“The Muppet Show” aired its first official episode on Sept. 5, 1976, featuring guest star Joel Grey. The series ran for five seasons, ending in 1981.

Fifty years after its debut, the show returned with a 30-minute anniversary special on ABC and Disney+.

The Muppets were created by Jim Henson when he was a high school student in 1955. Henson did not originally have a big interest in puppetry, but he used the medium as a way to break into the television industry. His puppets, created alongside his wife Jane Nebel, were a completely new style made for TV, at a time when puppets were only designed for stage performances.

The original Kermit puppet that  made his debut in 1995 on “Sam and Friends” was made from an old pair of jeans, a coat from Henson’s mother and two ping pong balls for eyes. What was once a lizard-like dull colored creature turned into the iconic green collared frog audiences know today.

Henson himself served as the original performer for Kermit from the puppet’s debut until his death in 1990.

To ensure “The Muppet Show” ended on a high note in 1981, The Muppets stayed alive through a series of different productions, including television specials, series, films and video games.

Before his death, Henson wanted The Walt Disney Co. to acquire the rights to the Muppets. His daughter, Lisa Henson, said in a press release that her father strongly believed “that Disney would be a perfect home for the Muppets.”

While the deal didn’t go through while Henson was still alive, his children made it a point to continue pursuing Disney, who eventually acquired the Muppets in 2004 with the help of the company’s then-CEO Michael Eisner. Eisner personally knew Henson before his time at Disney. The New Yorker reported that Eisner “had been instrumental in persuading ABC to make the pilots for what eventually became “The Muppet Show.”

Although the original deal fell through as a result of Henson’s death, the last major project he ever worked on, called “Muppet Vision 3D,” was installed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Fla. in 1990, a year after his death. 

In June 2025, Disney closed “Muppet Vision 3D” and its surrounding area to add a “Monsters, Inc.”-themed attraction. However, they will still have a place for the Muppets at Sunset Blvd as they will retheme “Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster” to include the Muppets this summer.

“The Muppet Show” special marked 50 years since its original debut in 1976. It also served as a backdoor pilot to a potential revival of the series.  The episode was produced by Seth Rogen’s production company and featured Sabrina Carpenter as the show’s special guest.

The show featured the same exact format as the original 1970s show, with a one-to-one recreation of its well-known and iconic 1976 opening theme.

In usual Muppet fashion, Kermit acted as the host of the entire show and the audience watched as He tried his best to make sure the episode ran in an orderly fashion throughout all the chaos and time constraints in his schedule.

Miss Piggy and Carpenter had their own tension, with Carpenter constantly expressing how much of an idol and inspiration Miss Piggy was to her. 

After a comment about how much Carpenter has modeled her look after her, Miss Piggy replied, “Oh trust me, my attorneys and I have taken notice and we will be in touch.”

Some questioned Carpenter’s selection as guest star due to her adult-centered music, but many online argued that the “adult” jokes that were thrown into her segments shared the same aspects of the original show: jokes geared at adults that go over the heads of children.

Despite playing a major role in the production of the show, Rogen had very little screentime, and Kermit had to let him know that his segment had been cut. The music featured in the show included “The Muppet Show Theme,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Islands in the Stream,” “Blinding Lights” and “The Rainbow Connection.”

After multiple failed attempts in trying to repopularize “The Muppets” franchise, critics argue that the special finally captured what audiences wanted from the original show and format. 

“It’s a tad bit too slick for the Muppets, but it certainly doesn’t take away from the excitement of seeing the gang back together, and never affects the Muppet tone, which for the first time in a long time, Disney has gotten right,” one review said.

In the first eight days following the live broadcast, Disney reported nearly 7.6 million views with a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Disney has yet to announce if “The Muppet Show” special received enough viewership and praise for a full series reboot.