Disney has once again pulled back from the Muppets.
The company spent much of 2026 rebuilding momentum around Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and the rest of the franchise, culminating in a successful television special that returned the characters to their classic variety show format.
But despite strong viewing figures and four Emmy wins, Disney has not ordered a full series of The Muppets Show, leaving the characters without another television project currently moving forward.
The decision adds another abandoned comeback to a franchise that Disney has repeatedly struggled to sustain on television.
Disney Stops Muppets Revival After Successful Special
February’s The Muppets Show special brought the characters back to the Muppet Theatre, with Kermit attempting to keep a stage show together while chaos unfolded around him.
Sabrina Carpenter appeared as the main celebrity guest, while Seth Rogen and Maya Rudolph also featured. Rogen additionally served as an executive producer.
Disney said the special reached 7.58 million viewers across ABC and Disney+ during its first eight days, while the wider Muppets catalog generated more than 125 million viewing hours.
It also went on to win four Emmys, including Outstanding Variety Special, writing, production design, and editing.
That performance fueled expectations that Disney could expand the special into a full series.
Instead, those plans have stalled.
According to Deadline, the companies behind the project have faced “difficulties cracking a premise” for an ongoing show.
The revival involves 20th Television, The Muppets Studio, and Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Point Grey Pictures.
Point Grey has reportedly remained interested in continuing the project, but the parties have not agreed on what a full series should look like.
A source said there are currently “no active series conversations.”
That means the February special will remain a standalone project for now, despite already using the format most closely associated with the franchise.
Rogen celebrated its success following the Emmys.
“I couldn’t be more proud to have been able to help bring this to life and I’m so thrilled our amazing team of writers, editors and production designers were recognized for their work.”
The lack of a follow up has confused some fans, particularly because the original format already gives the franchise a simple structure.
The premise for the series is the same premise you just did and the premise Jim Henson did in 1974 WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT https://t.co/OaMCcPnIJr
— Offhand Disney (@OffhandDisney) September 10, 2026
“The premise for the series is the same premise you just did and the premise Jim Henson did in 1974,” one fan wrote on X. “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT.”
Another wrote, “Why are they overcomplicating a premise when jim henson literally gave them the perfect formula 50 years ago??”
One fan added, “What kind of excuse is this? It’s Muppets putting on a stage show and having celebrity guests. Throw in Chappell Roan and Josh Gad and you got your show.”
Disney Has Struggled to Keep the Muppets on Television
The latest setback follows more than a decade of short-lived attempts to find a permanent television format for the characters.
The original Muppet Show ran from 1976 to 1981 and established the combination of celebrity guests, musical performances, backstage comedy, and variety sketches that remains closely associated with the franchise.
Muppets Tonight followed during the 1990s.
Disney later tried another approach with ABC’s The Muppets in 2015. The mockumentary style series focused more heavily on the characters’ personal lives and workplace relationships.
It was canceled after one season.
Disney+ made another attempt in 2023 with The Muppets Mayhem.
That series followed Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem as they tried to record their first studio album, with Lilly Singh starring as the executive attempting to manage the band.
The show received six Emmy nominations.
Its accompanying Electric Mayhem album also reached No. 1 on Billboard.
Disney+ still canceled the series in November 2023 after just one season. Disney never released its streaming figures, and the show did not appear in Nielsen’s top 10 streaming rankings.
The latest special appeared to offer another route forward by returning to the franchise’s most recognizable setup.
That made the lack of a series order particularly frustrating for longtime viewers.
“This is actually so heartbreaking for anyone who has been waiting years for a proper Muppets comeback. Why do major studios always overcomplicate simple nostalgia projects? Y’all skipped the actual creative roadblocks and went straight to blaming Disney executives.”
The Muppets are not disappearing completely from Disney.
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in May 2026, replacing the attraction’s former Aerosmith theme with the Electric Mayhem.
The ride gave the franchise a new permanent Walt Disney World presence following the controversial closure of Muppet*Vision 3D.
But, at least for now, the characters have just a theme park attraction and a successful standalone special — and no active television series waiting behind them.
Are you surprised Disney has stopped short of giving the Muppets another full series?
