It’s not easy being green, but apparently that’s not nearly as hard as relaunching The Muppets. The beloved group has had many stops and starts in the 21st century. Every time it seems like they are back for good (2011’s Jason Segel led movie) another project fizzles out (the 2015 ABC series). Hopes were high when it was announced at this summer’s D23 that Disney+ was developing an all new show for Kermit and the gang, set to premiere in 2020. Now the whole thing is Gonzo before it even began-o, as Josh Gad announced that he and his fellow show creators are walking away from what would have been an ’80s-set sequel series to The Muppets Take Manhattan.
Gad posted on Twitter that he, Edward Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz were not moving forward with the show, which has apparently been scrapped by Disney+ entirely (at least for now). Gad cited the dreaded “creative differences” as the culprit. While we don’t know entirely what those might have been, he did reveal that four songs had already been written for the six-part series.
Sadly, Eddy Kitsis, @AdamHorowitzLA & I have decided to step away from Muppets Live Another Day. Sometimes, creative differences are just that. We LOVE this franchise so much & truly wish them all the best. Our 80’s-set sequel to Muppets Take Manhattan was pretty special & in
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) September 10, 2019
And Adam, Eddy and I cant wait to find more fun and exciting opportunities with our great partners over there. In the meantime, long live the Muppets! pic.twitter.com/XqEOrhgnL0
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) September 10, 2019
We have a feeling we’ll eventually learn more about what the show was supposed to be and why Disney balked at the idea, but thanks to the film we have some guesses as to what it would have been about. In addition to a New York City setting in the ’80s, the series seemingly would have found the gang working on their Broadway musical. Also, Kermit and Miss Piggy would probably have still been married after she tricked him into an official wedding at the end of the film.
Could that have worked? Certainly, though as we’ve learned repeatedly our love for The Muppets doesn’t guarantee success. But there is one idea that might, one that fans would probably be as excited for as anything.
So many different takes on the Muppets, and none of them are just the variety-show concept that would absolutely work today. Hire me, Disney+, so I may pitch these ideas to you.
— Josh Spiegel (@mousterpiece) September 10, 2019
All this nostalgia for the Muppets from various celebrities would be so easy to channel into a new version of the Muppet Show. This is not rocket science!
— Josh Spiegel (@mousterpiece) September 10, 2019
It’s not easy being green, but that idea seems like an easy winner.
Featured Image: TriStar Pictures