid-recitation.

A "Pigs in Wigs" ballroom sketch centers on Piggy juggling romantic suitors before her wig gets caught in a chandelier and Pepé replaces her paramour, humiliating her as Statler and Waldorf prepare tomatoes to throw.

Rizzo and the rats perform "Blinding Lights" on a city street set, but Beauregard accidentally shorts out the lighting system, plunging the number into chaos.

At Muppet Labs, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew unveils "Focus Pocus," a concentration serum that causes Beaker's eyeballs to pop out and multiply uncontrollably, later pelting the audience.

In the crowd, Maya Rudolph chats obliviously with Beautiful Day Monster as one of the eyeballs get stuck in her throat. She is later mistakenly reported dead in a Muppet News Flash and seen on a stretcher held by two Mutations before reviving when a sandbag knocks the obstruction from her throat.

Meanwhile, Sabrina bonds with Kermit and reveals she idolizes Miss Piggy, but Piggy storms in furious that her big number has been cut and knocks down the dressing room door, flattening Kermit. Sabrina's flattery softens Piggy's anger, and the two reconcile enough to share the spotlight. Later, Kermit and Sabrina perform "Islands in the Stream" in a swamp-set duet, only for Piggy to interrupt and replace Kermit as her duet partner.

As backstage pressure mounts and the cast clamors for stage time, Kermit becomes overwhelmed trying to choose a final act. Rather than cut anyone else, he decides to abandon the planned finale and instead leads the entire troupe in an impromptu ensemble number of Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now." One by one, the Muppets, the Electric Mayhem, and the supporting players join in. In the closing moments, Kermit thanks Sabrina, who jokes that they fit in together because they are the same height. Seth grumbles from the audience about being cut, and Gonzo continues roller-skating while shouting the names of Academy Award winners.

Special guest star

• Sabrina Carpenter

Guest starring

• Seth Rogen
• Maya Rudolph

Muppet performers

Main article: List of Muppets

• Bill Barretta as Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Teeth, Swedish Chef, Pepe the King Prawn
• Dave Goelz as Gonzo, Zoot, Waldorf, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew
• Eric Jacobson as Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Sam Eagle
• Peter Linz as Lips, Statler
• David Rudman as Scooter, Janice, Beaker
• Matt Vogel as Kermit the Frog, Sgt. Floyd Pepper

Guest starring Muppet performers

• Stephanie D'Abruzzo
• Ryan Dillon
• Alice Dinnean
• Bradley Freeman, Jr.

Supporting Muppet performers

• Jennifer Barnhart
• Jackson Barretta
• David Bizzaro
• Jordan Brownlee
• Tyler Bunch
• Kevin Carlson
• Leslie Carrara-Rudolph
• John Cody
• Frankie Cordero
• Peggy Etra
• Alex "Jurgen" Ferguson
• Dan Garza
• Haley Jenkins
• Tim Lagasse
• B Lanoil
• Amanda Maddock
• Drew Massey
• Paul McGinnis
• James Murray
• Sarah Sarang Oh
• Michael Oosterom
• Martin P. Robinson
• Nicolette Santino
• Stoph Scheer
• Michelan Sisti
• Colleen Smith
• John Tartaglia
• Allan Trautman
• Art Vega
• Russ Walko
• Stacey Weingarten

In September 2025, Disney announced that an untitled "event special" for The Muppet Show was being produced for Disney+, to premiere on February 4, 2026, to coincide with the show's 50th anniversary. The special is described as "Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo and the gang as they return to the Muppet Theatre to produce a variety show." The special stars Muppet performers Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, David Rudman and Matt Vogel performing the majority of the Muppet characters, alongside a supporting cast of additional performers; Goelz reprises most of the same character roles he originated during the show's original 1976–1981 run. The special was directed by Alex Timbers and feature special guest stars Sabrina Carpenter,^[10] Maya Rudolph and Seth Rogen.^[11] In addition, Carpenter and Rogen also served as executive producers alongside Evan Goldberg, Vogel, Jacobson, David Lightbody, Leigh Slaughter, Michael Steinbach, Albertina Rizzo, James Weaver and Alex McAtee.^[12][13]

The special was co-produced by 20th Television, Disney Branded Television, The Muppets Studio, and Point Grey Pictures.^[14]

In December 2025, a premiere date was set for February 4, 2026.^[15] A teaser was released on January 2, 2026.^[16] A trailer was released on January 23, 2026, announcing Maya Rudolph as an additional guest star^[17] in addition to the previously announced Sabrina Carpenter and Seth Rogen.^[18][19]

Summarize Fact Check

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 45 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights -- this spirited return to The Muppet Show's roots is clever, earnest, and feels exactly right."^[20] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[21] On ABC, the special averaged a 0.52 rating in the 18-49 demographic with a 7 share and was viewed by 3.07 million people.^[22] Across multiple platforms, the special accumulated 7.58 million viewers.^[23]

James Poniewozik of The New York Times praised the Muppets' return to form, writing, "The Muppet Show, it turns out, doesn't need to be retooled for a new era, because the Muppets exist outside of time. These are, in fact, your grandparents' Muppets, and your parents'. And yet they're exactly the Muppets you need right now."^[24] Judy Berman of Time magazine felt the special "recaptures both the format and the soul of the '70s original [...] Every beloved character is back. The revival is so satisfying that I only have one complaint: There's too little of it."^[25]

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com felt Sabrina Carpenter "proves a great fit for the first episode, finding that charm she's employed on TV before—she's great on SNL—and employing it well here." In summary, he felt the 2026 special "understands why people still love the original."^[26] Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter felt the "punchlines feel like first-draft jokes in desperate need of refinement"; nevertheless, he summarized: "This is not The Muppet Show at its best, but it's a return to what the Muppets do best."^[27] Tara Bennett of IGN praised the Muppet performers and the writers for "honoring the past with faithful sketch revivals and character temperaments while making this episode feel fresh and genuinely funny."^[28]

Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times wrote he was "largely satisfied and often delighted" with the special; in conclusion, he noted: "Sentiment is consistent with the Muppets gestalt, but not really part of The Muppet Show. But I will excuse it, and hope they return with more."^[29] Lili Loofbourow of The Washington Post described the special as "mediocre", in which she noted it failed "to introduce itself to new audiences." She further criticized Matt Vogel's performance as Kermit, and concluded "The Muppet Show has never been about being great. It's been about feeling good. And on that front, boy, does this silly little special deliver."^[30]