--- description: It's no 'Muppet Show.' But four months into quarantine, with a new generation of kids to entertain, it doesn't need to be. title: 'Muppets Now' on Disney+ Is Ideal Comfort Viewing image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt34fc3aaf88c8d3df/698a108e457a524a66d6437c/muppets-now-disney-plus.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Television](/tag/television/) ## Television Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # _Muppets Now_ on Disney+ Is No _Muppet Show_, But It's Still Perfect 2020 Comfort TV  by [Judy Berman](/author/judy-berman/)  ## Judy Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close TV Critic Jul 27, 2020 8:06 PM CUT  Wocka wocka! Hapless comedian Fozzie Bear returns to TV Wocka wocka! Hapless comedian Fozzie Bear returns to TVDisney+  by [Judy Berman](/author/judy-berman/)  ## Judy Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close TV Critic Jul 27, 2020 8:06 PM CUT Fawn over the difficult men who create prestige TV if you must, but there’s no harder task in screen­writing than making entertainment that appeals to viewers of all ages. Studio Ghibli films combine emotional realism, adorable animated characters and conservationist themes. [_SpongeBob SquarePants_](https://time.com/collection-post/3103815/spongebob-squarepants/ "undefined") found a secondary stoner audience. But no franchise has mastered the art of [delighting the whole family](https://time.com/4034793/the-muppet-show-original-review/ "undefined") quite like the Muppets. So it will surely come as a relief to parents four months into quarantine who simply cannot stomach another [_Trolls_](https://time.com/4577308/enums/ "undefined") rewatch that Kermit and company are back. Premiering July 31 on Disney+, _Muppets Now_ attempts to recapture the magic of _The Muppet Show_, the variety extravaganza that paired Jim Henson’s fuzzy menagerie with the biggest human stars of the 1970s. Former stage manager Scooter has evolved into a showrunner scrambling to upload each episode of _Muppets Now_. Sadly, that means the show’s main setting is not the lively, puppet-packed vaudeville theater of the original but the flat plane of his computer screen. Thankfully, the core of this sketch comedy is its recurring segments, most of which are very fun. Miss Piggy reinvents herself as a porcine Gwyneth ­Paltrow in “Lifestyle” (emphasis on the “sty”) and channels her timeless narcissism into deranged celebrity interviews. (“What is your favorite very personal story that your publicist has ever written for you?” she purrs at [Aubrey Plaza](https://time.com/4895006/aubrey-plazas-status-update/ "undefined").) “Muppet Labs” has Bunsen and Beaker making glorious messes in the name of science. My favorite regular segment is a cooking competition that pits the chaotic, always hilarious Swedish Chef against the likes of chef [Roy Choi](https://time.com/collection-post/4301775/roy-choi-2016-time-100/ "undefined") and national treasure [Danny Trejo](http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2015749,00.html "undefined") to whip up dishes from around the world. Much flour is spilled. The Muppets have always been funniest when spoofing showbiz, and the same is true of _Muppets Now_. Though it lacks some of the warmth and sophistication of _The Muppet Show_, its characters have been smartly updated for the streaming era. _Muppets Now_ guest-stars [Statler and Waldorf](https://time.com/4042942/first-muppet-show-clip/ "undefined"), those patron saints of TV critics, who would probably deliver a harsher review. But kids won’t care how it compares with its predecessor. And as an adult in anxious times, who wouldn’t forgive minor flaws if it means spending time in such soothing company? ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5870228/muppets-now-review-disney-plus/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5870228/muppets-now-review-disney-plus/"},"headline":"Muppets Now on Disney+ Is No Muppet Show, But It's Still Perfect 2020 Comfort TV","datePublished":"2020-07-27T20:06:52.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T09:01:56.701Z","description":"It's no 'Muppet Show.' 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