“The Muppet Show” Return A Ratings Hit

Earlier this month, Disney released a brand-new “Muppet Show” special on Disney+ around the world, featuring Kermit, Miss Piggy, and many of the other beloved Muppets.

The special featured music, comedy, and a whole lot of chaos are bound to ensue when The Muppets once again take the stage of the original Muppet Theatre with their very special guest, Sabrina Carpenter!

It’s been revealed that the show has been a huge hit for Disney, pulling in 3.07 million viewers for its first showing on ABC, with it pulling in 7.58 million views within its first eight days, increasing the viewership by 147%, putting it on par with “Shifting Gears” and “Abbott Elementary”.   It’s also unclear if this data represents just the United States viewership, or global.

From 20th Television, Disney Branded Television, The Muppets Studio and Point Grey Pictures, the special event is directed by Alex Timbers, who also serves as executive producer. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver and Alex McAtee are executive producers for Point Grey Pictures; David Lightbody, Leigh Slaughter and Michael Steinbach are executive producers for The Muppets Studio; Sabrina Carpenter, Albertina Rizzo, Matt Vogel and Eric Jacobson are executive producers.

Roger’s Take:  After many years of Disney trying to find the right format for these iconic characters, returning to what made them so popular in the first place looks to have worked, as the viewership on ABC and Disney+ is on par with some of its popular comedies.  It also highlights why a dual release on linear and streaming at the same time makes sense. 

Disney hasn’t yet announced if “The Muppet Show” will be returning for more specials or a full series, but this viewership data should hopefully increase the odds of that happening.  

Would you like to see “The Muppet Show” return?  Let me know on social media!