Tag Archives: first look presentation

ABC releases extended look at this fall’s ‘The Muppets’

Excited for The Muppets to make their triumphant return to television? Today ABC released an extended sneak peek at this fall’s upcoming comedy starring your favorite furry puppets Kermit, Gonzo, Miss Piggy and the rest. It’s highly atypical for a network to leak a “first look presentation” to the public–it’s what the creators of a show put together to convince a network to pick up their project to series. Due to popular demand, and after screening it to audiences at San Diego Comic Con, ABC decided to let Bill Prady and Bob Kushell’s Muppets pitch loose to boost anticipation and awareness surrounding the sitcom.

The nearly 11-minute clip is essentially an extension of the original Muppets trailer ABC outed during the Upfronts. In it, Kermit rounds up the troops in a production office to announce that ABC wants to put on a primetime Muppets show; yes, it’s very meta. The pitch utilizes the mockumentary style camerawork found in many successful sitcoms today, including Modern Family; Gonzo calls it “so gimmicky” and yet I can’t hold back laughter. The crux of the drama involves Kermit trying to get Miss Piggy out of the movie biz (where she’s dating That 70s Show star Topher Grace) and onto the set of the new ABC series. She’s dismissive at first likely due to the fact that Kermit has moved on, too, and fell for another pig named Denise. Elsewhere, Fozzie the Bear is dating a human girl and her parents are concerned.

Whether or not any of this actually makes it into the pilot to air this fall, it’s a must-see for Muppets fans and all those who are eagerly looking forward to “a more adult Muppets show” in primetime.