What I’m Watching: The Muppets

The Muppets: Season 1, Episode 11 “Swine Song” (B+)

I had almost completely forgotten about this show, and I just happened to notice that it was coming back after a pretty long time off the air. I’m not someone who felt that this show needed major retooling, and it’s interesting that this half-hour directly addressed that by refocusing the show-within-a-show as a result of a network executive’s orders. Having Key and Peele guest star and claim that Pizza (not spelled like it’s pronounced) showed up and then their show was cancelled was a great setup, and I enjoyed seeing Key and Peele having fun pretending that they are very poor now after the demise of their sketch show. What was also fun was seeing the cast band together and figure out a good way to all participate so that changes wouldn’t be forced down their throats. Some were more successful than others, but it was all enjoyable to watch. After Piggy came back with a smuggled penguin (my wife wants to take one from Australia!) and a new lease on life, it was good to see her come down to earth and not prove difficult when the show needed adjustments. Even better, she and Kermit did a great job with an impromptu song duo that proved to be a real winner. Though I did enjoy this episode, I would feel completely comfortable in giving up on this show since it just doesn’t feel like something I need to watch every week. As it’s one of the series that I watch regularly with my wife, I don’t think I’ll be abandoning it just yet, but don’t be surprised if you don’t see a review next time it airs.