You have the Parents Television Council to thank for Bob Kushell’s exit as showrunner of ABC’s “The Muppets”, at least according to the Parents Television Council. Sources for The Hollywood Reporter say that he didn’t agree with where co-creator Bill Prady (The Big Bang Theory) wanted to take the show. Then all she has to do is figure out how to “relaunch” a marquee show full of beloved characters that just launched a few months earlier, and took all of six weeks to leave carnage in its wake as it started coming apart at the seams.
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The series is expected to go on break after its 10th episode, and return in rebooted fashion for the remaining six Season 1 episodes.
The big question about the soft reboot is, will the show continue to center around “Up Late with Miss Piggy”? The show’s “First Look Presentation” impressed network executives so much that they immediately ordered it to series, but it hasn’t been doing quite as will with actual human beings. While this has been entertaining and provides a great format for celebrity guest appearances like Elizabeth Banks, Imagine Dragons, and Josh Groban, this setting may be a bit too meta for the viewer at home. A show that is about a show, that’s also a reality show?
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If you could change the format of “The Muppets”, what changes would you make? Though the series is Tuesday’s highest-rated new show among adults 18-49, ABC is holding the show to higher standards due to the longstanding popularity of the characters; further, the studio has concerns about its creative direction.
