TV reboots are a dime a dozen, but the ones that are worth the effort are far rarer. I’d easily add Disney Junior’s Muppet Babies into that upper echelon, even if the target audience demographic is several decades younger than my own current age, because of how much (and how well) it has honored the characters’ legacies without tarnishing them. In as much as any of Fozzie’s jokes can remain untarnished, at least. And the animated series is saving arguably its best homage for last, as the Muppet Babies series finale will kick off with an opening that pays tribute to The Muppet Show’s all-time classic opening and theme song.
And yippee-skippy, fans don’t even have to wait for the episode to air in order to enjoy the Muppetational magnificence, as we’ve got the exclusive first look at the sequence below! Check it out and submit to the fact that you’ll have this tune in your head for at least the rest of the day.
Now let’s take a few minutes to completely nerd out here before talking about how this homage works contextually with the rest of the episode. I love Baby Kermit’s yelling and arm-flailing whenever I can get it, and it was perfectly on brand here. And then the curtains open up to reveal the multi-level stage set that has become almost as iconic a visual as the characters themselves. And at this point, 70+ episodes into its run, Muppet Babies has enough show-specific characters to populate things accordingly, and just about everyone joins the fun!
First up, we’ve got Nanny, the T-Rex skeleton, the hairy behemoth Sweetums, Kermit’s Mega Super Ultra Robo Space Dinosaur toy, and Manny. Then we have Swedish Chef, Kermit’s cousin Robin, Sam the Eagle, Rizzo the Rat and Scooter, soon followed by Fozzie’s adoptive sister Rozzie, Skeeter, Gonzo’s chicken Camilla, the O.G. new character Summer, and Muppets Take Manhattan recruit Jill. And even more are just waiting to be recognized once the entirety of the stage set is populated by Muppet Babies characters.
While I won’t be able to mention EVERYONE, it’s certainly worth noting that both Bunsen and Beaker are present, as well as their robot counterparts Bunsen 2.0 and Beaker 2.0, AND the Beaker Balloon. As well, we’ve got Gonzo (and his BFF Potato), his Uncle Norman, as well as another green Gonzonian. Other such familiar faces include America’s Got Talent vet Rowlf, the Wacky Alpaca Pals, Vinny Linguine, the Meatball Monster, Carlos, Dot the Dragon and more. And I love how, once Gonzo comes down within the logo, none of the characters want to be blocked by it, so they all group together. This show continues to be adorable, and I’ll be sad to see it go.
Now as far as what the episode will actually be about, it will indeed involve a stage show, logically connecting The Muppet Show to everything. Here’s the synopsis:
In the finale episode titled 'The Muppet Babies Show,' Kermit and the gang decide to put on a special stage show for all of their friends before the playroom closes for summer vacation. The show runs smoothly until Kermit realizes that this is the last time all of his friends will be together for a while and panicking, does everything he can to make the show last as long as possible. In the end, the rest of the Muppet Babies help Kermit – and the young viewers at home – realize that summer vacation doesn't have to mean goodbye… it just means 'see ya later.'
Will the finale feature any other references to beloved films or TV shows? We’ll just have to find out when Muppet Babies wraps up its enjoyable, imaginative and reference-friendly run on Disney Junior on Friday, February 18, at 5:00 p.m. ET, with a special 22-minute extended episode.
In the meantime, Disney+ subscribers should check out Muppets Haunted Mansion to see how well the characters combine with a spooky story, and then join me in anticipating the imminent arrival of the new series focusing on Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. And when all else fails, our 2022 TV premiere schedule will show you what new and returning shows are popping up soon.
