{"id":30858,"date":"2025-09-19T04:31:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T04:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/30858\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T04:31:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T04:31:08","slug":"wocka-wocka-the-muppet-show-is-returning-50-years-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/30858\/","title":{"rendered":"Wocka wocka! \u2018The Muppet Show\u2019 is returning 50 years later."},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"RIFJOIVSXFAZRD7QVOULJIO2CE\">It\u2019s time to play the music!<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"VZJMICXA4FHPFGWC2ZEJXVP4YU\">It\u2019s time to light the lights!<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"SY6VI2MPEFFIRPCU2LWCD4PKCY\">It\u2019s time to meet the Muppets on \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL8CncUxRsuLB_TnxsW_nmBhSK1ag_K-AT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL8CncUxRsuLB_TnxsW_nmBhSK1ag_K-AT\">The Muppet Show<\/a>\u201d tonight!<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"2VHGP7RZVFE57EDUHJ5KFLRFLA\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hensoncompany\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hensoncompany\/\">Jim Henson<\/a>\u2019s band of puppet misfits is returning 50 years after the show premiered in 1976. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"CZ343Q2WIBBG3IVJML4RRQ6FZI\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sethrogen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sethrogen\/\">Seth Rogen<\/a> and his creative partner <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/evandgoldberg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/evandgoldberg\/\">Evan Goldberg<\/a> are executive producers of a new <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2025\/tv\/news\/muppet-show-special-disney-plus-sabrina-carpenter-1236522558\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2025\/tv\/news\/muppet-show-special-disney-plus-sabrina-carpenter-1236522558\/\">Muppets special<\/a> that could become the pilot to a revival series, multiple outlets report. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"SZB7KNGKUJD2RDZXHIQFPU56FQ\">The Muppets will be staging a variety show in their return, much like the original series.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"RKNCORDIZNFO5NMMNHF5N2UNMY\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.disneyplus.com\/browse\/entity-dfd3c5a0-9a09-4f75-99f4-51bbd0bf521d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.disneyplus.com\/browse\/entity-dfd3c5a0-9a09-4f75-99f4-51bbd0bf521d\">Disney+<\/a> special is set to mark the 50th anniversary of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.disneyplus.com\/browse\/entity-dfd3c5a0-9a09-4f75-99f4-51bbd0bf521d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.disneyplus.com\/browse\/entity-dfd3c5a0-9a09-4f75-99f4-51bbd0bf521d\">The Muppet Show<\/a>\u201d in 2026.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"VATYQNFXNVGJTDLPJ5SKNPYU3U\">Grammy-winning pop star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sabrinacarpenter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sabrinacarpenter\/\">Sabrina Carpenter<\/a> will be a <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2025\/tv\/news\/muppet-show-special-disney-plus-sabrina-carpenter-1236522558\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2025\/tv\/news\/muppet-show-special-disney-plus-sabrina-carpenter-1236522558\/\">guest star<\/a> and producer on the special, Variety reports.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"NEXUYECNWBB47N5NST57RLGRWE\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/albzrizz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/albzrizz\/\">Albertina Rizzo<\/a> (\u201cThe Tonight Show\u201d) is writer and executive producer of the Muppets return.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"74JXH3HNH5A4PL5OWQSTKV4BMU\">\u201cWild to have a dream since childhood come true in 2025, but here we are,\u201d she said on Instagram. \u201cGrateful to everyone who helped make it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"ZZGNULOE7NDCXKCHM7DTRZVP34\">Tony winner <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/alextimbers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/alextimbers\/\">Alex Timbers<\/a> (\u201cAlex Edelman: Just For Us,\u201d \u201cMoulin Rouge! The Musical\u201d) is the director and another executive producer. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"MXHXYTSO2NHLRDVFJYTY5LVXQ4\">\u201cA dream to be directing this, with a team of great creatives, producers, and performers,\u201d he said on Instagram. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"AN2GZRQYYJGNPI36AXIAFK3JGU\">\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL8CncUxRsuLB_TnxsW_nmBhSK1ag_K-AT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL8CncUxRsuLB_TnxsW_nmBhSK1ag_K-AT\">The Muppet Show<\/a>\u201d ran from 1976 to 1981 and much longer in syndication.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"GBVHUTQCO5HRTA44N5YCZRXNUA\">The show was beloved for its winning characters like Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and Animal, who mingled with celebrity guests like New Jersey\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nj.com\/entertainment\/2019\/09\/blondies-debbie-harry-on-her-journey-from-jersey-dreamer-to-new-york-icon.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.nj.com\/entertainment\/2019\/09\/blondies-debbie-harry-on-her-journey-from-jersey-dreamer-to-new-york-icon.html\">Debbie Harry<\/a> of Blondie, Johnny Cash, Diana Ross and many more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"3JWXCFJCSNFTDHGSQMFJYQKWL4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2025\/tv\/news\/muppet-show-special-disney-plus-sabrina-carpenter-1236522558\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2025\/tv\/news\/muppet-show-special-disney-plus-sabrina-carpenter-1236522558\/\">Original Muppet talent<\/a> is returning in the new special. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"A5STLGIFANDXXHTNEEO2SOHU2E\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0324397\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_1_nm_7_in_0_q_Dave%2520Goelz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0324397\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_1_nm_7_in_0_q_Dave%2520Goelz\">Dave Goelz<\/a>, who was there from the beginning, playing Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf and others, will be back. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"IHYSIHZ4W5ERBMNZEGGTZMK3UY\">Joining him will be longtime Muppet performers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/billbarretta\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/billbarretta\/\">Bill Barretta<\/a> (Rowlf, The Swedish Chef, Pepe the King Prawn), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/peter.linz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/peter.linz\/\">Peter Linz<\/a> (Statler), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm1129383\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_Eric%2520Jacobson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm1129383\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_Eric%2520Jacobson\">Eric Jacobson<\/a> (Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Sam Eagle), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/welcomemattv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/welcomemattv\/\">Matt Vogel<\/a> (Kermit the Frog, Camilla the Chicken) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0748843\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_david%2520rudman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0748843\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_david%2520rudman\">David Rudman<\/a> (Scooter, Beaker, The Swedish Chef).<\/p>\n<p>If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.advancelocal.com\/advancelocalUserAgreement\/user-agreement.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.advancelocal.com\/advancelocalUserAgreement\/privacy-policy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s time to play the music! It\u2019s time to light the lights! It\u2019s time to meet the Muppets&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30859,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[156,111,139,69,437],"class_list":["post-30858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30858\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}