The Muppets Episode 4 - Pig Out

[beaker]

Im not concerned about the ratings; as it's clear the big wigs at ABC and Disney are big personal fans of the new series and I'm guessing will keep it going as a favor regardless of ratings. The show might not find a cohesive footing, template or flow til next season. Til then it's Lew Zealand throwing random fish at pictures of Keanu Reeves.

 

[GuySmileyfan]

Oh no! Stupid people are forcing Muppets to flop! Please people, give the Muppets the greatest ratings ever! And if not, the Muppets will be gone forever. If you guys love the muppets, support them and don't make it a flop!

Sorry, I just don't want Disney make that same mistake again after what they did for Muppets Most Wanted.

 

[ploobis]

Here's the whole Karaoke Party scene!

Enjoy!!!

<iframe width="644" height="362" src="http://abc.go.com/embed/VDKA0_mo36gja5" frameborder="0"></iframe>

 

[JimAndFrank]

Watching the episode a second time, Kermit's actions and the way he has become a bit snarky and cocky reminds me of his personality pre-Muppet Show.

Maybe being separated from Piggy's influence has caused Kermit to redevelop the characteristics their relationship suppressed. You have to admit, once Piggy took over the limelight, Kermit became very passive-aggressive.

 

[muppetlover123]

This episode is my personal favorite so far

 

[Iscah]

Unsolved questions...
Did Scooter get a pair of replacement glasses? Or will he be left to stumble around searching for them like Velma?

He does have his glasses back when we see him later in the episode.

I am wondering though... if [Uncle Deadly] is a ghost dragon phantom? I mean every time they show him there's a breeze or something blowing his facial hair around. In TMS when he said he was "killed by the critics" did he mean literally or figuratively? I dunno it just feels to me all this time he's a ghost muppet. I have no idea.

At a practical/puppet level, his 'hair' is ostrich-feathers, which are very light and floaty. They're used on a lot of characters though (Floyd, for example) who are certainly not ghosts, so it's no indication in itself. But yeah, it's ambiguous whether Deadly is a ghost or just acting the part.

 

[Drtooth]

Im not concerned about the ratings; as it's clear the big wigs at ABC and Disney are big personal fans of the new series and I'm guessing will keep it going as a favor regardless of ratings. The show might not find a cohesive footing, template or flow til next season. Til then it's Lew Zealand throwing random fish at pictures of Keanu Reeves.

As long as it gets a second season, and even now I'm doubtful about it. Maybe there is something to the "casual fans want a carbon copy of the Muppet Show" thing. Though, that didn't exactly help MT at all. If this show doesn't make it, I'm giving up on these guys. Just totally. I don't have the patience to wait another 20 years for a Muppet show that lasts barely a season. Nor do I care for another Christmas special or D-List celebrity filled DTV movie retelling. It's not like they're going to say "Well, this didn't work. Let's wait a year and make something that the fans won't like anyway, and then a year from that, reboot them again." It's going to be gone and replaced by a crappy sitcom starring some 90's sitcom star that's going to in turn be replaced by another hour of Dancing with the Stars in three weeks. Because somehow, the audience for The Muppets is too sophisticated to actually watch the show, but just dumb enough to support reality competitions. Always how that works.

There's hope that ABC would keep pushing it and renew it on a probationary basis, and maybe things will pick up later. But for now, the Muppets getting another misfire because of a fickle audience (and clearly a prudish one as well) just smacks of disillusionment for me. I'll see this show through to the end, and something tells me that's soon. I'm sick of seeing things I invest my time with get tossed aside because my small amount of money and viewership doesn't matter. The Mega Man comics getting abruptly cancelled was the last straw for me. If this show gets cancelled, I'll be really ticked for a couple days, but after that, I'm done.

 

[LouisTheOtter]

Here's a good ratings comparison for the muppets

The Goldbergs went from 3.1 to 2.2 to 1.9 to 1.6, similar to the muppets, the fifth episode went up, let's hope the muppets does the same.

Thanks, MM. I was actually thinking about The Goldbergs myself in terms of ABC being patient with a heavily-promoted new series. In its first season, The Goldbergs actually aired at 9 EST on Tuesday nights (after Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.) in a comedy block with the one-season wonder Trophy Wife. ABC was patient enough to wait for the core audience to settle in, and now The Goldbergs is enjoying great numbers in its third season (its second in ABC's Wednesday-night comedy block).

Let's face it, folks, Tuesday nights are tough. The Flash (which Mrs. Otter and I really enjoy) just returned, and NCIS and The Voice are still go-to favourites. It can be argued that The Muppets is fortunate to get the numbers it's getting. (And let's face it: How would you like to be FOX or John Stamos, attempting to digest the rock-bottom ratings for Grandfathered?)

We can't forget two important variables about the most recent Tuesday night: the Democratic candidates' debate on CNN and the first round of the MLB playoffs. These are event-television broadcasts that will naturally bleed viewers away from regular-series TV. (And now that one of the Final Four MLB teams is Canadian, that probably won't continue.)

Also, I did a count on the ABC ratings figures and only five of its scripted series are doing better than The Muppets in the coveted 18-49 demographic: The Goldbergs, Modern Family, Scandal, Grey's Anatomy and How To Get Away With Murder. Other new shows like Quantico and Blood and Oil are tanking. The Middle, the Wednesday night comedy-block leader that just started its seventh season, isn't pulling The Muppets' numbers. Nashville, a favourite of mine that just launched its fourth season, is taking in half the audience of The Muppets and is probably on life support right now.

Further to that thought: The Muppets has been tagged as one of ABC's more expensive series (with double the budget of an average sitcom) but the network is holding on to other shows with even lower ratings that must cost a fortune to produce - specifically, Once Upon A Time and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. And what else do these shows have in common with The Muppets? Rabid fan bases that will loyally follow these series to the final episode, and even beyond.

With four quality, buzz-worthy episodes in the can and decent numbers for a new show on a busy TV night, I'm certainly not calling the TV undertaker. (Or, for that matter, the Cancellation Bear, which has The Muppets as a good bet to be renewed for 2016-17 based on the first month's ratings.)

This isn't a rehash of the Friday-night-death-slot Muppets Tonight days, folks. Call me overly optimistic but I really like this new show and its chances for a long run. This is a major commitment for ABC, not a Selfie-type sitcom to be dumped after a month and a half. And until such time as the axe actually falls, I look forward to enjoying my old friends in their new shenanigans every Tuesday night.

(After Charlie Brown, of course.)

 

[CensoredAlso]

As long as it gets a second season, and even now I'm doubtful about it. Maybe there is something to the "casual fans want a carbon copy of the Muppet Show" thing. Though, that didn't exactly help MT at all.

MT was a carbon copy of Muppet Show? News to me!

the Muppets getting another misfire because of a fickle audience (and clearly a prudish one as well)

Which describes literally no one I've talked to about this show. If you guys want to support this show, it's important to understand what the actual criticisms are. Rather than maintain this defensive "fans vs not real fans" mentality.

 

[jobi71]

Here's the whole Karaoke Party scene!

Enjoy!!!

<iframe width="644" height="362" src="http://abc.go.com/embed/VDKA0_mo36gja5" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Watching this a few additional times this morning I have a few additional thoughts. While there are glasses of alcohol at Zoot's table they could well belong to the other characters. And he is not seen imbibing, so in my mind I will believe he is still sober. There is of course the cookie eating scene, but perhaps he was just happy and hungry. OK I'm really stretching it there. Other observations none alcohol related: Uncle Deadly is marvelous. I wonder if Dave and Steve and any other old timers are wondering "Why didn't we use him more of TMS?" Bunsen calling Beaker his hero. They are such a sweet odd pair/couple/whatever. The cast's reaction to the Chef at the beginning of the song and then totally jiving to it by the end. There is a rather large photo of Rowlf on the wall behind Sam's? Maybe Ed Helms' table so he was not forgotten in this episode. Scooter and Piggy have had several nice scenes so far. I like their dynamic. And Ed Helms. Let me get this straight. He was paid money to hang out with the Muppets for a day or day and a half and have fun and sing songs? I've never been more jealous.