"Muppets Now" Reviews!

While Muppet Now premiered today, many critics got an early sneak peek. 

Here's what they had to say. 

Collider hails Muppets Now as a "Dazzling, Slyly Subversive Return to Greatness"

The Hollywood Reporter says the show is "Full of potential, despite a repetitious streak that wastes much of the ensemble"

Entertainment Weekly gave it a B+

TV Insider's Matt Roush says the show "Trades on Classic Humor"

The AV Club says "Disney actually made a good Muppet show—yaaaaaaaay!"

Variety says the show is "smart enough update of the franchise that it should have no trouble satisfying longtime fans while converting new ones"

NBC10 Boston calls it "Pure Muppets Magic Served Up Variety Show Style For Streaming Audiences"

Rolling Stone says "While it’s a substantial improvement on the characters’ last TV series, it ultimately misses the point of playing the music and lighting the lights"

NBC6 Miami raves Muppets Now "Is Pure Muppets Magic Served Up Variety Show Style For Streaming Audience"

Vulture says it "Brings the Golden Age of Muppetry Into the YouTube Era."
The Deseret New says "it’s the 2020 comedy we’ve been waiting for. It’s silly, it’s low stakes. But it’s entertaining and gives us a break from the darkness of our modern world — a happy escape amid a pandemic and a stressful world."

Muppets Now is streaming, well ...now on Disney+!

The Muppets Virtually Promote "Muppets Now!"

The Muppets have been making the rounds to promote Muppets Now, and these days that means conducting interviews over zoom. 

Kermit gave Disney Vacation Club Members a sneak peek:

Gonzo and Pepe joined ABC 7's Jennifer Matarese:

Black Girl Nerds sat down with Miss Piggy about how to be entanglement-free:

Black Girl Nerds also sat sat down with Walter on working in front and behind the scenes:

Scooter talked with Laughing Place reporter Mike Celestino:

Scooter also sat down with Chip and Company's Kaitlyn:

Gonzo called into Petrana Radulovic of Polygon. 

Decider's Brett White also got to chat with Gonzo

Gonzo and Pepe joined our our friends at ToughPigs to promote the show as well. 

 Collider Interviewed Miss Piggy about being called a diva:

NBC LA entertainment reporter Heather Brooker sat down with Kermit the Frog, Gonzo and Pepe the King Prawn:

Eyewitness News 3 chatted with Kermit, Miss Piggy, Walter, Pepe, Gonzo, and Scooter:

Finally, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy talk ‘Muppets Now’ on GMA:

Muppets Now debuts on Disney+ Friday!

Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Nominated for Emmy!

Speaking of the Emmys. The primetime Emmy nominations were announced yesterday and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance has been nominated for Outstanding Children's Program. 

The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced September 20 on ABC. 

Sesame Street, 50th Special, Muppet Babies and More Win Emmys!

The Daytime Emmy awards were announced this week and Sesame Workshop picked up 11 awards including 3 for Sesame Street, 1 for Ghostwriter, and 6 for Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration.

Matt Danner picked up an Emmy for Best Performer in a Preschool Animated Program for Muppet Babies, Ryan Dillon won Best Principle Performance in a Daytime Program for Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration and Sesame Street itself was awarded Best Preschool Children’s Series. 

Check out the the full list of Muppet wins and losses along with their competition is below. 

Won: 

Best Special Class Special
“93rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day”
“Hate Among Us”
X — “Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration”
“This Old House: 40th Anniversary Special”
“The Young and the Restless: Kristoff St. John Tribute” 

Best Writing for a Special Class Special
“Mind Field: What Is the Scariest Thing?”
X — “Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration”
“This Old House: 40th Anniversary Special”
“2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards”
“The 2019 Rose Parade with Cord and Tish” 

Best Technical Team
“CBS This Morning”
“Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”
“The Kelly Clarkson Show”
“The Price Is Right”
X — “Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration”
“The View”

Best Preschool Children’s Series
“Blue’s Clues and You”
“Dino Dana”
“Helpsters”
“Ryan’s Mystery Playdate”
X — “Sesame Street”

Best Short Format Children’s Program
“Muppet Babies: Play Date”
“Mushroom and the Forest of the World”
“Sesame Street in Communities: A Place for You”
X — “Sesame Street in Communities: Meet Salia”
“Snoopy in Space”

Best Principal Performance in a Daytime Program
X — Ryan Dillon, “Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration”
Liana Liberato, “Light as a Feather”
Damian Toofeek Raven, “The Chadwick Journals, Season 3: Oren”
Jordan Rodrigues, “Light as a Feather”
Brianne Tju, “Light as a Feather”

Best Directing for a Children’s/Young Adult Program
“Ghostwriter”
“Light as a Feather”
“Pup Academy”
X — “Sesame Street”
“Trinkets”

Best Performer in a Preschool Animated Program
Eric Bauza, “Muppet Babies”
X — Matt Danner, “Muppet Babies”
Maurice LaMarche, “The Rocketeer”
Kevin Michael Richardson, “Puppy Dog Pals”
Christian Simon, “T.O.T.S.”

Best Multiple Camera Editing
“Articulate with Jim Cotter”
“Consumer 101”
“Milk Street”
X — “Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration”
“The View”

Best Special Effects Costume/Makeup/Hairstyling
X — “Dino Dana”
“Ghostwriter”
“Helpsters”
“Odd Squad”
X — “Sesame Street”


Lost: 

Best Daytime Promotional Announcement (Brand Image Campaign)
“Archibald’s Next Big Thing” (Series Launch)
“Disney Team of Heroes”
“Family Feud” (On Pause)
“Sesame Street” (50th Memories: #ThisIsMyStreet Campaign)
X — “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” (She-Ra International Women’s Day 2019) 

Best Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
“A Holiday Reunion”
X — “The Kelly Clarkson Show”
“Sesame Street”
“The View” 

Best Lighting Direction
“Ghostwriter”
“A Holiday Reunion”
X — “The Kelly Clarkson Show”
“Sesame Street”
“The View”

Best Cinematography
“Ghostwriter”
“A Holiday Reunion”
“Just Add Magic”
“The Square Root”
X — “Tumble Leaf”

Best Writing for a Children’s/Young Adult Program
“Free Rein”
“Ghostwriter”
“Helpsters”
“Sesame Street”
X — “Trinkets”

Best Directing for a Preschool Animated Program
“Ask the StoryBots”
“Elena of Avalor”
“Muppet Babies”
“Norman Picklestripes”
“True and the Rainbow Kingdom”
X — “Tumble Leaf”

“Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum

Best Single Camera Editing
“CBS Sunday Morning”
“Helpsters”
“MTV News Presents: White Supremacy Destroyed My Life”
“Odd Squad”
X — “Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10”
“Rock the Park”
“This Old House: 40th Anniversary Special

Best Sound Mixing
X — “Articulate with Jim Cotter”
“Beyond Your Backyard”
“The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation”
“A Holiday Reunion”
“Mission Unstoppable”
“Sesame Street”

Best Sound Editing for Live Action
“El Corazon de Sergio Ramos”
“Dino Dana”
“Ghostwriter”
X — “Odd Squad”
“Trinkets”

Best Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
“A Holiday Reunion”
X — “The Kelly Clarkson Show”
“Sesame Street”
“The View”

Best Costume Design/Styling
“Ghostwriter”
“Helpsters”
“No Good Nick”
X — “The Real”
“The Talk”
“Tamron Hall”

Here's Matt Danner's Best Performer in a Preschool Animated Program acceptance 

speech performing the voices of Kermit, Rowlf, Beaker, Waldorf and Chef on Muppet Babies:

Holy moly! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I never thought I’d be an Emmy winner. I still can’t believe it! Here’s a video of my acceptance speech which perfectly illustrates how award shows work during a pandemic. Wait til the end. #MuppetBabies #Emmys2020 pic.twitter.com/gd1eHy2vIn

— Matt Danner (@MattyDanner) July 27, 2020

Congratulations to all the winners!

‘Muppets Now’ Poster Art!

Disney+ commissioned the Poster Posse to create a series of posters to promote Muppets Now. Each one highlighting a part of the series. 

Check them out below:

Muppets Now (all characters)

Poster Artist: ANDY FAIRHURST

Lifestyle with Miss Piggy

Poster Artist: LUKE BUTLAND

Muppet Labs Field Test

Poster Artist: TOM MIATKE

Okey Dokey Kookin!

Poster Artist: MATT NEEDLE

Muppet Masters

Poster Artist: CRISTHIAN HOVA

Pepe’s Unbelievable Game Show

Poster Artist: COURTNEY MARTIN

Mup Close and Personal

Poster Artist: SAM GILBEY

Muppets Now debuts on Disney+ Friday!

New Muppet Drinkware Coming From Vandor!

Drinkware company Vandor has two new Muppet items on the way. 

A Kermit head ceramic mug, and a Kermit, Animal, and Miss Piggy water bottle. No dates, pre-order links, or other retail listings are up yet, but our guess is they'll be available

sometime in the fall. 

Thanks to Marshall Blakley for the heads up. 

RIP Regis Philbin (1931 - 2020)

Legendary TV personality Regis Philbin has died.

Regis was the long time co-host of the morning talk show Live. First with with Kathie Lee Gifford from 1985 to 2000 then with Kelly Ripa from 2001 until 2011.

Over the years The Muppets were frequent Live guests including Miss Piggy's 1996 appearance to promote her cookbook "In The Kitchen with Miss Piggy."

Miss Piggy returned to Live with Regis and Kelly on May 19, 2005 to promote The Muppets' Wizard of Oz.

One of Regis's other hosting duties was for the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade.
In 1989, Kermit the Frog joined Regis to promote The Muppets coming to Walt Disney World. 

The 2002 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade saw Regis once again co-host while Bear from Bear in the Big Blue House was a guest.

Noel MacNeal who performed Bear and Leon from Between The Lions when they appeared on Live posted this tribute:

Regis and Kathie Lee Gifford made a cameo in Sesame Street's 25th Anniversary special Stars and Street Forever in 1994.

Philbin was name a Disney Legends at the 2011 D23 Expo along with Jim Henson.

You can watch both inductions below:

If all that wasn't enough Philbin was also the original host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, in which Kermit had to lend Jon Stewart a hand.

In 2013, Regis lent his voice to A New York Christmas To Remember a special that took place at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York City and featured puppets conceived by Jane Henson and built by the Creature Shop.

Philbin was so active on TV, he holds the Guinness World Record for the most hours on U.S. television at 16,700 hours on air. He was nominated for 37 Daytime Emmy Awards, won six, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 and was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

Regis Philbin was 88.