Tag Archives: The Muppets

Status update #10 on your favorite new and returning shows

Here’s the tenth and final status update on the fates of your favorite shows across the major broadcast networks. This week brings the Upfronts presentations where the nets unveil their new programming for the upcoming 2016-17 TV season. Before we get to that, read on to find out which shows will be returning for more, and which ones are biting the dust. Fair warning, the networks committed deep spring cleaning, so brace yourselves.

CBS is forging forward with one long-running franchise and saying goodbye to another. Criminal Minds has been renewed for a 12th season, and according to Deadline, its spinoff Beyond Borders is expected to return for a second run. CSI: Cyber, on the other hand, has been cancelled after two seasons. The axing of the spinoff marks the end of an era for The Eye; next season will mark the first time the network isn’t airing a CSI show in 16 years. For those keeping count, the original CSI ran for 15 seasons, and its other spinoffs CSI: Miami and CSI: NY ran for 10 and 9 seasons, respectively. After some negotiation between CBS and studio Warner Bros. TV, Supergirl will produce a second season, but it will do so on sister network The CW. The superhero show, created by prolific producer Greg Berlani, will join Berlanti’s other crop of DC Comics-based series at The CW including ArrowFlash, and Legends of Tomorrow. Elsewhere, ensemble sitcom Life in Pieces was renewed for a sophomore run. We’re still waiting on the fates of hospital drama Code Black and sitcom The Odd Couple, but Deadline predicts imminent renewals on both fronts. Update (5/16): Criminal Minds: Beyond BordersCode BlackThe Odd Couple, and Undercover Boss have all been renewed. Freshman drama Rush Hour has been cancelled.

Jump after the break for more from NBC, FOX, and ABC. Continue reading Status update #10 on your favorite new and returning shows

Status update #2 on your favorite new and returning shows

The TV landscape is a fickle thing as viewers decide whether or not to tune into new and returning series. With that being said, it is prime time to check back into the status of programs spanning the big networks, cable, and premium cable. Shall we?

CBS is a fan of Limitless, the new fall drama that’s based on the 2011 Bradley Cooper film; it has received the Back 9 order that lifts its episode count to a full-season 22. The same can be said for ensemble sitcom Life in Pieces.

NBC is injecting even more life into its solid performers BlindspotChicago FireChicago P.D., and Law & Order: SVU. All four dramas–including Blindspot, which was previously granted a full season order–have been allotted one extra episode, upping their respective seasons from 22 to 23 episodes. Elsewhere on the Peacock network, underperformers The Player and Truth Be Told are getting episodes taken away from them. The Wesley Snipes casino drama is seeing its episode count reduced from 13 to 9, and the barely-on-the-radar sitcom is shedding three episodes seeing its total drop from 13 to 10.

Over on FOX, Tuesday night sitcoms Grandfathered and The Grinder led by John Stamos and Rob Lowe, respectively, have both received Back 9 orders, thus sealing their fates to last at least until May of next year.

More updates from ABC, FX, AMC, Starz, and HBO after the break. Continue reading Status update #2 on your favorite new and returning shows

The Muppets meet the faces of ABC primetime ahead of their series launch

It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights…

The Muppets are coming to ABC this fall and the Alphabet Network’s celebrating by pairing them up familiar faces from the primetime stable including Kerry Washington (Scandal), Nathan Fillion (Castle), and Patricia Heaton (The Middle). All three 30-second spots are entertaining and worth a watch if you’re anticipating the arrival of Kermit and friends. The one with Washington hangs above; the other two are embedded after the break.

The Muppets premieres September 22 on ABC. Watch an extended preview here. Continue reading The Muppets meet the faces of ABC primetime ahead of their series launch

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.

Watch the wonderful ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ trailer here!

The Muppets return in a sequel to 2011’s The Muppets. In Muppets Most Wanted the fuzzy gang travel to Europe and Kermit gets mistaken for the “World’s Number One Criminal” Constantine the frog. Humans Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, Ricky Gervais, and a wide net of celebrity cameos round out the impressive cast. James Bobin returns as director as does his Flight of the Conchords cohort Bret McKenzie whose music is featured once again. Watch the wildly entertaining trailer above and flails your arms like Kermit–The Muppets come back to the big screen March 21, 2014.

Movie trailer round-up: Spike Jonze’s ‘Her,’ ‘Muppets Most Wanted,’ ‘Jobs,’ ‘Thor: The Dark World’ & ‘Captain Phillips’

HER is set in Los Angeles, in the near future and follows Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive and unique entity in its own right. Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet “Samantha,” a bright, female voice (Scarlett Johansson), who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other. HER is an original love story that explores the evolving nature—and the risks—of intimacy in the modern world.

Spike Jonze, who is no stranger to android romance, directs. A melancholic tone permeates the trailer and yet it is spiritually uplifting in nature. A man falls for artificial intelligence; might he learn a thing or two about true love along the way? Her releases November 20.

Jump after the break to view more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: Spike Jonze’s ‘Her,’ ‘Muppets Most Wanted,’ ‘Jobs,’ ‘Thor: The Dark World’ & ‘Captain Phillips’

First look: The Muppets are back in ‘The Muppets …Again!’

The Muppets are coming! The Muppets are coming! After a hugely successful return to the silver screen in 2011’s The Muppets, Kermit and the gang are back for more in a followup sequel The Muppets …Again!. James Bobin is back at the helm and again he co-wrote the script with Nicholas Stoller. Also returning is Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame who won a shiny Oscar for Best Original Song “Man or Muppet” which was featured in the first filmWhat’s this one about? Read on…

Disney’s The Muppets …Again! takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit—and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two.

Jason Segal and Amy Adams will not reprise their roles. Instead fresh blood will invigorate the franchise; Tina Fey (30 Rock) plays feisty prison guard Nadya, Ty Burrell (Modern Family) is Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon, and comedian Ricky Gervais is the villain’s sidekick Dominic.

“It’s great to be back working with the Muppets,” said Bobin, “some of them even remember my name occasionally now. As for the movie, it’s a tip of the hat to the old-school crime capers of the ’60s, but featuring a frog, a pig, a bear and a dog—no panthers, even pink ones—along with the usual Muppet-y mix of mayhem, music and laughs.”

The Muppets … Again! will shoot on location in London and in Hollywood, as well as in the famed Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, just outside of London. Save the date: March 21, 2014.

Eye the Muppets in London in the colorful image pasted above (Walter’s back!) and after the break you’ll find Gervais keeping Kermit and Miss Piggy close to his vest. Continue reading First look: The Muppets are back in ‘The Muppets …Again!’

Cee-Lo Green and The Muppets spread holiday cheer in “All I Need Is Love” music video

Cee-Lo Green released a Christmas album earlier this month called Cee-Lo’s Magic Moment; though it contains mostly covers of classic holiday hits like “White Christmas” and “Silent Night,” there is one original track planted inside. To promote the catchy single “All I Need Is Love,” Green collaborated with The Muppets for the second time in his career (remember his colorful rendition of “F–k You” at the Grammys?) in a fun and cheery music video that also features a cameo by The Office‘s Craig Robinson as Santa. The song, which is infused with the classic Muppets tune “Mahna Mahna,” is infectious and by the time you’re done watching this nearly seven-minute clip you’ll be humming All I need is la-la-love! My favorite part is when the newest member of the Muppets family Walter looks up to Robinson and proclaims, “So Santa’s my homie!”

It’s almost that time of year; enjoy. Download the track at iTunes.

Preview ‘The Muppets’ soundtrack right here!

The new Muppets movie is almost here! To elevate your sheer excitement click play above and take in seven minutes of the original soundtrack. You’ll hear vocals from all of your favorite Henson characters as well as stars Jason Segal, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, and more. Preorder the soundtrack at iTunes today. It releases tomorrow, November 20. And the movie comes out this Wednesday, November 23.

Teaser trailer: The Muppets in “The Pig With The Froggy Tattoo”

It’s definitely been awhile since Muppets Studio pumped out a parody trailer for the upcoming Muppets movie. I am happy to announce that the wait is officially over. “The Pig With The Froggy Tattoo” sits above, and it wonderfully parodies David Fincher’s teaser trailer for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Man I cannot wait for The Muppets to return to the big screen. They arrive this Thanksgiving on November 23.